Heeled

Harvard lacrosse Tri-Captain Mike Bergmann calls it his team's "Achilles' heel."

But in a game against Vermont a week ago, it was an "Achilles' foot." And in a game against Cornell March 19, it was an "Achilles' leg."

For Harvard, the third quarter has been as kind as the Academy of Motion Pictures is to Steven Speilberg every April.

In the third quarter against Vermont, the Crimson surrendered three unanswered goals. In the third quarter against Cornell, the Crimson surrendered five unanswered goals.

So Harvard had reason to be worried when it found itself knotted with St. John's, 3-3, at halftime yesterday at Ohiri Field.

Another third-quarter collapse, and the Crimson would be collecting rain water and worms at the bottom of a big hole.

But yesterday, something remarkable happened. The Crimson turned the third quarter into a turning point. Harvard ran off three unanswered goals in the period.

At the end of three, it was the Redmen who were trying to crawl out of a ditch.

"The third quarter was when we put it away," Bergmann said. "In a game like this the team that plays well in the third quarter is usually going to be the team that's going to do it. We showed we could do it."

In games against Vermont and Cornell, the Crimson offense and defense sent "Get Well Soon" cards to each other during the third quarter. Yesterday, both Harvard's offense and defense were in prime health.

"We started to move the ball around better," Crimson attackman Nick Nero said. "That opened things up."

Nero pocketed a pair of goals on the St. John's doorstep. With a minute left in the third quarter, Nero took a pass from Michael Cavuoti to the right of the Redmen net and slipped a shot under the door.

"We played more unselfishly in the second half," Harvard Coach Scott Anderson said. "You've got one guy driving, looking for a shot--that's one approach to offense. Then you've got one guy driving, drawing a man and looking for the feed--that's a better offense."

Even an invincible offense.