Booters Top Brown For Fifth Straight

PROVIDENCE--"We didn't do anything different in the second half than in the first. We just kept the pressure on for the entire ninety minutes," said a pleased assistant women's soccer coach. Sussana Kaplan, after last night's game.

Capitalizing on a few key opportunities and relying on a skintight defense, the Crimson tallied three unanswered goals in the second half for an inspired 3-1 come-from-behind victory over Brown under the lights at Providence.

The triumph, which ups the booters' perfect ledger to 5-0 and 1-0 in the Ivies, removes any doubt that this young team can play under pressure with any of the East's top teams.

"It was sweet. It was great," said head coach Bob Scalise. "Two great teams against each other. That's what it's all about."

Twelve minutes into the game, Brown took the lead when Judge slipped while challenging the ball in the crease, and center forward Tuttle scored on the open net.

Harvard freshman Inga Larson directed home a Cat Ferrante feed in close after a Field corner at 10:43 of the second half to tie the game. Ferrante added the insurance goal with ten minutes remaining when the alert senior knocked in an errant Goldsberry-to-Duffy pass.

The Bruins, defending Ivy League champions fielded virtually the same team as last year except for one graduated senior. But, hampered by a few nagging injuries, including a sore hip which kept All-American wing Frances Fusco out for about a third of the game, Brown just could not keep pace with the Crimson in the second half.

With 14:58 remaining in the game and the score knotted at one, wing half Laura Mayer took a Jeanne Piersiak quick crossing pass and drilled a twenty yard drive into the twines untouched by Bruin netminder George Duffy for the game winner.

Much of the credit goes to the Harvard backline, which repeatedly denied Fusco and All-Ivy forwards Cameron Tuttle and speedster Debbie Ching chances to shoot or cross the ball.

Time and again, wing fullbacks Ellen Jakovic and Kelly Gately matched Ching and Co. stride for stride and then buried the attacker with a sliding tackle. Or if Tuttle and center half Michelle Mosher led the Brown charge up the middle, Secretary of Defense Piersiak and freshman sweeper Deb Field were positioned to clear the ball or slide tackle the dribbler.

Netminder Janet Judge, who challenged the Bruins all over the penalty area, turned aside nine Brown blasts and snuffed numerous other potential goals in the crease, when the hosts managed to penetrate the Crimson defense.

"It's pretty intimidating for the forwards to see a girl my size coming at them," said the 5'10" sophomore, who wore suction gloves to better handle the wet ball for the first time ever.