Reborn Offense Propels Laxmen to Win Over Eagles, 14-9

When it doesn't rain, Harvard scores.

On a cold but clear day at Ohiri Field, the Harvard men's lacrosse team stormed over Boston College, 14-9.

The real Harvard offense finally stood up. The dynamic trio of Captain Paul Faust, sophomore Mike Porter and junior Chad Prusmack combined for a whopping eight goals.

Faust, the field general, led the assault on the BC net with three goals, two in the first half.

Harvard jumped ahead 2-1 on a Faust tally and never looked back. By halftime, the score was 9-3.

The second half continued much like the first: Prusmack swiftly took the opening face-off to the goal, pausing only once to crush an opponent with his free hand.

Harvard gave up three late goals, but the game had already been won.

"The team is showing solid improvement with every game," Harvard Coach Scott Andersen said.

The Keys to the Crimson's domination of the Eagles were ball control and hustle.

Time and time again Harvard beat BC to the ground ball. Above all, Harvard executed well on its possessions. The Crimson offense showed patience, concentration and creativity.

Massacre on 'D'

On defense, Harvard mauled the undersized BC squad.

The starting defensive line, anchored by junior Eric Bentley, repeatedly grounded Eagles on their forays near the crease.

As the game wore on, the discouraged BC attack became noticeably more tentative.

Harvard goalie Chris Miller was solid in net for most of the game. He thwarted many attempted rallies with big stick saves.

All told, he gathered 22 stops in the game.

Harvard also controlled the midfield, with Prusmack dominating the faceoff until exiting late in the second half with a bruised knee.

It would be remiss not to acknowledge the spectacular play of Porter. The attacker slashed through Eagles for a hat trick of unassisted goals.

Junior Marty Dolan also netted two goals during the game.

Unable to Maintain Intensity

The glaring flaw for the Harvard squad was its inability to maintain its intensity in the late stages of the game.

BC was able to pour in three late goals against a sluggish Harvard team in the fourth quarter.

Against an inferior squad such as BC, Harvard can afford 15 minute lapses. However, in Ivy League competition, the Crimson will have a tougher time if it doesn't play 60 minutes of hard lacrosse.

The Crimson next heads to West Point to clash with Army this Saturday. This will be real test of the newly energized Crimson offense.

Army has already beaten the Cornell squad which swamped Harvard only a few days ago.

A big win in New York would bode well for the challenging Ivy League schedule ahead.