John Lechner

As he steps into the cage against Johns Hopkins this afternoon for the first round of the 1980 NCAA playoffs, Harvard goalie John Lechner will begin the final chapter of an amazing Crimson lacrosse career that began more than three years ago. At that time, the scrappy Lechner was a lightning quick attackman with solid stickwork but not quite enough body size to hide his stick.

At the beginning of this season, after hours of practice against some of the hardest shooters available, coupled with set after set of Nautilus conditioning exercises to prime every ounce and inch of a 5-ft. 9-in. frame which never carries more than 150 pounds, Lechner established himself as starting goalie. And with the season now winding down, Lechner is considered one of the squad's strongest all-American candidates.

At the start of Lechner's sophomore year, coach Bob Scalise discovered that the native Long Islander had once been a hockey goalie, and Scalise encouraged him to try it again--this time without the ice. Capable Ken First was then having his best year ever guarding the Crimson twines; but Scalise, concerned about Harvard's future prospects, thought Lechner might prove a valuable asset.

"When I asked Lech to try the position I knew he had the quick hands and feet plus the guts, but I remained apprehensive even until this fall. But after his showing in a scrimmage, I realized he was the man to fill the job," Scalise said recently. "I said all along this team would be as good as its goalie, and Lech hasn't let us down once. He's solid proof that a player can make it if he's willing to invest time and energy."

After playing second string last season behind the now-graduated First, Lechner vowed to make the very most of senior year. He wanted to be Harvard's starting goalie, and he paid the price.

Spending a summer in Cambridge, Lechner played in two different leagues, earned a Most Valuable Player award and invaluable experience. Former Harvard All-American midfielder Kevin McCall drilled Lechner through June, July and August, providing him with a chance to defense against the hardshooting style he'd see in regular season play.

By September, Lechner had refined his shot-blocking technique enough so that teams have managed just more than eight goals per game against him. Lack of size forces Lechner to rely more on quickness than on positioning. Nonetheless, he does the job--and well: he'll carry a cool 65 per cent save ratio into today's game.

Another advantage Lechner exploits to its fullest is the lefty stick skill left from years as an attackman. Shooters have more trouble with southpaws, so Lechner decided to go with that talent.

After turning back 27 shots against Adelphi to close out the regular season with his highest game total for saves, Lechner is ready for today's game. The only change he'll make from that first game against the same Hopkins Blue Jays two months ago is to chatter at the shooters more and let them know the cage belongs to him.

"Even though shutouts are very rare, you have to believe you can stop every goal, otherwise you don't belong in the cage," Lechner said earlier this season. "After convincing yourself, the trick is to let the other team know it and scare them away, then it's all over."

While guarding the Crimson goal, Lechner has proved himself indestructible. He still is playing with a bad wrist which never healed from a serious break sustained last season. Surgery to remove bone chips was planned for this season, between the Princeton and UConn contests, but he cancelled it for fear he might miss a game.

During warm-ups at UMass. Lechner blocked one of assistant coach Scott Anderson's shots with his head. Knocked down, and out cold, he recovered to hold UMass to just eight goals while the Crimson romped off with its first victory over the Minutemen in nine years.

"I don't worry about injuries, that's part of the game, and especially part of being a goalie," Lechner said. "I enjoy the bottom line on the game, this is the only position on the field where they count your mistakes, and I'll stop 'em any way I can."