Stickwomen to Play for Title

The Harvard field hockey team (10-4 overall, 4-1 Ivy) will square off with Brown (4-0-1 Ivy) today at 2 p.m. in Providence, R.I., in a game that will decide the Ivy League championship.

After being upset by Princeton on Saturday by a 2-1 margin, the Crimson's hopes for its first Ivy title rest solely on the game with the Bruins. If Harvard wins, it is Ivy champion. If the Crimson loses or ties, it will have to settle for second place.

Today's game will feature two teams with distinct styles of play.

Brown is a strong, physical squad whose strengths lie up the middle of its lineup. The Bruins will look to play a "big ball" game, seeking territorial advantages in large chunks.

In contrast, the Crimson, a quicker and better-disciplined squad, will attempt to play a conservative possession game.

"We need to control the ball," Harvard Coach Sue Caples said. "We are a well-balanced team, and if we stick to our game plan of short passing and drawing corners, we should do well. We can't get into a `bash ball' game with the Bruins."

The championship contest features two key matchups which could well decide its outcome. Harvard Co-Captain Char Joslin, the favorite for Ivy Player of the Year, will be pitted against one of Brown's two best players, Natalie Montero. Senior Co-Captain Erin O'Brien will face the other--Montero's sister Christine.

"Player for player, we match up very well against Brown," Caples said. "I'm confident that Char and Erin will be able to neutralize the Montero sisters. If Sandra Whyte can add to our offensive attack from her position on defense, we'll be in a good position to win."

But the Crimson is by no means taking the Bruins lightly.

"They have a couple of prolific scorers and I'll be matched up against one of them," O'Brien said. "[Montero] is very good in one-on-one situations, so I'll have to consistently beat her to the ball. If I'm unable to do that, I'll just have to mark her out of the game so her teammates won't want to pass to her."

Another variable which enters into today's action is Brown's home-field advantage. Stephenson Field has an astroturf surface with a large crown. The ball tends to roll much more freely on artificial turf than on grass, assisting Brown's territorial game.

"Good teams can win on any surface," Caples said. "This will be our sixth game on artificial turf, and in the past we have played well on this type of surface."

The title game promises to be close and exciting. The teams are well matched and have proven their superiority in the Ivy League. But Harvard, chasing its first-ever championship, may have an intangible advantage hunger.

"I don't have to say much to motivate the team," O'Brien said. "Everyone realizes what is at stake, our first Ivy League championship. For each game we usually come up with some theme to motivate us. Today's theme is `just win.'"

"In a game like this, records and rankings go out the window," Caples added. "The motivation is there. It's a great position to be in. We can determine our own fate. As long as we stick to our game plan, play hard and don't let up for 70 minutes, I am very confident that we will do well."