UConn Strongly Favored To Beat Crimson Booters

During the past three seasons the Harvard soccer team could have played against any team in the nation with a good chance of winning. Times have changed, however, and Harvard soccer coach Bruce Munro said yesterday, "We really are in pretty bad shape," referring to today's match against the University of Connecticut soccer team.

An injury riddled Harvard team will face a strong University of Connecticut team this afternoon in what might turn into a massacre or a learning experience, depending on whose side you are on.

Harvard No.9

The Huskies, currently number three in New England, are sporting a 5-2 record with a loss to Bridgeport and defending National champions, the University of St. Louis. Harvard has been dropping all season from its initial number-three ranking to its present number-nine slot.

A loss tomorrow will shatter Harvard NC AA playoff dreams, dropping their New England ranking even further away from the top four qualifying spots.

Whatever hopes Harvard might have had for tomorrow's game were dispelled by the ever-growing injury list. This time injuries have taken away three of the four starting offensive players to rob Harvard scoring of its punch. Felix Adele, J.P. Gilbert, Artie Fa den, will be watching the game from the sidelines.

"They are a very, very good team and we will be playing from a position of weakness," said Munro. "Our problem has been lack of scoring and we will have to patch something together," he said.

Munro was quick to credit his defense and goalie Steve Kidder along with halfbacks Steve Hines, Bob audit and Rick La Cilia, but without a line Harvard will be in for trouble. "You can contain them to a certain extent, but if you are playing defense the whole game they will eventually get to you," Munro said.

Sound Defense

Harvard is still using the 4-2-4 system with sound defense and good center work. However the offensive line is having difficulties scoring because of inexperience and lack of real combinations among the front four. "We've been playing good defense all along and you can play good defense all you want but if you don't score you are not going to win games," Munro said. "We haven't been able to score much in full strength, so here we are at half length...So it could be a long afternoon. If we had Adedeji, Gilbert and Faden playing at full strength we might have had a decent chance to win but with none of them we are whistling Dixie," Munro said. "However my goal is to see the kids trying as hard as they can and have fun doing it. We'd like to win, but if we don't it's not a world-shattering thing." Munro said.

"I am a career coach, but I am not a coach who wants records. I just want the kids to have fun," he said.