Injured Booters Face Dartmouth

With six out of 11 starters hobbled by injuries, Harvard's soccer team, rated third in the nation, travels to Hanover today with hopes of beating a weak but upset-minded Dartmouth squad without sacrificing more members from its depleted ranks.

"We have had so many people injured that we really haven't been able to practice at all this week," assistant coach Elliot Klein said last night. "In fact, today was the first day in which we had enough players to run a scrimmage."

Last Saturday, while Harvard was edging Cornell, 3-2, the Indians were receiving a 7-2 trouncing from Brown. "A team that loses to Brown, 7-2, at this part of the season, just couldn't be too good," Captain Charlie Thomas said.

"But it could be close; they'll be way up playing us at home and we're a little bit out of practice," Thomas explained. "Plus, we don't really know whether some of the injured players can go all the way."

Thomas is one of the injured players whose status for an entire game is doubtful. Injured against Wesleyan, Thomas played only three minutes against Cornell before the pain from the torn tissue in his lower leg forced him out.

However, he will start this afternoon along with Chris Wilmot, whose ankle, which he turned in practice Monday, is still very painful. Russ Bell is suffering from a muscle pull in the back of his leg and Brian Fearnett and Norie Harrower are also operating below par with leg injuries. All are slated to see action against the Indians.

Dartmouth coach George Beim may send as many as 10 sophomores against the Crimson after losing All-American Charlie Silcox and scoring leader Gary Gasper through graduation. All-Ivy fullback and captain Rich Gillford will anchor the defense while providing some desperately needed experience.