Crimson Booters Fall to Brown Again, 1-0

PROVIDENCE, R.I.--The Harvard women's soccer team ended its 1985 campaign Saturday with a 1-0 loss to Brown.

For the booters, it was a frustrating end to a frustrating season; in fact much of the game echoed the season it brought to a close.

"It's the story of the year," Crimson Coach Bob Scalise said. "A missed clearance by us, the other team gets a goal..."

And Harvard doesn't.

The Crimson entered the contest with a 2-1-1 Ivy record (5-7-3 overall) and a chance to tie the three-time defending champion Bruins for the league title.

It left with its tenth shutout loss of the year, its fifth 1-0 defeat, and a season scoring deficit of 17-12.

But numbers alone don't adequately portray the season--or Saturday's 90-minute package of frustration.

Or rather, 89-plus minutes of hope and opportunity and a few seconds of frustration.

A scoreless first half held some promise for a Harvard win (and the Ivy tie): the Bruins held a 5-2 shots margin--significant, but not decisive--while the Crimson possessed a 2-1 edge in corner kicks.

But 24 minutes into the second half, Brown began to mount pressure on Harvard goalie Tracee Whitley. A series of crossing passes chased the sophomore back and forth in the box until one cross struck gold.

Brown midfielder Amy Robinson lined the ball across the net from the far left to sophomore Theresa Hirschauer who headed the pass into the net for the game's only score.

"It was a real even game," Harvard Co-Captain Ann Baker said. "The goal was one of those lucky circumstance things."

Lucky for the Bruins, but decidedly unlucky for the Crimson. On the play, Whitley--last season's Ivy Rookie of the Year--flew against the side of the goal-post and toppled over, temporarily stunned.

For almost five minutes, she lay motionless next to the net. When Whitley finally arose, trainer Terry Kennedy led her off the field for fear that she had incurred a head injury.

Freshman backup goalie Liz Wald stepped in and played flawlessly, but the Crimson--shooting for its first come-from-behind victory of the season--couldn't come up with the necessary scoring opportunities.

"They were maybe a little stronger overall," Scalise conceded, "but territorially, we played right with them. We just didn't generate enough chances to score."

The booters' biggest chance came minutes before the Brown tally. Back Cari Lyn Beck intercepted a goal kick and worked the ball forward to Lori Barry, who passed it to Baker, who, in turn, drove a shot which sailed just over the net from 20 yards out.

After the Bruin goal, however, the game's biggest offensive star was a dog that bounded onto the field, joined the fray, executed a snazzy breakaway and proceeded to bite the ball voraciously.

"They played well, we played well, but our problem all year has been that we didn't score," Co-Captain Brigitte Duffy said.

"I feel the season was character-building," Baker noted. "To keep coming back after all those one-goal losses you really have to dig deep, and that's what it takes to win at the level we play."