M. Ruggers Capture Beanpot

You can call the Harvard rugby club the Ivy League Champion. You can call the Crimson the New England Invitational Champ. And after Saturday's 9-0 victory over Northeastern at Soldiers Field, you now can call the ruggers Harvard's other Beanpot Champions.

Another weekend, another title bestowed upon the Crimson. Harvard, which has won a championship tournament each of the last three weekends, is collecting championships like stamps.

"It's almost gotten to the point where winning a tournament is almost a letdown," Co-Captain Jon Greenberg said. "We felt the Beanpot was something we should win. There was a feeling that winning a championship is all in a day's work, and today was just another day."

No Losses

The Crimson, which also defeated Northeastern in the championship game last year, is undefeated in its six Beanpot games and has taken home the 'Pot in all three of its appearances in the four-year tournament.

"It was a very strong performance," Harvard Coach Martyn Kingston said. "We really dominated the first half, and the forwards played particularly well, especially in first phase possession."

Harvard's forwards dominated set play Saturday, capturing 13 of 20 lineouts in the first half. The Crimson maintained possession in all 13 of its lineouts.

"When you get the lineouts going that well," Kingston said, "you pretty much just drive the adversary down. We drove their scrummage back a lot, and the backs supported the forwards well."

Outside center Jaffer Patterson's try four minutes into the contest opened the scoring. After the forward pack won a scrummage following a Huskie penalty, senior Scott Tierney sliced through the defense and forced the fullback and fly-half to overcommit themselves.

At the Waltz

Tierney then flipped the ball to Patterson, who waltzed in for the game's only try. Chris Crisera converted the try and added a penalty kick 10 minutes later to close out the scoring. From there, the Crimson defense took over and held the Huskies scoreless.

"We really rose to the occasion on defense," Greenberg said. "They drove down to our goal line a few times, but we came together and held them off each time."

In the semifinal game Saturday morning, Harvard defeated Boston College, 26-11. Chris Liles was the hero of the contest, accounting for 18 points with two trys, two penalty kicks and two conversions. Senior wing Mike Gibbs, a veteran of all three Beanpot wins, and eight-man Mark Sagarin each added a try.

Harvard, which was eliminated from advancing to national competition on a controversial penalty in the final minutes of the New England Championships in November, still has a shot at finishing the season with a national ranking based on its spring performance.

"We were disappointed with the [Southern Connecticut] loss," said Greenberg, referring to the New England Championship game. "Each tournament has become a championship upon itself."

Harvard is undefeated since losing to Southern Connecticut, and currently has a 15-game unbeaten streak. The only blemish on the Crimson's record this spring is a 6-6 tie with Dartmouth (which the Crimson won on a coin flip) in the semifinal round of the N.E. Invitational.

The ruggers will have another shot at the Big Green--the nation's runners-up last year--this Saturday when it travels to Hanover, N.H.

"[Dartmouth is] always tough," said Kingston, whose squad was the national runner-up in 1981 and won it all in 1984. "It would be nice to close out the season with a win over them."

Even if it's not for a championship.