W. Booters Came Close But Not Quite to Being Powerhouse

From a distance, it would look like the Harvard women's soccer team enjoyed a successful season.

And in fact, the Crimson did, going 9-5-1 overall, finishing third in the Ivy League and advancing to the semifinals of the ECAC tournament.

But Harvard's record doesn't tell the whole story of this year's campaign.

At various points throughout the season, it looked like the Crimson was going to win the Ivy League. At others, it looked as if it would be fortunate to squeak by with a winning record.

Consistency was not this team's strong point.

"Consistency is what separates the good teams from the great teams," Co-Captain Amy Weinstein once said. "I guess we're still just a good team."

A good teem that might have been a great one was the story of the Crimson.

From game to game, the team was never sure how it was going to come out and play. When it was playing well, it could stand up to nationally ranked teams.

The Crimson won three out of four matches with top-20 opponents, beating Providence, Dartmouth and Massachusetts. The Crimson lost only to second-ranked Connecticut.

In its Ivy finale against Dartmouth, the Crimson scored more goals (three) than Dartmouth All-Ivy goalie Kari Reuter had allowed all season.

This was a powerhouse squad.

But there is a flip side to the coin. Harvard also lost consecutive games to Brown and Boston College and missed a chance to win the Ivy League title, which the Crimson had the potential to win.

The Cornell game was a heart-breaker. Harvard played some of the worst soccer it had played all season, yet lost to the eventual Ivy champion only after the referee awarded the Big Red a controversial penalty kick in the waning moments of the game. As a result, Harvard lost, 2-1.

They came so close to greatness.

Harvard was honored with five players receiving All-Ivy recognition, a deservedly high number.

All three starting forwards were honored: Rookie of the Year Jen Minkus, the leading scorer in the Ivy League, Co-Captain robin Johnston, the team's leading overall scorer, and junior Laurie Unstal.

The dynamic trio accounted for more than 60 percent of the Crimson's points, while Minkus and Johnston were the top two scorers i the Ivy League. Harvard averaged three goals a game.

Johnston, Unstal and Minkus excelled because of their ability to rise above the game plan and create their own opportunities. They complemented each other: Minkus's hustle played off Johnston's power, which combined with Unstal's finesse, made Harvard the premier front line in the Ivies.

Harvard's defense was equally impressive. Junior Erin Matias was the best sweeper in the Ivies. Johnston played alongside Weinstein, an All-Ivy selection, senior Skyler Vinton and sophomore Meg Berte.

Matias was able to singlehandedly hold off entire attacks, and won much admiration for her gritty play.

The midfield's play often was the key for the Crimson. When the midfield played well, the Crimson won. But, when the midfield was off of its game, it was up to the defense and front line to carry the team. Towards the end of the season Wheaton was able to rotate six players through three spots without a drop-off in the quality of play.

But what the rotation meant was that no one player was stepping forward and giving the midfield the stability it needed.

Starting center midfielder junior Sharon Olken or sophomore wing Betsy Miller might have been able to fill this role, but a knee injury midway through the season severely limited Olken's play.