Putting the Pieces Together

The highest level. Michael Jordan plays at it. So does Mario Lemieux. As does Carl Lewis.

And, if Coach Sue Caples has her way, so will the Harvard field hockey team.

Under the former All-American, Harvard has risen in national prominence the past five years. The Crimson has taken the Ivy title the past two years and garnered its first NCAA tournament bid in 1991.

But all is not rosy out on Cumnock Field. Harvard has seen the highest level, and it wasn't pretty. Not at all. (Think Tommy Lasorda in a thong bikini.)

Harvard visited Boston University last year in the opening round of the NCAA tournament and endured a 3-0 drubbing under the lights at Nickerson Field. BU was clearly faster, more skilled, and more experienced.

But, in Caples' assessment, the trip across the river was well worth the T fare.

"We'll definitely learn from the experience of the NCAAs. It was different level of intensity. This team's going to remember what it was like at that level. They'll have added intensity and focus from playing at that level," Caples said.

Now, even though a senior class including four first-team All-Ivy honorees has graduated, the young team is nothing if not hungry to take Harvard's program even further than it has gone in the past.

The Crimson certainly has enough talent to draw on. The team's strength is its athleticism, specifically its speed.

Up front, Harvard features a trio of two-sport athletes: Co-Captain Rachel Burke (the team's top returning scorer), junior Sarah Downing and sophomore Sarah Winters.

In the backfield, juniors Francie Walton (1990 Ivy Rookie of the Year) and Amy Belisle are expected to be solid.

Vogt Between the Pipes

In goal, Harvard must make up for the loss of All-Ivy graduate Lisa Yadao, who performed masterfully in the pipes last year. Junior Christine Vogt, who recorded an 11-save shutout in her only appearance last

FIELD HOCKEY

Coach: Sue Caples

Captains: R. Burke, L. Davies

1991 Overall Record: 13-3-2

1991 Ivy Record: 3-1-2

1991 Ivy Finish: 1st year, will vie with freshman Jessica Milhollinfor duties in the net.

But the biggest question is the midfield, whereHarvard is crying for help.

Without an adequate transition game, theCrimson's great defensive and offensive strengthswill mean nothing.

Caples' first task, she said, is to experimentwith players to find the right combination in themidfield.

Junior Emily Buxton will likely shift into themidfield. Buxton, a versatile St. Paul's graduatefrom Concord, N.H., shifted into left backfieldwhen she got to Harvard and assumed a startingrole there last year. Now Caples will call on herto help out in the midfield.

Buxton will join Harvard's two returningmidfielders, neither of whom are particularlyexperienced: Co-Captain Laura Davies, a Weston,Mass.-resident who played in only eight games thepast two years; and sophomore Megan Colligan, aWestbury, N.Y.-resident who saw action twice lastyear.

It's unlikely that this unit will be able tomatch the strength of last year's--which boastedIvy stars Ceci Clark, Kristen Fowler (currently anassistant coach) and Becky Gaffney--but right nowCaples doesn't seem worried about that.

In fact, her team's relative youth doesn't fazeher either. One of collegiate field hockey's mostsuccessful recruiters, Caples is confident in herteam's athletic ability and desire. All it takes,she says, is finding the right chemistry.

"I'm optimistic about our season. I've beenencouraged by our practices," Caples said. "It'snice. We're at a good level."

The question for the season is: is "a goodlevel" the highest level?

