Harvard Netmen Open Today In New England Championship

The racquetmen will shoot for glory and Dartmouth in the three-day New England Intercollegiate Championship opening today at Williams.

Dartmouth stunned Harvard last year when they came from nowhere to tie the first-place Crimson and become the New England co-champions.

Ken Lindner, Harvard's second singles player, said that the tournament could be a rematch of last year, with Harvard and Dartmouth battling for the spoils.

"We're the team to beat, but Dartmouth will give us the toughest competition," Lindner said. "If things go well for us, we should beat them and win the championship."

Brown will also be strongly in the running, having defeated Dartmouth during the season, 5-4.

Coach Jack Barnaby was optimistic about the team's chances for the championship, and hoped to do especially well in the B and C tournaments, where Harvard's depth should make the difference.

Barnaby is less confident about the A tournament, since Lindner and Gary Reiner drew the number one and two men from Dartmouth for their opening matches. Dartmouth's Rick Woolworth beat Reiner at first singles in two sets earlier in the season.

The Crimson will also be hurt with the loss of Captain Randy Barnett, who is sick and couldn't make the trip. Hugh Hyde, who regularly plays with the junior varsity team, will replace him and play the tournament C matches with Chip Baird.

Lindner and Gary Reiner will compete in the tournament A matches, and Tom Loring and John Ingard will represent Harvard in the B singles matches.

The Crimson enters the tournament with a hard-earned 10-1 record, losing only to invincible Columbia. Fortunately for Harvard, Columbia and Princeton, the cream of Ivy League tennis, won't be competing in the tournament.