Laxmen to Face Tigers Today, Seek Eighth Straight Victory

The question confronting New England lacrosse fans these days is, Can the red hot Crimson lax squad sweep its next four games for an incredible 11 game win streak? And if so, will it earn them a berth as New England's sole rep in the NCAA playoffs?

"It's our only shot," answered fifth year mentor Bob Scalise with a confident grin, on the eve of the laxmen's toughest exam since the end of the first semester.

Garden State

This afternoon the Crimson will be braving the wilds of New Jersey to take on a deadly Princeton squad.

"Princeton on their own field will be very tough. They keep the grass very long down there, and they're used to it, and they like it," co-captain Jamie Egasti said.

Egasti and company are especially wary of Princeton's lightning quick lair of attackmen. All-American Dave Huebeck, Bob Thomas, and George Brush--all natives of lax-happy Baltimore--combined for 98 points last year, and all have returned this season.

"We match up well against them, commented ruthlessly efficient derenseman Scott Pink, the senior member of the Crimson's strongest suit--defense. Pink and his companions Frank Prezioso and Haywood Miller, backed up by All-America goaltender Kenny First, have yielded less than seven goals a game since the season's opening disaster against top-ranked defending national champion Johns Hopkins.

The Crimson offensive machine has been putting on quite a show of its own lately. Norman Forbush has overcome all early season jitters and has blossomed into a premier stick-handler.

The talented Tigers' early season losses to Hopkins and fifth-ranked Navy knocked them out of the top 15 in the national poll, but they have looked strong since, blasting both Dartmouth and Yale.

Harvard, meanwhile, is riding the crest of its seven game winning streak and its rise to the number one ranking in New England for the first time in years. The Crimson is ranked twelfth nationally.