W. Soccer To Face Terriers

Having proven its national prowess with six consecutive wins against teams as far away as California and North Carolina, the Harvard women's soccer team will attempt to assert local dominance when it hosts upstart Boston University tomorrow at Ohiri Field.

Unbeaten in the month of October, the Crimson (7-2,2-1 Ivy) has climbed to No. 19 in the latest national poll after falling from the rankings with a mediocre 3-2 record during the month of September.

B.U. (9-5, 5-0 America East) rolls into Cambridge looking to exact some revenge on the Ivy League. The Terriers' 1-0 loss to Princeton on Sunday halted its school record winning streak at seven.

Although Harvard has smothered opposing offenses, allowing just three goals in its past five wins, it will face a stern test in an attack-oriented B.U. squad that features 1999 America East Player of the Year Deidre Enos.

A year ago, Enos recorded 16 goals and 37 points, both single-season records at B.U. This year she leads the Terriers with 10 goals, and in a win over Fairfield on Oct. 4, she moved over the 100 career-point mark.

Harvard, however, does not plan to make any major alterations in order to quiet Enos.

"Coach Wheaton mentioned [Enos] today in practice, but we won't change our game plan to stop her," said sophomore forward Joey Yenne.

Rather, Harvard will stick to the same formula that it has used all season--consistent defense and a multi-faceted offensive attack.

Anchoring the defense is sophomore goalkeeper Cheryl Gunther. After battling early season injury, she has returned to the form that earned her the 1999 Ivy League Rookie of the Year.

Senior defender Brooke McCarthy has also been instrumental in the Crimson's success. At the Harvard Invitational in early October, her tenacious play earned her the MVP award.

Joey Yenne has emerged as the most dangerous offensive threat, notching all three goals in a 3-1 victory over Yale last Saturday. What makes the Crimson so dangerous, however, is that goals can come from all directions--in a 7-0 win over Davidson on Oct. 9, seven different Harvard players found the back of the net.

As both teams prepare for the match, however, there is more than just local bragging rights on the line.

For B.U., a win over Harvard would be a major step towards securing an NCAA bid, as the Crimson is currently ranked No. 2 in the Northeast. Because Hartford is the favorite to win the America East and the conference's automatic bid, the Terriers must beat the Crimson to gain respect in the region and have a chance at an at-large bid.

For Harvard, a win translates into much-needed momentum for this weekend's trip to Princeton and Penn State. The match with Princeton could ultimately determine this year's Ivy League champion, while Sunday's match with No. 6 Penn State will have major national implications.

But for now, the Crimson knows the importance of focusing on the task at hand.

"We're totally focused on B.U.," said McCarthy. "They're a strong team and we're not looking past them at all."