M. Soccer Overcomes Driving Rain, Huskies

The Harvard men's soccer team overcame a driving, bone-chilling rain in a hard-fought 2-1 win over cross-town rival Northeastern yesterday at Ohiri Field.

The weather looked to be the dominant story of the day before the Crimson offense, spurred by the playmaking of captain Ryan Kelly, erupted early in the second half. The win marked a successful start to a five-game homestand for the Crimson (3-2-1, 0-1 Ivy).

The first half ended scoreless, with both offenses sputtering. Harvard controlled the ball for much of that half, but failed to convert on either of its two excellent scoring opportunities.

The first opportunity came in the 14th minute of the contest, when sophomore back Michael Cornish unleashed a fiercesome shot which hit Northeastern goalie Allan Lewis square in the chest.

Another scoring chance came with three minutes remaining in the half when Kelly directed a header just slightly above the reach of Lewis but over the crossbar.

Even though he felt that his team dominated the first frame, Harvard coach John Kerr instituted a change to spark the offense.

"If we scored early in the second half, we might score a few more," Kerr said.

At the start of the second half, the Crimson exhibited a more wide-open offense and a more aggressive midfield, with a central defender often moving forward with the attack.

Kerr's strategy paid immediate dividends when freshman forward Spencer George controlled the ball just outside the Northeastern box and lobbed a high cross to Ryan Kelly.

Kelly knocked in any easy header to give the Crimson the lead in the 47th minute.

If Northeastern was demoralized by the Harvard score, it hid its disappointment well.

Both teams continued to apply back and forth pressure until the 61st minute of the match when Northeastern's Blair Carroll took a lead pass from Anders Hoyem and buried it behind junior goalie Dan Mejias.

Each team continued to play the longball for the next ten minutes, resulting in strong scoring chances for both sides.

In the 74th minute, Kelly again found himself in the middle of a prime scoring opportunity.

Making a run on goal from the right side, Kelly drew a defender and found freshman Kevin Ara at the corner of the penalty area.

Ara took a touch inside the box and directed the ball past Lewis for the game-winner.

The Crimson offense, which was particularly strong in the second half, recorded 24 shots on goal.

Harvard's defense was able to limit the Huskies to a mere 11 shots, only five of which found the frame.

With Kelly sparking the offense, Mejias was one of the game's overlooked stars, stopping four of five shots sent his way, including a flurry in the 54th minute.

After a Huskies forward gained a step on his defender ten yards from the box, Mejias charged off his line and tackled the ball away, stalling Northeastern's drive to the net.

Before Mejias had any time to recover, the ball wound up at Hoyem's feet. Hoyem settled the ball and launched a point blank shot towards the Harvard goal from the edge of the box. Mejias sprang up from his slide and leapt, knocking down the hard shot and then gathering it in.

On the other side of the midline, Kelly was equally impressive for the Crimson. He tallied a goal and an assist, and was, as usual, the team's focal point.

"He raises our game with his intensity. I wish some of his intensity would rub off some more on the other guys on the field," Kerr said.

The win pulls the Crimson over .500 and begins a five-game homestand on the right foot. Despite this, Kerr will be demanding more of the team.

"I'm not overly content with this win," Kerr said. "We can play better and we'll have to play better to win in the Ivy League."

The Crimson's homestand, including two games against Ivy League opponents, will make or break the season. The team hosts Cornell and a strong Yale team in the first two weeks of October.

The Crimson next hosts Boston College on Sunday at 1 p.m.