Laxmen Finish Season on Winning Note

With 15 seconds to play, the ball in the Harvard end and his team down by a goal Saturday at Ohiri Field, Dartmouth men's lacrosse Coach Scott Allison called a timeout.

When the Big Green broke from the sidelines, midfielder Charlie Gildehaus took the ball and moved in on the Harvard net.

Crimson defenseman Justin Peyser stuck out his big stick and confronted Gildehaus, who rolled right and then left

With Peyser right in his face, the Dartmouth sophomore again tried to roll right and find an open teammate in front of the net. Still, Peyser kept him from seeing into the crease or from dodging in himself.

Gildehaus kept up his futile manuevers, but once the clock had ticked down to three seconds, the partisan Crimson crowd began to hoot derisively as it became apparent that the midfielder would never even be able to release the ball in the face of Peyser's dogged one-on-one pressure.

After the referee blew the final whistle and the Crimson players swarmed to the middle of the field, celebrating both the 12-11 victory and the completion of an 8-6 campaign, after the Dartmouth squad slunk off the field with its hopes of a great come-from-behind triumph shattered. Gildehaus crouched in front of the Harvard net.

He cavorted grotesquely, ripped at his equipment and slammed his stick against the ground None of his teammates came to help him up.

He hadn't just missed the pass; he hadn't even been able to throw it.

One who dared and succeeded was Crimson attacker Chris Pujols, who with just over two minutes remaining beat Big Green goalie Jay Pyne to break an 11-all deadlock and give Harvard the victory.

Pujols' game-winner came just a minute after midfielder Paul Garavente rolled in and behind the Dartmouth net to tie the contest. And that came after the Big Green's Bill Mang had given Dartmouth its first lead of the game at 9:43 of the final period, 11-10.

The game brought to a satisfying end a year that saw the team's fortunes turn around after a dismal start. Although admittedly outclassed in its early-season contests at national powers Penn. Johns Hopkins and Syracuse, the Crimson was still disappointed to limp out to a 2-4 start.

After a big triumph over New England rival New Hampshire, the Crimson suffered an embarrassing loss, 13-5, at lowly Yale and with the defeat, effectively undermined its chances at the top ranking in the region.

With the exception of last weekend at Adelphi, the final part of the campaign brought nothing but success for the laxmen, with victories over Brown, Princeton, Massachusetts, C.W. Post and now, Dartmouth.

The contest with the Big Green opened slowly, but after the two teams traded early goals, and Crimson netminder Mike Bergmann out of position, a Dartmouth attacker broke into the zone for what seemed a sure goal. His shot, however, hit the base of the left pipe, and what should have been a 2-1 lead for the visitors soon turned into a 2-1 Harvard advantage when Pujols scored the first of his four goals just seconds later.

The laxmen ran the score up to 5-1 with four quick tallies against a listless Dartmouth defense.

But just as it appeared that the visitors were going to roll over, the Big Green began to mount a comeback.

The surge culminated with Maag's goal late in the final period and the one-goal Dartmouth lead.

But after Garavente's and Pujols heroics, and the stellar defense of Justin Peyser, all that was left were memories of the Crimson's 8-6 year.

And, of course, there was Charlie Guildehaus, who was still there on the ground, smashing his equipment, still waiting for the chance to throw that final pass.

THE NOTEBOOK: Bergmann had 18 saves for Harvard. Pyne had half as many for Dartmouth Other goal-scorers for Harvard. Peter Follows had three, Jamie Wright had two and Rob Hawley and Martin Garcia had one apiece. Harvard, 12-11 at Ohiri Field Dartmouth (6-7)  1  1  4  1  11 Harvard (8-6)  2  6  2  2  12

Goals: H. Chris Pujols 4, Peter Follows 3, Jamie Wright 2, Rob Hawiey. Martin Garcia, Paul Garavente: D. Jenkins Marshall 4, Andy Osman 2. Steve Lietman 2. Charlie Gildechaus, Bob Mitchell, Bill Maag.

Assists: H. Hawley 3, Pujols. Garavente. Follows, Justin Peyser: D. Dave Burt 2. Gildehause, Jog Bass. Marshall.

Saves: H Mike Bergmann 18: D. Jay Pyne 9.

Att.: 250

Goals: H. Chris Pujols 4, Peter Follows 3, Jamie Wright 2, Rob Hawiey. Martin Garcia, Paul Garavente: D. Jenkins Marshall 4, Andy Osman 2. Steve Lietman 2. Charlie Gildechaus, Bob Mitchell, Bill Maag.

Assists: H. Hawley 3, Pujols. Garavente. Follows, Justin Peyser: D. Dave Burt 2. Gildehause, Jog Bass. Marshall.

Saves: H Mike Bergmann 18: D. Jay Pyne 9.

Att.: 250