Women Booters Rule the East

STORRS, Conn.--After practice, fullback Debbie Fields would say something like, "Hey, Inga, take a few corners," and midfielder Inga Larson would say, "all right," and the two of them would stay on the field, sometimes until they couldn't see any more. Debbie out in the corner, lining ball after ball in front of the goal, and Inga in front of the goal--in front of one-third of the goal, because this was her area, putting ball after ball into the goal with her head.

And it worked yesterday. It worked with 33 seconds to go in overtime in the championship game of the Easterns to give Harvard a 2-1 victory over UConn and its first outright Eastern title. Like clock-work, Debbie to Inga.

Sure, the Crimson made some strategic adjustments yesterday to overcome UConn, a team that had made them look bad three weeks earlier. Sure, the defense started marking closer. Sure, the passing game became more patient.

But there seemed to be something else as well, something harder to discern.

Witness fullback Jeannie Piersak--"I'm not the kind to get intimidated"--all the way down in the Crimson offensive end for corner kicks, blocking out Husky goalie Mary Lou Breem and creating the opportunity for Kelly Landry and Larson to put the ball in the net.

Witness junior fullback Laura Mayer--an offensive-defensive swingman last year--moving to fulltime fullback this season, yet adapting to her new role to the point of marking UConn's top scoring threat, Jane Spink.

Witness Jenny Rayport and Merry Ann Moore, reserves most of the season, coming off the bench to platoon for injured Ellen Jakovic and playing a large role in defusing a UConn offense that only once this season has been held to less than two goals.

Witness striker Landry's lone forays into enemy territory, facing three and four defenders at a time, struggling to make something work, and finally succeeding, evening up the score at 1-1 with ten minutes left in the game.

At the base of the profile is confidence, the confidence in knowing that if you fall behind 1-0, as the team has done in its last three tournament games, you have the talent to make it up. The confidence in knowing that if you have the ball, you can hang onto it, no matter who you're playing. The confidence in knowing that if you go out and do what you can do, there are very few times you'll be disappointed.

On top of the confidence is the desire to succeed.

There is the preparation, the indoctrination of coach Bob Scalise's ball-control system until the "back-passing" and "looping runs" become second nature.

And finally, there are the corner kicks, Debbie to Inga, after practice in the twilight.