SOCCER NOTEBOOK

Harvard women's soccer team squares-off this afternoon against more of an enigma than a soccer team.

The Crimson (5-3 overall, 2-1-1 Ivy) hosts New Hampshire--a team which has been about as up and down this season as the Rocky Mountains.

"When they've played good, they've been really good, and when they've played bad, they've fared really badly," Harvard Coach Tim Wheaton said. "The bottom line for us is that they're a serious team and, if they play well, we could be in for a tough time."

The Wildcats (3-8 overall) are led by freshman midfielder Denise Lee and sophomore goalie Maja Hansen.

Lee has scored four goals on the year, including three game-winners, while Hansen has racked up an average of 14.25 saves per game over New Hampshire's last four games.

"They've got some good talent," Wheaton said. "It's just a question of whether they can get it going or not."

The two teams have had two common opponents so far this season, Massachusetts and Connecticut, and neither the Wildcats or the Crimson won a game against either club.

Rough Weekend: Harvard is coming off of a less-than-super Columbus Day Weekend as the team tied Ivy rival Cornell 1-1 on Saturday and lost to intra-state rival Holy Cross 3-2 on Monday.

Against the Big Red, Crimson freshman forward Katie DeLellis scored the lone Harvard goal, while junior forward Elizabeth Eynon scored both goals for Harvard against Holy Cross.

Fourth in Ivies: Harvard's tie with Cornell dropped the team to fourth in the league.

Still, Wheaton is harboring hopes that the Crimson will accomplish its chief goal for the season: to win the Ivy Championship.

"The tie wasn't the best we could've hoped for," Wheaton said. "Our destiny in the league is not completely in our own hands now, but it's still conceivable that we could win."

O'Sullivan Honored: Cornell men's soccer team goalie Quinn O'Sullivan was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week for his performance against Harvard which allowed the Big Red to gain a 2-2 tie.

The freshman recorded a season-high 10 saves against Harvard on the day.

He also leads all Ivy netminders with an overall goal-against average of 1.28 and three shutouts.

Dartmouth Looming: If the men's soccer team can regain the composure it exhibited at the beginning of the season, Harvard can still win the Ivy League Championship outright.

The Crimson hasn't been able to win in its last three games, but only one of those games--the 2-2 tie against Cornell--was inside the Ivy League.

Harvard still has three league games remaining in the next few weeks, including one against leader Dartmouth on Halloween.

The team's play recently may not have been pleasant for anyone, but the fact remains that the Crimson is still in excellent position to win the title.