Stickmen Click on Offense, Destroy Williams, 19-8

The varsity lacrosse team dazzled the Ephmen at Williams yesterday, 19-8. And the game wasn't really even that close. The Crimson lost momentum in the fight-marred late going and the home team managed five fourth-quarter goals.

But the game was as good as over by then. Harvard had a 17-3 lead after 45 minutes of play and had put together three quarters of brilliant lacrosse which drew superlatives from everyone involved.

"They played a simply outstanding game," was all Williams coach Renzie Lamb could say last night.

Tough Defense

"We played really well," Crimson coach Bob Scalise commented. "We moved the ball amazingly well. For the first time this year, we got a superb game from each of our starting defensemen. Chris Ecker, Mike Belmont, and Hank Leopold put together a fine first half; Williams couldn't do a thing."

"We were really clicking on offense, and ran some really beautiful fast breaks," added Crimson midfielder Bill Lewis. The offensive explosion resulted in amazing individual statistics for some of the Harvard stars.

Attackman Steve Martin had a goal and eight assists, tying the school single-game record for playmaking and running his season assist total to 39. Fellow attackman Bill MacKenzie notched seven goals, the team's season high.

Billy Tennis, the third member of the offensive trio, had a relatively tame day with four points, but remains the team leader with 37 goals and 56 points. Midfielder Kevin McCall scored six goals for the second time this year, repeating his feat from the MIT game.

For a few minutes in the first quarter, it looked like the Ephmen might make a fight of it. Crimson freshman Bill Forbush opened the scoring with an unassisted effort, and McCall converted a pass from Martin for a 2-0 lead. But Williams rallied, scoring two quick goals to tie the game.

Another freshman, midfielder Mike Faught, put the Crimson back on top, and then MacKenzie fired in three quick goals on two assists from Martin and one from Tennis.

Tennis added a goal of his own as the quarter came to an end, on Martin's fourth assist of the period. Harvard led 7-2 and never looked back, ripping off six unanswered tallies before the half to put the game away, 13-2.

The Crimson dominated all facets of the game, outshooting the Ephmen 51-35, scooping up 76 of the 127 ground balls, and winning 20 of 29 faceoffs. Harvard has been outfaced only once this year, in the crucial overtime loss at Brown when they played without specialist Sandy White.

Jim Michelson and freshman Kenny First split the netminding duties. Michelson stopped six of eight shots, while his understudy gave up six goals but made a personal-high 12 saves.

Recovery

Senior co-captain Bruce Bruckmann, who led the team's midfielders in scoring last year, seems finally to be returning to form after missing most of the season with a shoulder injury. Against overmatched Williams, he had a goal and an assist, raising his season scoring total to five.

The victory ran the Crimson record to 9-5. The stickmen play their final game Saturday at the Business School Field against the Big Green of Dartmouth. The Crimson will be looking for a break-even Ivy League record, and a third-place league finish.