That November Playoff Magic

It's mid-November, and as sure as the days are getting shorter and midterms are getting flunked, the Harvard women's soccer team is vying for a national championship. This kind of post-season competition has been a part of the squad's Novembers ever since the booters received varsity status in 1978.

In the old days, when women's soccer was just coming into its own, the Ivy Tournament and now defunct AIAW Eastern Championships were all the post-season competition there was In '78 the Crimson beat Brown for the Ivy title and lost to UMass in the Easterns The following year, it retained its Ivy Crown and took second in the Easterns.

Upart

Two years ago, women's soccer had become big enough to warrant an AIAW national tournament and despite losing the Ivy title to Brown. Harvard was there and ended up with a third place finish.

Last year was one of the booter's most successful campaigns With only one regular season loss, they went on to take the Ivies, the Easterns, and finished fifth in the Nationals after losing to the University of Central Florida in the quarterfinals.

Despite a 6-5-2 mark and a third place finish in the Ivy League this season, this year's squad has not broken with tradition. Its tough schedule, a 4-2 upset of Princeton, and its past playoff successes were enough to overcome the less-than-spectacular record to earn the team one of 12 berths in the first NCAA-sponsored women's soccer championship.

Still There

Although the Crimson did not always play that well during the regular season. Harvard proved that the post-season magic was still there Friday night with an impressive first round 3-1 victory over Brown.

What a difference playing in a tournament makes to this team. Less than a week before the very same Bruins beat Harvard at the Business School field 2-1, and even Crimson coach Bob Scalise admitted that the Bruins were "hungrier."

Yet on Friday night, things were different Whether you call it playoff magic or "emotional intensity," as Scalise does, it was there The Harvard defense--backs Brigitte Duffy, Kelly Gately, Jeanne Pierstak, Sweeper Debbie Field and goalie Janet Judge--played with superhuman concentration and intensity--simply not allowing Brown to get the ball into the net.

Emotion

But then emotion is usually what separates a winner from a lover in tournament play "In the Nationals everyone has the skills." Scalise said The NCAAs are a test of endurance It's a matter of maintaining emotional intensity for an entire 90 minutes and then playing just as hard the next game."

Harvard will certainly have to play hard this Saturday when it takes on unbeaten University of Missouri-St Louis in the quarterfinals But, the Crimson seems to be peaking at just the right time With a trip to Orlando Honda for the semi-finals as an added bonus the playoff magic or "emotional intensity" that seems to come with the passing of Halloween, may be enough to boost the booters over the second-ranked team in the country and keep the tradition of tournament success alive.