Record-Breaking Laxmen Dismember Williams, 29-3

Two years ago it was MIT, 27-0. Then it was Mass Maritime, 27-3. And yesterday, it was Williams's turn to prove it no longer belongs on the schedule of the fast-improving Harvard lacrosse team.

The Crimson exploded for a school record 29 goals and attackman Mike Faught became the latest in a long line of stickmen to tie a school record with 11 points as Harvard overwhelmed the hapless Ephmen, 29-3.

The Cantabrigians all but turned the game into a practice, winning 29 of 36 face-offs and outshooting the Ephmen by an unbelievable 74-19.

Standout Crimson netminder Ken First worked out for a little more than a half, checking up nine saves while allowing just two Williams scores, both assisted by Brian Benedict.

Later, Ken Freedberg came off the bench to stop two of the three shots Williams got on net over the final 24 minutes. This time, Benedict did the honors himself, notching his team's only tally of the second half.

The only drama came in the first eight minutes, during which the Crimson miraculously failed to score, and in the final minutes, when Faught reentered the contest with 10 points, one shy of the school standard.

At 14:05, he took a pass from Chris Doherty and beat Williams goalie Bob Cowin to tie the record. As the final seconds ticked away, however, his bid to smash the old mark failed.

What was amazing about Faught's effort was that six of his 11 points were assists. This almost doubled his previous season total of seven, to go along with the 49 goals he brought into the contest. Faught is still four goals short of the Harvard single-season record of 58.

In the one-sided laugher against Williams, Faught got plenty of support from teammates Pete Predun, who garnered four goals and four feeds, Gordie Nelson (4-2), Doherty (4-1), Steve Martin (2-3) and co-captain Hank Leopold (1-3).

Martin's five-point outburst solidified his hold on second place on the all-time Crimson scoring list, but it was not enough to retain his distinction as season's leading point-getter. Faught now leads in that race, 67-65.

Harvard's hopes for a place in the eight-team NCAA tournament died an agonizing death over the weekend when the stickmen pulled within one goal of powerful UMass, but then could not force in the tying marker over the final seven minutes.

Nevertheless, Saturday's season finale against Dartmouth is full of significance. A win would leave Harvard with a 5-1 Ivy League record, the Crimson's best ever. Its only loss was to Cornell.