M. Ruggers Face Long Odds Following Loss to Dartmouth

Harvard men's rugby took a page from the book of hapless 1992 Boston Red Sox this weekend.

The Crimson just couldn't score when it mattered most.

Hopefully for the men from Cambridge--unlike the boys from Fenway--this scoring drought will be an aberration, not a tradition.

The rugby squad had been rolling along, crushing teams in its path.

On Sunday, though, Dartmouth broke up the party, defeating the Crimson 6-5 to give the Big Green the New England Rugby Championship.

"The defenses made it real tough for both teams to create offensive opportunities," junior Bob Jordan said.

As the score reveals, neither team did a lot of post-score celebrations. The defense dominated on both sides.

The Harvard squad though had more offensive opportunities. It had numerous chances for a try, but couldn't execute.

"We just couldn't score," senior Peter November said. "We were over the try line close to ten times, but couldn't get the ball down."

Fortunately for the Crimson, the season is far from over, and it may have another shot at Dartmouth.

A victory over Dartmouth would have automatically qualified Harvard for the Regional Championships, but now the Crimson must win a wild card game in order to qualify for the regionals.

"In a way, the Dartmouth game was good for us," Jordan said. "It pointed out some weaknesses in our game that we can correct for the wild card and hopefully the regionals."

The team feels confident that the loss to Dartmouth will not jeopardize the ultimate goal--a trip to the NCAA tournament.

"I like our chances in the wild card and eventually the regionals," Jordan said. "I'd love to get another shot at Dartmouth because I think we can take those guys."