W. Soccer Faces Crosstown Foe

The women's soccer team (2-2, 1-0 Ivy League) is a driven, deeply talented squad that firmly believes it will make a mark on the national scene as it did a year ago, advancing to the round of eight in the NCAA tournament.

"The expectations for this year are high," junior forward Beth Zotter said. "We expected to start off where we left off last season."

But heading into its fifth contest of the year today against Boston College (B.C.) (4-2-1, 2-1-1 Big East), the Crimson has yet to show the fire it displayed in last year's campaign.

"It's disappointing," senior forward Naomi Miller said. "We have more potential than we're showing [right now]."

If Harvard would like a soft opponent to get on track, it is unlikely that B.C. will roll over and play the role of the Washington Generals for the Globetrotters. The Eagles have won their last three games and have shut out the opposition in three of their last four contests.

B.C. boasts freshman forward Morgan Page, who has netted a goal per game in the Eagles' first seven. B.C. sees Harvard on its schedule annually, so it is unlikely to be intimidated by Harvard's big-time credentials.

"We've had trouble with B.C. in the past," senior forward Devon Bingham said. "It will be a battle."

The Crimson seems to be playing quite well. Despite the deceptive 1-0 score, it dominated Columbia over the weekend, and was in the thick of games with two nationally-ranked squads, Hartford and Columbia, last week.

Energy and confidence are as abundant as talent on this roster.

"We played well against Penn State, and we played excellently against Hartford," said Bingham. "We'd like to see a better record, but we've played a much tougher schedule this season, which, in the end, is good for us."

However, regardless of whatever else happens on the soccer field, a team must score to win. Over the past ten days, Harvard has played 285 minutes of soccer with only three goals.

Despite the tough opposition, when you add standout All-American senior Emily Stauffer to a team that last year made it to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament, every game is winnable.

"It's a matter of calming down and playing as we can play," said senior back Ashley Marynick. "Anyone on this team can shoot from 18 feet--we're just not doing it."

"There has been a lack of team unity out there," Zotter said. "We haven't really gelled as a team yet, but that takes time."

Heading into B.C., Harvard will look to focus its efforts and gear up for the continuation of the Ivy schedule against Yale this weekend.

"We're looking to use this as a turning point--to get the team together as a unit," Miller said. "Coach [Tim Wheaton] told us we have lots of enthusiasm, but we're using it in the wrong areas."

The right area against the Eagles seems to be ball movement. Harvard will look to counter B.C.'s north-south aerial attack with solid and patient ball movement that will allow Harvard's superior skill players, like midfielder Stauffer, to dominate play.

"We want to spread the field and move the ball on the ground to take away their [pressing. upfield game]."