Defense the Key to Booters' 2-0 Victory Over Dartmouth

For the first time this season, the Harvard men's soccer team didn't take full advantage of the scoring chances it created. But the tenacious defense made up for the offensive off-day, as the booters downed winless Dartmouth, 2-1, Saturday at newly dedicated Ohiri Field.

The Crimson's first six matches have either been goal-scoring extravaganzas or closely fought ties in which Harvard took the shots it could get.

Against Dartmouth, the booters' offense was clicking--the Crimson front line of senior captain Leo Lanzillo and sophomores John Catliff and Lane Kenworthy took 12 of the 14 shots Harvard recorded. But the Big Green's net was hardly creased.

Coach Jape Shattuck was not worried by a slow day for an offense that is still scoring at a 1.9 goals-per-game clip.

"What we're primarily concerned with is creating chances, which is the more difficult thing to do," he explained.

In the first half, the booters settled into their usual style of play, challenging Dartmouth in its own half and denying the Big Green room in the center third of the field.

The Crimson's pressure paid off 15 minutes into the match with a direct free kick just outside and to the right of the Dartmouth penalty box.

Catliff continued his team-leading scoring pace by rocketing a skimming left-footer that bent around the Big Green wall and off the left post past unsighted Dartmouth goalkeeper Jim Cisneros.

The tally lifted Catliff's season total to 15 points (seven goals, one assist). Kenworthy and stopper Ian Hardington are tied for the second spot with six points.

Harvard continued to build solid threats in the Big Green's end of the field, but free kicks bounced off Dartmouth players and shots skittered past the post.

Cisneros deserves plenty of credit for denying the booters the air space in front of his net. The sophomore goalie also made a clutch save on a point-blank effort by Lanzillo late in the half that could have changed the tenor of the closing period.

In the second half, the Crimson's attack sputtered, and Dartmouth began to take control of the ball. "We ran out of gas with five minutes left in the first half and with 20 minutes remaining, the game shifted to them," said Shattuck.

That's when the back line of Hardington, sweeper Johan Ahr, and fullbacks Marty Sabelli and Matt Cameron really went to work. Sensing the increased threat on the Harvard net, they played solid team defense, denying the visitors from Hanover the opportunity to string together any sustained offensive passing.

"A lot of their plans dealt with passes to people coming back to the ball, and they were marked by people who were ready for that," Shattuck said. "Consequently, they were having to play the ball at a much faster pace than they expected."

With 4:47 left in the match, Dartmouth got its best chance to even up the score when a defensive clearance bounced to Big Green forward Hank Erbe waiting behind the Harvard back line. Erbe rushed the shot, shanking it past the far post.

THE NOTEBOOK: The University dedicated the Business School field Saturday to Chris L. Ohiri '64, who led the Harvard soccer teams of the early '60s. Ohiri still holds several Crimson scoring records, including most goals in a single game (five), most goals in one season (17), and most consecutive games in which a goal was scored (13). A member of the 1960 Nigerian Olympic soccer team Ohiri owns several Ivy soccer records, including career goals with 29 Athletic Director John P. Reardon Jr. '60 made the presentation at a ceremony before the Dartmouth game attended by a representative from Gov Michael S. Dukakis's office and Nigerian Ambassador to the United States A Y Etc.