Still Looking for a Reason

CLEMSON, S.C.--Taped to each mirror in the San Diego St. men's soccer team's hotel room here is a copy of last week's "Bottom Ten" poll by Steve Harvey.

Each week, Harvay ranks the nation's worst football teams--Columbia has been on the list all this year--and picks what he calls "the rout of the week."

The lack of major college football games this weekend left Harvey with-out a good choice for his rout. So he turned to the NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament, and chose Harvard as a huge winner over the Aztecs.

The selection shouldn't have surprised many people. San Diego St. was lucky just to make it to the Final Four. The Aztecs had a miracle upset at third-ranked SMU in the second round and defeated UCLA for the first time in 18 years to earn a trip to the semifinals.

Even San Diego St. didn't expect to beat undefeated and heavily-favored Harvard. The team checked out of its hotel before heading to Riggs Field to face the Crimson. It didn't expect to stay another night.

But a 2-1 San Diego St. win--it's hard to use the word win to describe it--proved just about all the pre-game predictors wrong.

Near the close of Saturday's first half, Crimson senior Nick Hotchkin worked the ball through the midfield and made a well-placed pass to sophomore Dave Kramer at wing. Kramer touched to control and sent the ball back to junior Gian D'Ornellas, whose perfect cross landed right at the feet of sophomore Derek Mills. Mills fired off a beautiful shot.

It was finesse soccer at its finest. But the ball still didn't end up in net. Aztec goalie Bryan Finnerty found himself in the right place at the right time.

"I'd rather be lucky than good," Finnerty said after his team's 2-1 win at UCLA.

Finnerty got his wish. Penalty kicks rest on about 50 percent skill and 50 percent chance. Harvard had the talent, San Diego St. had the luck.

The Aztecs wanted the game to go to penalty kicks. They really didn't play to score in overtime, taking only four shots. They just wanted to hang on for a shootout.

"I thought we were going to win it," said Harvard Coach Mike Getman, shaking his head in disbelief.

It's okay, Mike. Everyone else thought so, too.

A lot of "what if-ing" went on after the game. What if sophomore forward Nick D'Onofrio's near-perfect shot 10 minutes into overtime had gone just a little bit farther to the right.

What if Finnerty hadn't made an amazing, diving save of a powerful Robert Bonnie shot minutes later.

What if the officials hadn't negated Stephen Hall's block on San Diego St.'s third penalty kick.

What if one of those three missed penalty kicks had gone in.

What if, what if, what if.

Maybe Harvard would have claimed its first NCAA team title since the golf team won in 1904.

Maybe, just maybe.

Most Clemson fans wanted to see Harvard in the final. San Diego St. didn't give the figers much of a game. TheAztecs rarely controlled the ball, as Clemson won,2-0.

Last year, the Crimson lost to Duke, 3-1, inthe NCAA semifinals. Duke--the eventualChampion--had talent. A lot of it, and Harvard hada reason to justify its defeat.

The Crimson players viewed yesterday'schampionship game from the stands. Most of themwere watching San Diego St., looking for areason--any reason--why the Aztecs, and not theCrimson, were on the field.

They're still wondering