Catamounts Edge Out Women Booters, 2-1

The lesson on Saturday afternoon was a simple one: persistence pays off.

Persistence allowed the Harvard women's soccer team to tie the score, 1-1, in the second half against Vermont. And persistence allowed the Catamounts to tally with less than two minutes left in the game to take home a 2-1 victory in front of 100 fans at Ohiri Field.

Vermont freshman Rachel Bondy, who was recruited by Harvard, scored both goals for the Catamounts, including the perfectly placed game-winner.

Bondy took the ball on the right side of the Harvard zone, made a nice move to escape a Harvard defender and shot the ball past diving netminder Liz Wald. The ball rapped against the left post, bounced across the net to hit the other post before trickling into the net.

"That's not our fault, that's to their credit," Harvard Coach Tim Wheaton said. "It was a perfect shot. In any league, anywhere, that's a goal."

Vermont dominated play during the last 15 minutes of the game, locking a tiring Harvard team in its own half of the field. The Catamounts kept the pressure on the Crimson until it paid off.

"Harvard played quickly and hard," UVM Coach John Carter said. "I think they started to run out of gas at the end and it definitely made a difference in the last 10 minutes."

"It's hard to concentrate and have everyone play hard for 90 minutes," Wheaton said. "It's something we've been working on. We have lapses, but as the season goes on those lapses are getting shorter and shorter."

The Crimson took advantage of a Vermont lapse early in the second half to tie the score at the 32-minute mark. Junior Jen Gifford crossed the ball from the right side and wide-open freshman Robin Johnston wound up with it in front of the goal.

"That was a huge mistake on our part, giving her that time in the box," Carter said.

Johnston trapped the ball, looked up and volleyed it into the left corner of the net past Vermont goalie Jen Starr.

"It was weird because it was like everything was in slow-motion," Johnston said. "I had a lot of time, so I concentrated extra hard on controlling the ball rather than on trying to get it off in a hurry."

Johnston must have been relieved finally to get a goal. She had three excellent scoring chances--one was saved and two went wide by inches. Although the Vermont net seemed to shrink every time the freshman forward had the ball, Johnston kept working until it paid off.

"Robin's got the true striker mentality," Wheaton said. "She thinks 'I may miss 20 opportunities, but I'll make one and that's a great game.'"

Although Harvard dominated play in the first half, Vermont took a 1-0 lead into halftime after Bondy scored halfway through the period on a scramble in front of the Harvard net.

The Crimson won most of the loose balls in the midfield and created many scoring opportunities with good passing.

"I was pleased with the way we played," Wheaton said. "I thought we moved the ball well. Anytime you have two good teams playing each other, one individual effort can make the difference. And Vermont got it on that play."

THE NOTEBOOK: Sophomore forward Ann Kletz twisted her knee in the second half and had to be carried off the field, but she is not expected to miss Tuesday's game against Boston College...Starting sophomores Christin Biggs (illness) and Tory Fair (hyperextended knee) missed the game.