W. Lax Alums Vie For National Team

"Lacrosse" and "Japan" are not words that often go together. Two former Harvard players, however, are hoping that they are included in the unlikely pairing.

Sarah Downing Nelson '94 and Maggie Vaughn '90 were named finalists for the U.S. Women's Lacrosse national team, which will play in the World Cup tournament this spring in Tokyo.

This weekend, the team will participate in the William and Mary Tournament with various NCAA teams, after which the final four cuts will be made.

"I'm really excited--it's a little nerve-wracking," Nelson said. "I've played for U.S. squad for four years, but this would be my first time on the World Cup team."

Nelson, a speedy midfielder/attacker, currently lives in Burlington, Vermont and works as a teacher and assistant coach at the University of Vermont. After graduation, she married Erik Nelson '94, Harvard's team manager for the 1994 season.

Her sister, Liz Downing, who graduated from Maryland last June and won two straight NCAA titles, is also a team finalist.

Vaughn, a defenseman, is one of only three people ever to be selected to the First Team All-Ivy squad for four consecutive years. She was on Harvard's only NCAA championship team and captained the U.S. gold-medal team in 1993.

At the moment, 20 players are on the U.S. roster, and the four players "cut" this weekend will continue to practice with the team as alternates. However, only 16 players will fly to Japan.

Head coach Sue Stahl, also the head coach at Old Dominion, has said that she will rank the four alternates, and if there is an injury at any position she will pick the top person left.

As expected, the United States has dominated the four previous World Cups, winning three gold medals and a silver. The foreign competition will include Canada, Australia and teams from the British Isles, as well as Japan.

Usually, the tournament takes place in the summer so that collegiate players can try out, even though they rarely make the squad.

No undergraduates made the team this time, but many of the finalists are currently assistant coaches--Nelson at Vermont, and attacker Amory Rowe, who was an assistant at Harvard last season.