Men's Lacrosse Defuses Dartmouth, 9-8

Mrdfielder Rich Doyle scored a goal with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter and line mate Rich Rainaldi scored another with only three minutes left in the period to thwart a furious Dartmouth comeback and secure a 9-8 win for the Harvard men's lacrosse team in Saturday's showdown at the Business School field.

The game was possibly the final contest of the season for the Crimson, a dark-horse candidate for nomination to the eight-team national tournament the weekend of May 28.

Coach Bob Scalise will be notified today of the ranking committee's decision on whether to include the Crimson in the field.

Saturday's win secured for Harvard the mythical New England championship and boosted the laxmen into a three-way tie with Dartmouth and Princeton for second place in the final Ivy League standings. The Crimson compiled a 4-2 Ivy record {a loss would have dropped the team to fourth place: Cornell once again won the title} and a 9-4 overall mark for the season.

"This has been an exceptional year, probably the best since I've been here," Scalise said after the game. "Not because we individually had the best talent, but because we had the best team. That's how we won--by being a team."

"Its probably been the most satisfying year since I've been here because it's been the team that has improved the most. We turned completely around from being 4-9 last year with a very young group and a few key seniors."

Norm Forbush, one of those key senior, kicked off Saturday's scoring only 30 seconds into the game with an unassisted goal from the right side of the cage. The quick strike set the tone for one of the best quarters of lacrosse Harvard has played all year, one characterized by hard hitting, quick passing and uncanny location of the open man.

Brendan Meagher scored three goals in the period, and Will Sollee netted another. The Crimson defense held a surprisingly complacent and sluggish Dartmouth offense to only two goals in the quarter, the second coming with just one second left in the period, as Harvard took an early 5-2 lead and held on for a 7-5 halftime edge.

The tables turned dramatically, however, in the second half Dartmouth broke out of its shell to outscore the Crimson. 3-0, over the third period and half of the fourth forcing Harvard into fumbled ground balls and humbled passes with a physical, revitalized defense.

When, with 12 minutes left in the game, Dartmouth attack man Steve Liet man took aim onan open goal with his team leading by one and intent on putting the game out of reach--Crimson goalie Tim Pendergast had abandoned the crease in an unsuccessful attempt to bat down a pass--a Harvard loss seemed inevitable. Lietman, however missed the shot, hitting the goal's left stanchion and opening the door for Harvard's final surge.

HARVARD 9. DARTMOUTH 8

at the Business School field

Scoring Harvard 5-2-0-2-9 Davis Doyle (2) Forbush, Meagher (3). Rainaid Sollee: Dartmouth 2-3-2-1--8 Litman (3). Marshall (3) Oisson Osman Shots-Harvard 39 Dartmouth 35 Saves Pendergast (H) 21. Ulcickas (D) 16 Ground basis Harvard 48--Dartmouth 48 Penalty minutes Harvard 1-1-2 1/2-0--4 1/2, Dartmouth 1-2-1-2--6.