Notebook: M. Soccer's Trench Warfare

Too often in sports, the most important aspects of a game are overlooked in the box score.

Rarely has such a statement been more applicable than to yesterday's men's soccer match, in which sound tactics, hustle and shear will elevated Harvard to a 1-0 victory over the Boston College Eagles (5-3, 4-1 Big East).

Although the game was secured when captain Ryan Kelly seized an errant Boston College pass in the Eagle backfield and tucked it away just 1:06 into the second half, the game was truly won in the trenches over the course of ninety minutes.

"We executed our game plan, and we attacked together and defended together," said sophomore sweeper Mike Lobach. "We deserved to win this one."

The statistics depict a fairly even contest, as Boston College earned three corner kicks to Harvard's two, and both teams took 11 shots.

But the box score doesn't tell the whole story.

It doesn't show Lobach soaring over the Eagles' star striker Casey Schmidt to win control of the aerial game.

It doesn't recreate the acrobatic save junior goaltender Dan Mejias made in the 70th minute to preserve his third shutout of the season.

And it doesn't describe the sweet moves used by freshman midfielder Grayson Sugarman to repeatedly beat Boston College defender Kenny Adams.

In a match featuring 27 total fouls and two yellow cards for the Eagles, tactics and team hustle enabled the Crimson (4-2-1, 0-1 Ivy) to seize control of the match from the opening minutes.

Fully aware of the dangerous Eagle attack led by Schmidt, midfielder Chris Cleary, and striker Ramon Smith, the Crimson used a defense-by-committee approach to keep the Boston College offense quiet.

While Lobach assumed the primary duty of defending Schmidt--who has already notched game winners against Seton Hall and Providence--freshman right fullback Isaac Kim played a pivotal role in denying Schmidt any breathing room.

"We just had to know where he was at all times," said Kim, who has emerged as a solid fixture in the Crimson backfield. "Coach [John Kerr] reminded us at halftime not to let him slip between defenders."

Although Schmidt was able to fire one point-blank shot during the 70th minute off a feed from Cleary, Mejias made a game-saving stop from the ground to thwart the Eagles' best opportunity.

Aside from this brief flurry of activity in the Crimson box, Schmidt found himself unable to lift the Eagles on his shoulders as he had done in previous games.

"Give Lobach credit," Schmidt said. "He did an excellent job shutting us down."

The inability of the Boston College midfield to distribute the ball to the feet of its star player, coupled with the persistence of the Crimson defense in maintaining its marks, ultimately determined the outcome of the game.

But it wasn't just Lobach and Kim who deserve the credit.

There was freshman back Andrew Nechtem stepping up his game against rugged Eagles striker Ramon Smith, midfielders Joe Steffa and Ladd Fritz establishing a physical presence in the center of the field, and junior midfielder Nick Lenicheck creating opportunities from the left wing.

In the box score, Kelly is the goal-scorer, the savior, the hero.

And while Kelly's goal was decisive in the Crimson victory yesterday, the game was ultimately won in between the lines and in the trenches.

Facing an Eagle defense ranked tenth in the nation in goals against and an offense led by explosive Casey Schmidt, the Crimson displayed the ultimate brand of team-oriented soccer in dominating every aspect of play.

Experimenting with a 4-5-1 formation, the Crimson