Fall Sports Season Kicks Off

As students begin to move into their Houses this weekend, several Harvard athletes--most of whom have been in Cambridge for weeks--will help welcome students back to campus by ringing in the new fall sports season.

Six different Harvard sports teams begin their seasons this weekend, although the defending-Ivy champion football team will not see action until next Saturday, Sep. 19 at Columbia. Still, there will be plenty of action for Harvard sports fans this weekend.

Women's Soccer

The Harvard women's soccer team has the honor of inaugurating the fall season alone. The Crimson will be the lone team in action today as it battles New Hampshire on Ohiri Field at 3 p.m.

Harvard, the defending Ivy League champion, looks to pick up right where it left off last year when the Crimson reached the final eight in the NCAA Tournament, falling to eventual national champion North Carolina.

Coach Tim Wheaton should be all smiles on the sidelines with the return of All-American and co-captain Emily Stauffer to the midfield. Senior forward Naomi Miller, the 1997 Ivy League Player of the Year, and co-captain Devon Bingham will join Stauffer on the Ivy League's most formidable offense.

The Crimson will wrap up the weekend action with another home match versus Penn State on Sunday at noon.

Men's Soccer

The Harvard men's soccer team will see its first action of the year on Sunday afternoon at Ohiri Field. The Crimson will battle Stanford at 2:30 p.m. and hopes to exact revenge on the Cardinal squad that drubbed Harvard, 3-0, last year in Palo Alto.

Harvard's most difficult task will be replacing its only two All-Ivy first teamers, Ricky Le '98 and Ivy Player of the Year Tom McLaughlin '98. With 12 newcomers and only 10 returning letter-winners from a year ago, that will be no easy task.

However, the Crimson does return eight starters from its 1997 team, including captain Andrew Lundquist and senior goalkeeper Jordan Dupuis. Juniors Will Hench and Ryan Keeton will provide experience in the midfield while senior sweeper and two-time All Ivy second teamer Lee Williams will anchor the Crimson's defense in front of Dupuis.

"Obviously, we have a ton of question marks from the outset," said coach Steve Locker. "But we also have a good number of long-term starters and experienced senior leaders."

"It will certainly be tough to replace Ricky and Tommy because they were two of the best players to come through our program in recent years. But at the same time, we could very well have more depth this fall, and that is extremely important," he said.

Men's Water Polo

The Harvard men's water polo team opens its 1998 season this weekend looking to erase the disappointment of its 12-15 1997 campaign.

Led by new coach Jim Floerchinger and captain Mike Zimmerman, the Crimson looks to begin its turn-around tomorrow afternoon, as it faces B.C. and Fordham in the MIT-League tournament. Harvard then comes home to take on UMass tomorrow night.

Zimmerman, a 1996 Honorable Mention All-American, is coming off of a frustrating season in which he missed four weeks with torn ligaments in his thumb. Now healthy, Zimmerman will look to return to the form that has made him one of the best 2-meter men in the region.

Also, having thus far enjoyed a strong pre-season with no major injuries, Harvard is confident that the season will be a success.

"We worked very hard last year," senior Chris Tilghman said, "but things just didn't come together. This year we have a new coach, great freshmen and so far we are injury-free. We have also had an excellent pre-season, so we are optimistic."

Women's Volleyball

The Harvard women's volleyball team begins its 1998 season tomorrow on the heels of the best season since the program's inception in 1981.

The 1997 squad, led by coach Jennifer Weiss, recorded a school-record 25-9 record, including a perfect 7-0 Ivy League mark.

And having graduated only two players from last year's team, the Crimson will look to win the Ivy League title and earn its first-ever NCAA tournament berth.

Harvard begins its quest tomorrow afternoon at home against Central Connecticut, Holy Cross and B.C.

Leading the Crimson in its pursuit are co-captains Kate Nash and Melissa Forcum. Both four-year starters will be looked upon to lead the Harvard attack.

With a wealth of experience and talent the Crimson feels confident in its chances in 1998.

"We have experienced all avenues going into the Ivy League tournament and have only grown and matured from these experiences," Weiss said. "We have learned a lot about dedication, discipline and perseverance, and as we move into the [1998] season we open the door for another opportunity to win the title and go onto the NCAA tournament."

Field Hockey

A veteran field hockey squad which returns nine of 11 starters will open the 1998 campaign by hosting New England rivals Rhode Island and Vermont this weekend.

The Crimson looks to rebound from a 7-10 record a year ago, building on a season which featured victories over ranked opponents Providence and B.C., wins which should give cause for optimism.

"We will be a very well-balanced team that has great athletic ability," Harvard Coach Sue Caples said. "It will be fun and exciting to watch this team compete."

Harvard's midfield will lead the effort, under the direction of senior captain Judy Collins, a first-team all-Ivy selection last year. Co-captain Tara LaSovage moves from back to join Collins in the midfield.

Junior goalie Anya Cowan, who ranked 15th nationally in goals-against and 14th in save percentage, shores up the Harvard net, and will look to improve on her already impressive Second-Team all-Ivy honors.

The Crimson meets URI at 12 p.m. tomorrow and Vermont at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

Cross Country

The Harvard men's and women's cross country teams will begin their seasons tomorrow afternoon in the Fordham Invitational at Van Cortland Park in the Bronx, N.Y. Both squads are looking to rebound from disappointing finishes at last year's Heptagonal Championships.

Both teams, though, return their top runners. Captain Sott Muoio should pace the men while captain Margaret Schotte hopes to continue a fabulous career that included an 11th-place finish at Heps last season.