M. Soccer Hosts Veteran Cornell Booters

Youth meets experience.

Stingy defense clashes with prolific offense.

Confidence collides head-on with confidence.

These will only be some of the sub-plots tomorrow when Harvard (4-2-1, 0-1 Ivy) hosts Cornell (4-4, 1-1) at noon in an Ivy League men's soccer contest.

For an exuberant Crimson squad that has put together back-to-back victories over regional foes Northeastern and Boston College, this weekend's clash with league rival Cornell carries a heightened sense of importance.

"It's really important to get back on the right track in the Ivy, and Cornell is definitely a team we can beat," said freshman Spencer George.

Speaking more with unadulterated optimism than brash assuredness, George captures the spirit of this year's Crimson team. Featuring 15 freshmen and six sophomores, Harvard has effectively tapped its core of young players in surging to a No. 8 ranking in the latest New England regional poll.

Cornell has used a different formula to arrive at their No. 4 New York regional ranking. The Big Red roster features eight seniors, including all-time school assist leader Richard Stimpson.

Most often at the receiving end of Stimpson's deft passing is fellow senior Adam Skumawitz. Just four days after leading the Big Red with two goals in their Ivy League opener with Pennsylvania, Skumawitz added two more tallies in a 3-1 win at regional foe Colgate on Sept. 26.

Although the Big Red has dropped its last two contests--3-0 to Yale on September 26 and 3-2 to upstate New York rival Syracuse on Wednesday--it has continued to receive contributions from its seasoned veterans.

Senior back Nick Haigh, a native of Cambridge and graduate of local Belmont Hill School, headed in a pass from Stimpson in the first half, before assisting on Skumawitz' tally in the second half.

Although the Crimson relies much more heavily on its underclassmen, with the exception of captain Ryan Kelly, Harvard is not intimidated by Cornell's wealth of senior leadership.

"They will be more experienced than us, but most of the teams we play are," George said. "Our coaches encourage us to take chances, and our vitality could be an advantage."

After shutting out Boston College 1-0 this past Sunday, Harvard will look to duplicate the defensive tenacity that enabled it to silence vaunted Eagles' striker Casey Schmidt.

Cemented by sophomore sweeper Mike Lobach and junior goalkeeper Dan Mejias, the Crimson defense has become more parsimonious as the season has progressed.

Harvard has yet to surrender more than two goals in any one match and has already notched three shutouts. Meanwhile, Cornell has erupted for three or more goals on three separate occasions.

As contrasting as the two teams are in their approach to the game, both the Crimson and Big Red understand the importance of tomorrow's contest.

With the Ivy schedule just beginning to intensify, the league crown is anyone's for the taking.

"Because of some unexpected results, the league is wide open," George said.

Both Harvard and Cornell will look to close the door on each other tomorrow.

Harvard through youth and stingy defense.

Cornell through experience and prolific offense.

Both teams with utter confidence.