M. Soccer Looks to Make it Three Straight

Coming off of the most successful week in its 1999 season, the Harvard men's soccer team looks to extend its winning streak to three today against Maine at Ohiri Field.

The Crimson (4-8-2, 2-3 Ivy) tallied wins at Fairfield last Tuesday and against Dartmouth at home on Saturday. Before that, the Crimson had gone winless in six games over the first three weeks of October.

"The two wins have given us a better feel for how to play a whole game for a win," sophomore keeper Mike Meagher said. "Just like losing, winning is contagious, and everyone is ready to keep going."

Harvard ought to be able to notch its third straight win against the Black Bears (2-11-2, 1-7-1 America East), who have not won since October 10. Today's game will be the final match of the Black Bears' season.

The Crimson's strong play over the last week has been highlighted by commanding individual efforts that had largely been absent throughout the season, as well as strong play in goal.

During their six-game slide in the early part of October, the Crimson allowed 14 goals but scored only four. In the past two games, however, Harvard has matched its early-October output.

"Each game we've had someone else step up and play well," Meagher said. "But what's been important is that we have all been playing better. It's tough to win with five guys playing well, but when we've all got it going we can put together some nice games."

In the Crimson's 2-0 win against Fairfield, sophomore midfielder Nick Lenicheck tallied the winning goal and assisted on the second score. Although Lenicheck has been working hard and producing chances from his outside midfield position all season, the Fairfield match was the first game in which his efforts produced a win.

Against Dartmouth, senior forward Armando Petruccelli netted the first goal and assisted on the winning goal later in the match to extend his scoring streak to six games. He also got an assist on Lenicheck's game-winning goal against Fairfield. During his steak, Petruccelli has four goals and three assists.

Always dependable in the offensive zone, Petruccelli is making a strong bid for a selection to what would be his second straight All-Ivy squad.

Senior Will Hench, the second half of the Crimson's front line, has also stepped up his goal production over the past few games. After scoring just one goal in Harvard's first 11 games, Hench has found the net twice in the past three games, including Harvard's lone goal in a 2-1 loss to Princeton and the game-winner against Dartmouth.

Hench's goal against the Big Green was his first game-winner of the season.

"I think we all have been having a little better luck lately," Hench said. "Sometimes it goes bad, and sometimes it goes nicely. I've just been getting the good bounces I guess. [I've] been in the right place."

Behind this newly productive offense, Meagher has regained confidence and played solidly between the posts. Although the young netminder registered 11 saves in Harvard's 1-0 loss to Stanford at the beginning of October, he let up 10 goals over three losses in the middle of the month.

Against Fairfield and Dartmouth, however, Meagher returned to form with four saves and only one goal scored in 170 minutes of play.

"The first shutout is always the hardest thing to get, but I have been feeling really good the last couple of matches," Meagher said.

Meagher has been aided by the return of junior captain Ryan Kelly, who injured his hand earlier in the season. Although Kelly has only slowly returned to early-season form, the defender's strong, gutsy play in the middle of the field has contributed greatly to the Crimson's recent success.

Kelly and the Crimson will not face a great test in Maine, who is having a season to forget. The Black Bears sit at the bottom of the America East Conference and have lost their last six games.

Maine is last in the America East in total goals, total points, shots on goal and corner kicks taken. In 15 games, the Black Bears' defense has given up 40 goals. Keeper Aaron Weymouth has been beaten 35 times this season and carries a 2.58 goals against average into today's contest.

In recent action, the Black Bears lost to New Hampshire on Saturday, 6-2. UNH forward Adam Purcell scored five goals against the porous Maine defense, setting a new America East record for single-game scoring on Maine's home field.

The majority of the Black Bears' eighteen goals have come from two players--Ricky Brown and Aaron Benjamin. Brown has seven goals and seven assists, and is the ninth leading scorer in the America East. Benjamin has scored eight goals and assisted on one other.

Both Harvard and Maine have played Northeastern and Boston University this season. The Crimson tied B.U. 1-1 early in the season, and beat Northeastern 3-2. The Black Bears fared worse, falling to B.U., 3-2, and losing to Northeastern, 5-2.

The Crimson will face the Black Bears today at 2:00 p.m. on Ohiri Field.