Revived Booters Shut Out Big Green

For the second straight game, the Harvard men's soccer team played through a cold, misty rain at Ohiri Field, and for the second straight game, the booters headed into overtime locked in a scoreless tie.

But Saturday's game against Dartmouth produced a very different result than last Wednesday's loss to Boston University.

Because at the 101 minute mark, the Crimson ended a scoreless drought of more than 400 minutes when Ian Hardington headed a Nick Hotchkin pass to the left of diving Big Green goalkeeper Jim Cisneros to give the booters a 1-0 victory.

Harvard had not won a game since its season-opener against MIT over a month ago.

The win--which snapped a six-game non-winning streak for Coach Jape Shattuck's troops--keeps alive Harvard's slim chances of gaining a berth in the NCAA playoffs. The Crimson, now 2-5-1, probably will have to win each of its remaining six games if it is to have any chance of getting one of the two post-season bids given to New England squads.

Dartmouth dominated most of the first half, collecting seven shots on goal as compared to the Crimson's four, but Harvard seemed to raise its level of play as the game progressed, saving its best soccer for the end.

The Crimson had some excellent scoring opportunities before the game headed into overtime, but was unable to convert. Hardington--a Melton Mowbrey, England native--took a shot from about 15 yards out with 23:45 remaining in regulation but Cisneros made a leaping save.

Then just one minute later, Hotchkin--also a Great Britain native--unleashed a blistering shot from about 10 yards out but the senior goalie was there once again, this time making a spectacular diving stab.

Dartmouth also had its chances. Midway through the first half, the Big Green's Andrew Shue got off a hard line drive that was slicing away from freshman Crimson goalie Stephen Hall, but Hall--playing in only his second intercollegiate game--made a diving stop.

Then, with just over 22 minutes left in the game, Scott Sandford broke into the Harvard zone but Hardington was on the play again, this time coming from behind to slide in and knock the ball back to his own goalie.

Frightening

The most frightening moment of the game came with 6:10 remaining in the first half when Hall and Big Green forward Julain Okwu collided in front of the Harvard net. The game was delayed for more than 5 minutes as both players were helped off the field.

Neither returned for the balance of the game, but Hall--who suffered a bruised leg--is expected to be ready when the Crimson next sees action this Saturday against Princeton.

Matt Ginsburg, whom Hall replaced just two games ago when the NCAA restored Hall's collegiate eligibility, looked a bit rusty at times, but he was effective enough to preserve the shutout and give Harvard its first win of the season against Ivy League competition.

Ginsburg turned some 100 wind-blown, rain-drenched Harvard fans Green with 35 seconds left in regulation when he almost was unable to cover up a back pass from one of his defenders in the face of on-rushing Dartmouth attackers.

But after regulation expired and the first 10-minute overtime period passed uneventfully, Harvard needed only a minute and 50 seconds of the next period to turn a corner kick and some scrambling in front of the Dartmouth goal into its first home win of the year.

Dartmouth had one last opportunity to tie the game with 1:05 to go in the final overtime when three Dartmouth attackers converged on a loose ball in front of the Crimson net.

But Ginsburg came up with a big save, diving on the ball and shielding it with his body to preserve Harvard's second shutout of the year.