Athlete of the Week: Ladd Fritz '04

His goal was the calm before the storm.

In a game that would be marked by harsh play and even harsher verbal exchanges, junior midfielder Ladd Fritz made his point sweetly and swiftly early in the first half.

Only five minutes into play, Fritz took a pass from senior Michael Cornish and turned it into what would be the winning goal in men’s soccer’s 2-0 victory over Yale Saturday. Calmly dribbling to the center of the box, Fritz slammed the ball into the back of the net and provided all the scoring Harvard would need.

With an injury to leading scorer and fellow junior Kevin Ara and the game rapidly descending into disorder, the team needed Fritz to direct the Crimson’s offensive attack. He did not disappoint.

Other than Fritz’s goal, play was overshadowed by a spitting incident and a multi-player brawl in the Harvard net. Not even the Crimson’s other goal was exempt from the chaos, as it was scored from a deflection off a Yale defender.

The lone clean moment was Fritz’s eighth goal of the season, the second highest total on the team. He also shares the team lead in shot percentage with 33 percent.

A player who prides himself on intensity, Fritz’s play has not lessened from last year’s performance level, which earned him First Team All-Ivy honors. A consistent, motivated team member, he also contributed an assist in last week’s 2-2 tie against Cornell.

Fritz’s accurate shooting and aggressive offensive presence are substantial reasons why the Crimson remains one of the two undefeated Ivy League teams. Harvard has risen from eighth to fourth in the NSCAA New England regional rankings following wins over then fourth-ranked Yale and third-ranked Holy Cross.

The Crimson will be relying on Fritz to continue his assertive play as it finishes out the Ivy schedule. Penn, the only other undefeated team, will close out the season on Nov. 16.