Booters' 3-1 Loss to Eli Caps Exasperating Season

For the first time since 1956, Harvard's varsity soccer team finished in the Ivy League's second division, as the Crimson booters dropped their season finale yesterday to Yale, 3-1.

Harvard finished the year with a 2-3-2 Ivy mark and a 6-4-3 record overall. Yale's win assures it of at least a third place Ivy tie, and it can tie for second if Penn should lose today to Dartmouth.

Riddled by injuries, the Crimson had lost three out of their last four games before yesterday's defeat, which upped Yale's winning skein to five. After enjoying early season success, Harvard found itself overwhelmed by injuries to key players during the second half of the campaign.

Center forward Peter Bogovich, playing with an injured knee, ended a personal two game drought by tallying Harvard's only goal at 5:10 of the first period. Penetrating the Yale defense, Bogovich uncorked a hard shot at the Eli net which deflected off the hand of Yale halfback Jim McGuire. Bogovich was awarded a free penalty shot, which he converted to give the Crimson an early lead.

The sophomore's goal gave him a total of 16 for the season, second highest in Harvard history. Only the legendary Chris Chiri '64 chalked up a larger total for one season, 17 in 1961, also his sophomore season.

Harvard's advantage did not stand up for long, however. It disappeared in a sudden explosion of the Eli offense in the second period, when Yale was aided by the wind.

Outside right Mike Mueller fed a low pass to outside left John Babcock. Babcock dribbled in towards the goal and slammed home a low, hard shot for Yale's initial score. The time was 6:50 of the second stanza.

Less than two minutes later, the Elis shocked Harvard again on a picture play. Babcock threaded a pass through the Crimson defense to tiny inside Sunny Oyekan of the Bulldogs. Oyekan faked goalie Jim Sawhill and drilled a perfect shot into the center of the net. Sawhill had no chance at the shot as he was caught out of position by the neat Yale teamwork.

Taking the 2-1 lead into the second half, Yale continued to press the attack. Oyekan scored again, putting the game out of reach at 10:12 of the third period. A Crimson defensive lapse accounted for this final Yale tally. Attempting to clear the ball away from a pack of Eli attackers, a Harvard fullback lost control of the ball in front of the Crimson net.

Before goalie Sawhill could get to the ball, the quick Oyekan emerged from the pack, controlled the loose ball, and rammed it home from four yards out, pinpointing the right corner of the net.

After the opening period. Harvard lost control of the game to the Elis, who got off 22 shots compared to the Crimson's 15. Slowed by injuries to Bogovich, Solomon Gomez, Captain Scott Robertson, and Jaime Vargas, Harvard's forward line was boxed out of the Yale penalty area for most of the game by the tough Eli defense.

Sawhill was a surprise replacement for Richie Locksley at goalie. Sawhill played with bruised ribs which somewhat impaired his mobility. He did sparkle in the nets under great pressure, however, making 13 saves.