Upset of W. Soccer Vaults Brown Into Top 25

On the heals of its first victory over Harvard since the 1993 season, the upstart Brown Bears have landed the No. 25 spot in this week's national poll released by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

Goals by Bekah Splaine and Kim Lanzire, combined with the strong second-half goalkeeping of Ivy League Rookie of the Week Sarah Gervais , lifted Brown (6-0, 1-0 Ivy) to a 2-0 blanking of then-No. 16 Harvard last Saturday.

Brown, which plays both Holy Cross and Loyola (Illinois) this week, will look to maintain the focus and balance it has already displayed. In outscoring their opponents 11-1 through six games, the undefeated Bears have received scoring from seven different players.

Meanwhile, Harvard (2-2, 1-1) will try to recover with a strong showing on the west coast this weekend against Loyola Marymount and San Diego State. Despite outshooting Brown 20-12 in Providence, the Crimson was unable to find the back of the net.

The loss also knocked Harvard out of the Top 25.

The Crimson is a game behind Princeton (5-1, 2-0) in the Ivy League standings. Before suffering a 1-0 setback to Rutgers on Tuesday night, the Tigers began the season with five consecutive shutouts, including blankings of league opponents Yale (5-3-1, 0-1) and Dartmouth (3-2, 0-1). Amee Reyes' goal nine minutes into the second half last Saturday was all the Tigers needed to knock off the Big Green in New Jersey, a feat Princeton has only accomplished twice in the past decade.

Tiger goalkeeper Jordan Rettig earned Ivy League Player of the Week honors by recording shutouts over both Lehigh and Dartmouth last week. With five shutouts to her credit, the senior netminder is ranked in the top five in goals against average in the nation.

Yale also boasts some statistical leaders of its own, thanks to Chandra King's hat trick in a 4-0 win over Army. With five goals and four assists for a total of 14 points, King only trails teammate Katherine Sims (7 goals, 1 assist) among Ivy League points leaders.

Heading into this week's contests against Central Connecticut and Cornell, the Bulldogs hope to maintain their scoring clip while improving upon a league-worst defense that has allowed 1.88 goals per game.

Perhaps if Yale had the services of Dartmouth goalkeeper Kristen Luckenbill, their problems would be solved. The senior recorded her 28th career shutout this past week in a 3-0 triumph over Boston University.

The Big Green looks to notch its first league victory when it plays host to Pennsylvania (4-2, 1-1) this Saturday. Although the Quakers suffered an early loss to Harvard, they are poised to improve upon the success of last season's NCAA berth and step further into the national spotlight this year.

The Columbia Lions (2-3-2, 0-1-0) are winless in league play, but have been unbeaten over the past three non-league games.

After blanking local rival Fordham 4-0, the Lions held their own in the nation's capital by earning draws with both Georgetown and American University. Lions midfielder Meredith Corkley has emerged as a consistent playmaker and scorer, notching goals in both ties.

Cornell (1-5,1-1) finds itself in a similar position with Columbia this season. With the exception of a 2-1 victory over the Lions on Sept. 16, the Big Red has been unable to find the back of the net on a consistent basis.

Perhaps the most positive aspect that the Big Red can take from its early season struggles has been its ability to hang on with some of the best teams in the nation. Although unable to score against No. 6 Penn State in a 3-0 at the hands of the Nittany Lions earlier this season, the Big Red tamed the Lions' ferocious offense to a respectable three-goal afternoon.