Stickwomen Grab 1-0 Victory

ITHACA, N.Y.--The game's first 89 minutes and 59 seconds had left the Harvard field hockey team just one second shy of a double overtime scoreless tie.

But the game's final second here last Saturday left the Crimson with plenty of time to pull off one of the most miraculous victories in the history of organized field hockey.

The Harvard squad that hadn't been able to score through 70 minutes of regulation and 19 minutes and 59 seconds of two overtimes tallied the only goal it needed with one second left in the contest on a Linda Runyon slapshot from five feet in front of the Cornell goal.

Runyon's rocket set off a wild Harvard celebration in front of the Big Red net.

The Cornell team slunk away in dispirited disbelief.

Two's the Charm

The 1-0 victory was the second in a row for the Crimson (2-4-1) and the first--against one loss--in Ivy League play. The loss dropped the Big Red to 3-4-1 (1-3 in the Ivy League).

Runyon's crucial tally was set up with 30 seconds remaining in double overtime.

Crimson wing Gia Barresi took a long pass from defender Anne Kelly at the midline and charged down-field.

No one stopped her until she came within 10 feet of the goal.

By that time a horde of Crimson and Big Red players were crowded around the net.

In the confussion, Barresi snuck a pass to Runyon.

"The ball went to Gia and then to me," Runyon said. "I took it around someone and flicked it in.

"All I thought was, 'Time is running out. There's no way I want to tie this game.'''

Harvard could have skipped the last-second heroics had someone tapped in Crimson midfielder Jane Grim's 18-ft. blast near the end of regulation play.

Grim's shot smacked off the right side of the Cornell goal and lay unattended but untouched in front of the net before Big Red goalie Sue Zieman batted it away.

Cornell also had its chance to end the game early.

With five minutes remaining in the first overtime, Cornell's Jenny Graap smacked a shot on goal. It slipped by Crimson goalie Denise Katsias--who had-rushed to block it--and headed toward the Harvard net.

A great roar from the 100 spectators proved premature as Crimson midfielder Bambi Taylor was in goal to block the shot.

"She just happened to be in the right place at the right time," said Harvard Assistant Coach Sue Caples.

The stickwomen once again had to contend with artificial turf--this time the slick Astoturf of Schoellkopf Field--which had frustrated them in a 3-0 loss to Northeastern earlier in the season.

But a workout Friday morning on the artificial surface of Briggs Athletic Center seemed to help. And, besides, the stickwomen have improved considerably since the loss to the Huskies.

"We've definately coalesced as a team," Co-Captain Alicia Clifton said.

Although the Big Red was not as fierce an opponent as Northeastern, it came within one clock-tick of escaping with a tie.

"I've seen us play better games," Clifton said. "But the main thing was we didn't give up. We kept fighting."

THE NOTEBOOK: Harvard's next game is Wednesday at UMass... Crimson defender Leelee Groome gave the coaching staff a scare when she went down with 25:39 left in regulation. Groome lay on the carpet a minute--being attended by trainer Meg O'Keefe--before hopping to her feet to remain in the game. Her injury was turf-related... Groome wore heavy sun-shade under her eyes despite the fact that most of Saturday's game was played under cloud-cover... Cornell had 10 penalty corners, Harvard had five...Katsias made seven saves... Harvard took 24 shots.