Booters Defeat Brandeis, 5-2

Rebounding crisply from last Saturday's 3-0 thrashing by Columbia, the Harvard mens' soccer team yesterday trounced Brandeis 5-2, handing the Judges their first loss of the 1981 campaign.

Mauro Keller-Sarmiento led the booters with his first hat trick of the season, while the defensive corps limited the Judges to 13 shots on goal.

Keller-Sarmiento got the Crimson on the board at 8:05 off a pass from Lance Ayrault. The senior winger took the ball on the left side of his goal, beat his man on the inside, cut back to the left, and fired a low shot just inside the near post.

"He's a coach's dream," said Coach George Ford, whose team raised its season mark to 2-1. "He's a threat every time he steps on the field."

Not to be outdone, the rest of the Harvard offense came up with some fireworks of its own at 27:38 when Aryault tallied on a diving header off the foot of Peter Sergienko, who came up from his sweeper position to take an indirect kick.

Sergienko's pass from just outside the penalty area looped over Brandeis' four-man wall where Aryault, streaking from the left side, put the ball on the inside, right post.

Keller-Sarmiento gave the booters a 3-0 edge at 42:17 off another pass from Aryault, but Brandeis cut the margin to two goals on a quick, counter-attack goal with but a minute and one-half to play in the first stanza.

The Brandeis counter attack continued to plague the Crimson throughout the game as long, Crimson through passes were intercepted, and turned around quickly into Judge scoring opportunities. These threats were, for the most part though, cut down by the sharp tackling of John Duggan and Andreas Keller-Sarmiento.

"The defense just has to get out more quickly," said Ford. "We didn't get out at all against Columbia and that hurt us."

Family Affair

In the second half, Crimson soccer fans got an extended look at the newest Keller-Sarmiento, Pablo, who will probably grace Harvard's midfield for the better part of the next four years.

The youngest of three brothers played a solid game at wing midfield and along with fellow frosh Alberto Villar gave Harvard soccer enthusiasts something to look forward to in the future.

It was the eldest Keller-Sarmiento though, who gave the booters a little breathing room at 50:04.

Keller-Sarmiento's third tally proved once again why Harvard will look to the lithe Argentinian when it counts. Taking the ball from the right side of the goal, he beat two defenders, almost lost the ball as Judge goalie Jim Leahy came out to cut down the angle, but recovered to place the ball in the right corner.

His performance prompted questions of whether Coach Ford's down-the-wings, British style of play would be altered to fit this year's talent.

"We're trying more through balls this year, working the ball down the middle," said Ford. "We just have to work on our speed of execution and speed up the offense a bit."

Practice, Practice, Practice

The win gives the Crimson something positive to think about as they look at a two-week layoff before facing perennial powerhouse Hartwick on the home pitch.

"We needed to win today," said Keller-Sarmiento. "We can forget Columbia, gain confidence, and keep our season going."