Netmen Blank Dartmouth, Host Yale This Weekend

The Harvard men's tennis team slammed its way to a 9-0 victory over the Big Green on Dartmouth turf yesterday as it geared up for this weekend's crucial confrontation with Yale.

The win boosted the Crimson's Ivy League record to 4-0, and the team easily dominated court play with no match going beyond the minimum two sets.

Captain Don Pompan deftly stepped into the number-one slot for Crimson regular Howard Sands, who stayed behind in Cambridge. Pompan, playing with the consistent percentage shooting that is his trademark, took control early over opponent Rob Stein to breeze to a 6-3, 6-0 win.

Berin's Blast

Relying on his powerful serve, Adam Berin, in the number-two position, relentlessly forged a 6-2, 6-2 victory over the flashy but undisciplined playing of Alfred Riefdohl. Riefdohl is currently one of the top-ranked junior players in Mexico.

In the number-three slot, Michael Terner aggressively played the net to beat opponent Mark Jeffrey, 6-2, 6-3, while Warren Grossman, in the number-four position, followed Terner's lead to turn in identical scores against opponent Raud Stephen.

Continuing the trend of short matches, Bob Horne, number-five player, dominated the long volleys that highlighted the match and beat Mare Salver, 6-2, 6-4.

The number-six position saw the impressive debut of freshman Rob Wheeler in varsity singles action. Composure and calculated shooting proved key for Wheeler-s 6-1 6-1 devastation of Lever Stewart.

Leading 6-0 at the end of singles competition, the Crimson proceeded to sweep doubles action.

Worries Ahead

Yet on the long, three-hour drive back from Dartmouth the thoughts of team members centered not on their-freshly earned victory, but on the marathon series of three matches in as many days that they face this weekend.

The weekend series of matches against Brown. Penn State and Yale poses the first real challenge to the Crimson squad this season. The team will content itself with nothing less than an NCAA team berth--the first in Harvard's history.

Opening on Friday, the netmen will take on one of the strongest teams that Brown has produced in years. The following day the Crimson must return to Palmer Dixon Courts to produce against the equally well-respected, but non-Ivy League rival. Penn State. The Crimson hopes to capitalize on the momentum gained in these two earlier matches to launch it into the weekend's highlight--Saturday's confrontation with Yale.

It is the Elis that pose the first major hurdle in the Crimson quest for the Ivy title, a prerequisite to an NCAA berth. Yale currently boasts the best non-conference record of any Ivy team, and if Yale stops the Crimson, Crimson hopes will die with the loss.