Defensive Errors Are Key As Babson Stuns JV Booters, 3-2

Continuing what has been a disappointing week for Harvard soccer, the Crimson JV's, falling prey to overconfidence and inexperience, dropped a 3-2 decision to Babson yesterday on the Business School Field.

The JV's, not specifically a separate squad but rather a subdivision of the larger varsity contingent, suffered from a lack of playing time together, and the lack of cohesive teamwork was evident all afternoon and negated a considerable Harvard advantage in individual talent.

Babson, dreaming of an upset, played opportunistic soccer, taking advantage of Crimson defensive mistakes and missed offensive opportunities. Babson scored first on a defensive error, stealing the ball from a Harvard defender, and scoring an easy goal as a result of poor marking in the penalty area.

Harvard rallied to knot the game at a goal apiece, when left wing Dan Potts, on a quick pass from Mario Gobbo, fired a bullet from 20 yards out. Babson, however, took a 2-1 lead at the half. A Babson corner kick eluded Harvard goalie Peter Zurkow, who tried and tailed to punch the ball out of play. The ball came to the edge of the penalty area and a Babson screen shot resulted in the score.

With 16 minutes to go in the game, Harvard came back to tie the score on a fine individual effort by John Waciuma on a pass from Mario Gobbo. Waciuma faked out a defender, bounced the ball and took the shot on the bounce. The ball went in off the goalie's hands.

The tie, however, was shortlived. A Harvard defensive lapse gave Babson the ball deep in the Crimson end. The ball was kicked around in a sea of players jammed in the penalty area until a Babson player tapped the ball in the nets for a sloppy, but game winning goal.

"It was a bitter blow," said coach Seamus Malin. "We though we were going to walk all over them. When you don't have cohesive teamwork, which we didn't have today, you tend to overcompensate individually," he said. "This results in players trying to do it alone, and usually ends up with the other team stealing the ball."