Adedeji Leads Booters Past Brown, 4-1

Playing with ten of the eleven men who started starters at the beginning of the season, the Harvard soccer team demonstrated that it is still a national contender by soundly defeating Brown at Providence on Saturday, 4-1.

Felix Adedeji scored two goals and looked nearly recovered from his groin injury. He also set up Harvard's other two goals, which were scored by Chris Papagianis and captain Charlie Thomas.

Emanuel Ekama and Norie Harrower played most of the game for the first time since Penn. Both were playing at less than full strength, however, and the team's mainstay at midfield was Russ Bell.

Brown scored their only goal 55 seconds after the opening whistle. Sophomor Chip Frost took a free kick rebound and caught the Crimson defense off guard with a shot from just inside the 18 yard line.

Wing Crosses

Neither team was able to control midfield, and play went from endline to endline. Brown set up numerous scoring opportunities with wing crosses and halfback chip passes into the Harvard goal area, but the Bruin forwards were unable to anticipate where the defense would open up.

Brown had switched from its usual 5-2-3 formation to a 4-2-4 system with a sweeper back, but this proved ineffective against the Crimson's rotating offense.

"Their man-to-man coverage made it easy for us," Thomas said. "If Felix or I took the ball over to the right side. Phil Kydes would get completely free by drifting over to the left."

The typical Harvard offensive play would involve five or six passes shifting the ball from left or right trying to isolate a defender.

Harvard tied the score midway through the first period when Thomas passed to Adedeji at the edge of the penalty area. Adedeji had three men on him, but he took advantage of a split second opening to hit the upper left corner.

Harvard maintained a slim edge in shots in the first half, and put the game away with two goals in the third period. Adedeji and Thomas went through the middle of the Brown defense with a series of short passes, and Thomas spun the ball past the charging goalie for the score.

Rebound

Papagiants scored his goal on the rebound of a good save of an Adedeji shot. Papagiants set up the final goal with a perfect pass that put Adedeji past the sweeper back. Adedeji drew the goalie out before pushing the ball into the corner for his 14th goal of the season.

Brown-Harvard matches have in the past been marred by rough and unnecessarily aggressive play, but Saturday's game was one of the cleanest of the season. None of Harvard's players were injured, although Thomas had several narrow escapes.

Going into this week's NCAA regional play-offs, the Crimson is in the best physical shape it has been in since the disastrous Penn game. However, several players are still playing at less than full strength due to injuries.

Adedeji now has ten goals and three assists in six games to lead the Ivy League in scoring. Papagianis maintained second place in the scoring race by raising his totals to six goals and four assists.