Crimson Soccer Teams Split Contests

The Harvard women's soccer team opened its season with a 5-1 drubbing of a highly-touted Tufts eleven on the Jumbos' home field Saturday.

Despite the wide margin of victory, the Crimson booters held a slim 1-0 lead at half-time. Sue St. Louis notched the lone goal with 16 minutes to go in the half.

Dribbling in from the right wing, St. Louis bounced a shot off the waiting arms of Tufts goalie Ann Forbes and then slammed home the rebound.

Buried Jumbos

The second half saw the Crimson come out firing, burying the startled Jumbos with four consecutive goals in nine minutes. Harvard coach Bob Scalise credited the second stanza blow-out to the squad's rigorous pre-season training, observing "We were clearly in better shape than them."

Crimson co-captain Julie Brynteson led the second-half surge, blasting a corner kick that Forbes deflected into the Tufts twine, and then assisting on a second St. Louis tally, the team's fourth score.

Before that goal, however, sophomore halfback Sara Fischer had scored on a flashy left-footed cross kick to make the score 3-0. Substitute back Ellen Jakovic rounded out the Crimson scoring with an unassisted chip shot over Forbes' head late in the final period.

All For Naught

Forbes' brilliant defensive play--16 saves--went for naught, as the Jumbo offense never got on track. The lone Tufts goal came with only 50 seconds left.

"I thought it would be a lot closer," said Scalise afterwards, delighted with the opening performance, noting that perennial Ivy League powerhouse Brown had only squeaked by Tufts 2-1.

Sporting the kind of nucleus which might well improve on last season's 9-2-1 slate, the Crimson travels to Northampton to face Smith Thursday.