Blue Jays Strong-Arm Laxmen, 16-12

With Wednesday's 16-12 loss at Hopkins in the quarterfinal of the 1980 NCAA playoffs, the Crimson laxmen completed a remarkable 11-3 season in the same way they began two months ago, on the short end of the stick against the defending national champion Blue Jays.

Entering the contest the Hopkins team possessed an 11-1 record, having suffered a single loss to the top-ranked University of Virginia Cavaliers.

Despite the outcome, the Crimson owes no apologies for its final loss. Only a late third quarter burst allowed the home team, seeded second, to gain the edge needed to thwart the number seven Crimson, making its first-ever appearance in the playoffs, after drawing the tough assignment of trying to tame Hopkins on its own turf.

At 6:49 of the third quarter, the score was knotted at eight when Blue Jay attackman Jim Zaffuto pulled a quick fake and went to the cage, giving Hopkins a lead it never relinquished. Gathering steam, middie Brendan Schneck bagged a goal a minute later to give the Blue Jays the 10-8 lead they held at the close of the quarter.

Rich Rainaldi countered for the Crimson with a garbage goal to open the final quarter, but then the Hopkins defense put out the fire and kept the Harvard squad at a distance while veteran attackman Jim Bidne led the Blue Jays on a four-tally surge. Jim Davis took a fastbreak pass all the way at 5:39, notching the game winner for unlucky number 13.

Freshman wonder Brendan Meagher interrupted the Blue Jays at 9:52 when he took a Norm Forbush pass on the left side, pulled in his stick to avoid the check, and then bounced one past All-American goalie Mike Federica. Meagher led the Crimson with four markers.

In the opening quarter, aggressive cocaptain Dave Wigglesworth led Harvard with two quick ones allowing the Crimson to grab onto a 3-1 lead after 15 minutes. Wigglesworth also chipped in by scooping up eight ground balls over the course of the game.

Meagher and Mike Davis shouldered the scoring chores for the second period. Meagher nabbed his first with a sidearm grounder on the extra man play. Two minutes later he went right between Federico's legs for another.

Hopkins responded with two to go ahead for the first time 6-5. Davis dodged right to left on an overload and then went down the pipe to tie it up at 6-6 and close the first half.

Determined to get the lead back, Davis roared out for the third quarter and scored on a fastbreak, going low to the right corner passed Federico's outstretched stick.

Davis and Zaffuto put the Blue Jays back in front with one each. Meagher then added another to knot the match for the last time before Hopkins answered the roar of the partisan crowd and went out in front for good minutes later.