FIELD HOCKEY: '91 RESULTS

9/14  at Rhode Island  2-0  W  1-09/18  at Northeastern  0-3  L  1-19/24  at Holy Cross  4-1  W  2-19/26  at Brown  2-2  T  2-1-110/2  Springfield  1-0  W  3-1-110/5  at Pennsylvania  4-1  W  4-1-110/9  Boston University  2-1  W  5-1-110/12  Yale  1-0  W  6-1-110/15  Providence  1-0  W  7-1-110/19  at Cornell  0-2  L  7-2-110/23  Boston College  3-1  W  8-2-110/26  Princeton  2-2  T  8-2-211/2  Dartmouth  3-0  W  9-2-211/5  New Hampshire  2-1  W  10-2-2ECACs  West Chester  1-0  W  11-2-2  Princeton  2-1  W  12-2-2NCAAs  BostonUniversity  0-3  L  12-3-2

FIELD HOCKEY: '92 SCHEDULE

9/20  Rhode Island  1 p.m.9/23  Connecticut  3:30 p.m.9/30  Brown  11 a.m.10/3  Pennsylvania  7 p.m.10/8  at Boston University  7 p.m.10/10  Cornell  11 a.m.10/13  at Yale  3 p.m.10/16  at Providence  3:30 p.m.10/18  Holy Cross  7:30 p.m.10/21  at Boston College  7:30 p.m.10/24  at Princeton  11 a.m.10/28  Northeastern  2 p.m.10/31  Dartmouth  11 a.m.11/3  at New Hampshire  2 p.m.

But the biggest question is the midfield, whereHarvard is crying for help.

Without an adequate transition game, theCrimson's great defensive and offensive strengthswill mean nothing.

Caples' first task, she said, is to experimentwith players to find the right combination in themidfield.

Junior Emily Buxton will likely shift into themidfield. Buxton, a versatile St. Paul's graduatefrom Concord, N.H., shifted into left backfieldwhen she got to Harvard and assumed a startingrole there last year. Now Caples will call on herto help out in the midfield.

Buxton will join Harvard's two returningmidfielders, neither of whom are particularlyexperienced: Co-Captain Laura Davies, a Weston,Mass.-resident who played in only eight games thepast two years; and sophomore Megan Colligan, aWestbury, N.Y.-resident who saw action twice lastyear.

It's unlikely that this unit will be able tomatch the strength of last year's--which boastedIvy stars Ceci Clark, Kristen Fowler (currently anassistant coach) and Becky Gaffney--but right nowCaples doesn't seem worried about that.

In fact, her team's relative youth doesn't fazeher either. One of collegiate field hockey's mostsuccessful recruiters, Caples is confident in herteam's athletic ability and desire. All it takes,she says, is finding the right chemistry.

"I'm optimistic about our season. I've beenencouraged by our practices," Caples said. "It'snice. We're at a good level."

The question for the season is: is "a goodlevel" the highest level?

FIELD HOCKEY: '91 RESULTS

9/14  at Rhode Island  2-0  W  1-09/18  at Northeastern  0-3  L  1-19/24  at Holy Cross  4-1  W  2-19/26  at Brown  2-2  T  2-1-110/2  Springfield  1-0  W  3-1-110/5  at Pennsylvania  4-1  W  4-1-110/9  Boston University  2-1  W  5-1-110/12  Yale  1-0  W  6-1-110/15  Providence  1-0  W  7-1-110/19  at Cornell  0-2  L  7-2-110/23  Boston College  3-1  W  8-2-110/26  Princeton  2-2  T  8-2-211/2  Dartmouth  3-0  W  9-2-211/5  New Hampshire  2-1  W  10-2-2ECACs  West Chester  1-0  W  11-2-2  Princeton  2-1  W  12-2-2NCAAs  BostonUniversity  0-3  L  12-3-2

FIELD HOCKEY: '92 SCHEDULE

9/20  Rhode Island  1 p.m.9/23  Connecticut  3:30 p.m.9/30  Brown  11 a.m.10/3  Pennsylvania  7 p.m.10/8  at Boston University  7 p.m.10/10  Cornell  11 a.m.10/13  at Yale  3 p.m.10/16  at Providence  3:30 p.m.10/18  Holy Cross  7:30 p.m.10/21  at Boston College  7:30 p.m.10/24  at Princeton  11 a.m.10/28  Northeastern  2 p.m.10/31  Dartmouth  11 a.m.11/3  at New Hampshire  2 p.m.