Revenge of the Nerds

Harvard's done it again.

Last night, the men's lacrosse team became the fourth Harvard squad to be selected to play in the NCAA Tournament.

It's been a banner year for Crimson athletics. The women's basketball team, the swim teams and a number of wrestlers have all made it to the big dance of their spot. The men's hockey team came within two fluke goals of its NCAA tourney.

Heck, we're turning into a regular athletic powerhouse.

Call it the Revenge of the Nerds.

For the men's lacrosse team, making the tournament was an especially triumphant moment.

"It's the most incredible feeling," co-captain Chris Wojcik said. "I've played eight seasons at Harvard. To save the best for last, I feel just happy and fortunate to be a part of it."

Perhaps what was so enjoyable about this stellar 11-2 season was that the team started from humble beginnings two years ago, posting a 5-8 record, and slowly but surely, like some small-market baseball team, built themselves into a lacrosse power.

They worked tirelessly and diligently for four years to achieve the goal of making the NCAA's.

That's so...Harvard.

Contributions have come from every class. The leadership of the senior class was unparalled, and their exploits on the field, capped by co-captain Mike Eckert's tying the all-time Harvard scoring record on Saturday, speak for themselves.

But, as with all nascent powers, there are a few gaps, a few ingredients that need to be added for the break-through season to happen.

So Harvard went out two years ago and rounded up one of the best freshman classes ever.

Mike Ferrucci, the Bevilacqua brothers, Owen Leary, Charlie Brown--all of them came to campus and immediately made their impact felt.

Overnight, Harvard created a slick, speedy attack to complement its stalwart defense and rock-solid net-minder Rob Lyng.

With a year of seasoning under their belt, they and their teammates were ready to take the next step.

And so this senior-sophomore hybrid took to the field this year and tore into one nationally-ranked opponent after another.

"I think the thing that gave us a chance to be competitive last year was the influx of the freshmen," Harvard coach Scott Anderson said. "But I think the thing that made us a winning team were the seniors."

Every championship team has spirit and camaraderie. The men's lacrosse team is no exception.

The word "chemistry" has been so often associated with this team, you'd have thought Dudley Herschbach put the squad together himself.

But it's absolutely true. The talent-laden New York Mets of the early 1990's self-destructed. The 1989 Orioles, loaded with low-budget rookies, came within a whisker of winning the AL East. Chemistry counts.

"We've got a little something extra this year that allows us to win," Anderson said. "Part of it is character and team chemistry. That's not coaching. That's just the players. It's a wonderful thing to see as a coach."

For years, the Ivy League has always been the same--Princeton and Brown.

That left Harvard, in Wojcik's words, as the "best of the rest."

The days of Tigers and Bears, Tigers and Bears are over.

Oh my!

First women's hoops, then the swimmers and wrestlers and now the men's lacrosse team.

The Nerds are on a roll.