M. Ruggers

After literally winning its first game against Dartmouth on the flip of a coin, the Harvard men's rugby club didn't need such luck to crush Central Connecticut State, 20-9, in the championship game of the New England Invitational Tournament yesterday in Providence, R.I.

Dartmouth jumped out to a 6-0 lead over Harvard in the first-round game Saturday, but Crimson senior Chris Liles scored a try late in the second half. His successful conversion tied the score at 6-6.

Due to time limitations, it was decided that the winner of a coin flip before the game would win the game in the event of a tie score. Harvard had won that coin toss and thus, was given the victory.

Harvard faced Amherst after only one hour's rest and, although it was threatened early, took a 14-4 lead into halftime. The resurgent Amherst squad scored seven points in the second half, but the Crimson held on to win, 14-11.

"We were very tired which made us really lazy," Co-Captain Jon Greenberg said.

The semifinal yesterday was another story. Senior Scott Tierney scored three tries to lead the Crimson to a 20-0 blowout over Rhode Island.

"We played really strong defense in the second half," Greenberg said. "It was a good confidence-builder for the final."

But no such confidence-builders were really necessary. Harvard took a 10-0 advantage into halftime against CCSU with tries from Tierney and Jaffey Patterson. CCSU scored to narrow the margin to 10-6, but Tierney answered with his fifth try of the tournament to increase the Crimson lead to 14-6.