M. Soccer Blanks Holy Cross, 2-0

The Harvard men's soccer team remained in contention for an NCAA tournament berth yesterday. But the score shouldn't have been so close.

Harvard (7-3-1, 1-1 Ivy) posted a 2-0 win at Holy Cross (6-7, 2-2-0 Patriot) yesterday in a game in which the Crimson relented in the second half and only managed to find the back of the net twice against an inferior Crusader squad.

Senior midfielder Wells Mangrum scored the first goal at 26:58 of the first half, but the Crimson didn't add any insurance until freshman forward Grayson Sugarman continued his hot play by striking in the 75th minute.

While Harvard had a little difficulty navigating the physical Holy Cross defense, the Crusaders never really posed an offensive threat and the goaltender tandem of junior Dan Mejias and freshman backup Russell Mosier posted a clean sheet.

"We haven't had a shutout in a while" said Mejias, who credited the consistency of his defense that forced him to make only four saves. Mosier didn't have to make any.

The Crimson's first goal of the game came off of a corner kick. There was a scramble for the ball after it was crossed in front of the net. The ball bounced off a head and came loose in the box, where Mangrum was waiting to give Harvard a 1-0 lead.

Both offenses would be silent for nearly 50 minutes of play before Harvard again found the back of the net.

In the 75th minute, Sugarman pressured a Crusader defender deep in the Holy Cross zone and stripped the ball. From there, it was a simple task to deposit the ball behind Crusader goalie Kevin Baker for the game's final score.

Sugarman was the Ivy League Rookie of the Week for notching a goal and an assist last week.

Crimson captain Ryan Kelly was pleased with his team's efforts against Holy Cross.

"They were a tough team, they had a couple of big defenders and they played a physical game," Kelly said.

The victory over Holy Cross kept the Crimson's chances of securing a spot in the NCAA Tournament alive. Harvard, though, most likely would only receive a bid by winning the Ivy League. It hopes it can build momentum off this win and a 2-0 victory last Saturday over Yale to run the table.

"We're looking to get into the NCAA tournament," said Mangrum.

Kelly and Mejias agreed with their teammate's assessment, saying, "That's been our goal the whole season, making the tournament."

Harvard will face Princeton this Saturday in a must-win game for its Ivy championship dreams.

Coach Kerr, while somewhat pleased with his team's efforts against Holy Cross, told his team after the game that its effort yesterday would not have been good enough to beat the Tigers on Saturday, according to Mangrum.

"Princeton's record doesn't show how dangerous they are," Kelly said. "It'll be intense playing under the lights, and they have some great fans," Kelly said. "We'll have to match their intensity."