Return of Duo Provides Key Spark

Against a top-five team on Saturday, the Harvard men’s soccer team gave itself a fighting chance by using hustle and energy to win the balls in the air and push forward with a diverse attack.

The final result—a 2-1 loss to No. 5 Duke (6-0-1)—was not what the Crimson (4-2-0) hoped for heading into the contest. But the team kept itself within reach of a result throughout the entire game because of the energy it displayed all over the field. The announced crowd of 1,105 helped create an atmosphere that was ripe for an upset.

“[The players] used the crowd well,” Crimson coach John Kerr said. “There was a lot of energy and a great crowd to see how far we have come as a program.”

The team’s captain, Charles Altchek, attributed the energy on the field to a good chemistry that has developed so far amongst the players.

“This team is different than ones in the past,” Altchek said, “because the senior class has made a big effort to make the freshman feel a part of the team. And the younger guys have reacted well and really performed on the field. It’s a very closely knit group.”

Another factor that could not be discounted was the return to the Harvard lineup of junior Matt Hoff and sophomore Mike Fucito, who rose to the occasion in the second half and provided much of the spark. The duo created numerous opportunities through the middle of the field.

“They gave us some guile, some unexpected plays,” Kerr said. “The defense that plays against them has to always be aware of them.”

With just under seven minutes left in the match, Hoff, who started the game in the midfield and moved between that position and forward, collected the ball and made a run through the middle, outmaneuvering four different Blue Devil defenders and making a pass into the middle of the box to freshman Andre Akpan.

In the 23rd minute of play in the second half, Hoff had another precision pass when he crossed the ball from the right side of the field to Akpan, who was alone and in front of the goal. However, Akpan could not cleanly head the ball and Duke’s goaltender Brendan Fitzgerald was able to snag it.

“[Hoff] put some great balls in the second half that we should have capitalized on,” Kerr said.

Fucito similarly created a number of chances for the Crimson to even the score with his play in the midfield. Just five minutes after the Blue Devils had scored in the seventh minute of the half, the sophomore blew by a few Duke players with his speed, and then connected with Hoff for a give and go. The resulting header from Fucito after the pass back went a bit wide, but proved to be a clear indication to everyone at the game that the Crimson still had life.

The duo of versatile midfielders provided a spark to the Harvard offense that was more one-dimensional in the absence of both players one year ago. During the 2005 campaign, Altchek stood as the central focus of the Crimson attack and played the majority of the minutes at forward.

“[Fucito and Hoff] are proven entities in the Ivy League,” Altchek said. “They are both really quick and skillful and see the game well. They are fit so they give us a whole knew dimension and people have to worry about them as well.”

As Saturday’s contest showed, with the return of Hoff and Fucito—along with the emergence of some freshmen threats such as Akpan—the Harvard attack has added options. During the middle of the second half, Altchek went to the bench to rest, while Hoff and Fucito came in and kept the pressure on the Duke net.

—Staff writer Gabriel M. Velez can be reached at gmvelez@fas.harvard.edu.