Booters Tumble Tufts, 3-2

Heavy winds and a small, cement-hard field accentuated every Harvard weakness as the Crimson soccer team slopped to a 3-2 decision over Tufts in Medford yesterday. First-half goals by Ahmed Yehia, Lutz Hoeppner, and Geoff Keppel gave Harvard a cushion that survived two late-game Jumbo flukes in a contest that was neither as close nor as exciting as the final score.

Yehia made his first varsity goal the season's ice-breaker at 9:35 of the first quarter. Left wing Scott Robertson was off-target with a scissors-kick shot, but the junior center forward pivoted in close and rammed home the squibbed kick.

Hoeppner Scores

Hoeppner headed in a corner kick by Keppel three minutes into the second quarter for Harvard's second score.

The Crimson finished its scoring three minutes later. Sophomores Nick Hallett, in for Yehia, fed the ball to his left. Tufts' bulky goalie came out to meet the ball, but Robertson beat him to it and sent a centering pass across the goal mouth where Keppel was in perfect position to punch in his first varsity marker.

Offense Dies

Harvard appeared to be on the way to equalling last year's 9-0 rout, but the offense suddenly gave out. Shots became scarce as Coach Bruce Munro put in substitutes, and the little coordination present disintegrated.

The Jumbos'pass-less attack was having even more trouble, and Harvard was not threatened until the final nine minutes.

At that point the Crimson defense allowed a long kick to bounce over the goalie's head into the net. Senior John Axten, with the wind and sun in his face, misjudged the play and leaped up in vain for the element-aided shot.

Almost the identical fiasco occured three minutes later, and the surprised Jumbos were back in the game.

Axten, making his first varsity start, quickly recovered and withstood stronger pressure by revitalized Tufts in the closing minutes.

The home team's goals provided a sour ending to a generally off-key day. The Crimson player's trapping and passing were woeful, and no one exhibited half the speed of the wind. The absence of injured center half Richie Hardy probably hurt, as Abi Azikiwe, shifted from the right, had trouble controlling the middle.

Few Shots

The forward line was uninspired and took nowhere near the number of shots called for by the conditions. The hard-hitting Jumbos captured most of Harvard's fullback kicks and kept the ball in Crimson territory for unexpectedly long stretches.

Saturday Harvard goes to Amherst to meet a much tougher foe, then next Wednesday the Crimson plays another of the East's best squads at Wesleyan. The first home game is with Boston University October 7. The Terriers are not a soccer power, and neither is M.I.T., the next home opponent.

So the Crimson has a lot of time before the Ivy League schedule starts to do a lot of work.