Laxmen Hope Experience Generates Resurgence

As the Harvard men's lacrosse team enters tomorrow's game against Penn, it hopes to prove the old sports adage true: experienced teams win championships.

Two years ago a spectacular senior class led the Crimson to one of its most successful seasons ever. That team matched the most wins in school history with 12, earned a ranking of six in the nation, and reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. With a relatively young team last year, however, the Crimson narrowly missed making the Tournament.

Now, with 22 returning players, Harvard looks to once again join the national elite. Among the returning players are eight seniors, whom the Crimson will look to for the maturity and leadership necessary for a postseason run.

"Clearly the strength of this team is the seniors," Harvard Coach Scott Anderson said. "As a coach in any sport you would see that as a good sign. The experience, maturity and confidence that seniors have carries over into other players, and takes some of the pressure off of them."

Leading the Crimson attack is senior captain Mike Ferrucci. Last season Ferrucci, a Second Team All-Ivy selection, finished second on the team in scoring with 22 goals and 17 assists despite missing the final five games with shoulder and knee injuries. He played hurt most of the season.

Anderson will look to senior Jim Bevilacqua, who led the team in scoring last season with 23 goals and 19 assists, and sophomore Lawson DeVries--who played brilliantly as a freshman last season, netting nine goals and eight assists--to help up front.

Led by senior First Team All-Ivy selection Owen Leary, Harvard once again sports a stellar midfield.

Leary, who notched 24 goals and 14 assists, is joined by seniors Doug Crofton (22 goals, 10 assists), Lou Bevilacqua (15, 16) and Jared Chupaila (19, 7).

The graduation of All-Ivy goalie Rob Lyng `97 creates a battle to replace him between sophomores Art Chen and Keith Cynar.

Neither player, however, is very inexperienced.

The Crimson, however, does boast a solid defense, which will be looked upon to step up its play to protect the team's untested netminders.

The midfield is led by seniors Brad Oliphant and Phil Renton, who both bring leadership and experience to the position. Senior Rob Hatch, and sophomores Andy Campelli and Jeff Psaki--an Honorable Mention All-Ivy selection--round out the defense.