W. Booters Fall to B.C., 3-0

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

If the Harvard women's soccer team loses a game to Boston College and no one is around to see it, does it count?

Unfortunately for the Crimson, it does.

The Eagles reclaimed Boston's bragging rights by rudely handing Harvard a 3-0 defeat in front of 20 stalwart fans who braved the freezing rain yesterday at Ohiri Field.

"Harvard and B.C. are known as the two top teams in Boston," Harvard Coach Tim Wheaton said. "The kids know each other from summer leagues and camps. That adds something to the game."

Despite a number of good scoring opportunities by the Crimson (3-3 overall, 1-0 Ivy League), the Eagles (8-3-1) were the only ones who could add anything to the scoreboard.

The game was actually closer than the final score indicated. Harvard played evenly with B.C. for much of the game; the difference was that the Eagles put the ball in the net when they had the chance.

"We just haven't been able to convert," Wheaton said. "We're getting the opportunities, but we're not capitalizing on them. The players are doing the right things. They're making the correct plays, but we're just not finding the net."

The Eagles opened the scoring just a few minutes into the game on a good shot by freshman Rachel Sheridan. After winning a loose ball outside the Harvard penalty box, Sheridan fired a wind-aided shot just between the hands of Harvard goalie Liz Wald and the crossbar.

B.C. tallied again with just a few minutes remaining in the half, when sophomore Gina Vassallo broke from the left side and pushed the ball under a sliding Wald to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead going into the half. They never looked back.

"B.C.-Harvard is always a big game," Eagle Coach Susanna Kaplan said, "and we always try to get up for it. We figured it would be tougher than it was today."

The Eagles added a nice goal off a corner kick in the second half to close the scoring. Sheridan passed the ball back to freshman Mary Lappin who lofted a shot against the wind into the upper corner of the net.

Harvard had plenty of chances to catch up, but couldn't put the ball into the incredible shrinking net behind B.C. goalie Diane Cordano. Shots were booted just over the net, crossing passes headed right into Cordano, breakaways kicked just wide.

"We have to fight harder for the balls that fall inside the 18," Captain Amy Winston said. "We let a few balls get by us today, skipping on the wet grass."

"Our primary goal for the season is to win the Ivy Championship," Wheaton said. "B.C. is a good game to win in the region, but it doesn't affect our main goal."

Halfway through the second half, Wheaton replaced Wald with sophomore Beth Reilly, who came through with a difficult save at the end of the game.

"Beth has been working very hard in practice and she deserved to play some," Wheaton said. "I didn't take Liz out because of the way she was playing. Sometimes you just have to make a change. I don't know if any of our goalies would have make saves on those shots--two in the upper corner and one on a breakaway."

THE NOTEBOOK: Harvard dropped the Eagles, 1-0, last year in Newton on a late goal by former Co-Captain Karin Pinezich...Despite losing by a field goal, the Crimson outshot B.C., 11-9 in the match...The Eagles had the edge in corner kicks, 5-4...Wald made two saves, while Reilly had three. B.C. netminder Diane Cordano saved six shots...Harvard continues its Ivy League schedule with an 11 a.m. game on Saturday against Cornell.