Odd Couple's Last Episode A Huge Hit

One is a highly-pedigreed top recruit. The other, like Sam Bowie and Steve Lyons, is rarely mentioned without a qualifier. Together, senior soccer players Joe Steffa and Charlie Morrow are The Crimson’s co-Athletes of the Week.

Steffa’s résumé features U-17 and U-19 USYSA National Championships. Morrow is not “the man Portland picked ahead of Michael Jordan” or “the ballplayer who dropped his pants at first base” but rather “the guy who worked his way up from the JV squad.”

In their final collegiate game, Steffa and Morrow each created a goal for the other, spurring a short-staffed Crimson team left for dead to a 2-1 victory over No. 16 Penn on Saturday.

Harvard entered the game lacking any realistic hope of advancing to the postseason. Still, Steffa and Morrow motivated themselves to one last stellar outing.

“I knew it was going to be probably my last game,” said Steffa, a Holland, Pa., native who was heavily recruited by Penn. “I would have done anything to win.”

Morrow found his own motivation—preventing Penn from winning an outright Ivy championship after Brown denied the Crimson the title in the 2001 season finale.

“Last year, we came in with everything to win and we let it go,” he said. “This year, we had a chance to beat the best.”

But the Crimson were without injured senior Mike Lobach, a two-time All-Ivy defender, and things got even bleaker when the referee awarded the Quakers a questionable penalty kick in the 18th minute. Harvard coach John Kerr and assistant Anthony Latronica were both red-carded for protesting the call, and Penn converted the kick to put the Crimson in an early 1-0 hole.

But Morrow and Steffa brought the Crimson back in the 58th minute. Morrow drew a free kick, which Steffa took, driving it into the box. There Morrow rose above the pack and nodded the ball into the net for his third goal of the year.

“All I could see was Charlie get up about six inches above everybody on the field,” Steffa said. “It was wonderful to see. Charlie’s probably one of the most inspirational stories I will ever see in my life in any sport.”

But Morrow shook off the praise.

“All I ever wanted to do was to contribute, to get some key goals,” he said.

Only 11 minutes later, he contributed some more, taking a through ball and flicking it over the sliding Quaker keeper. Morrow was dragged down from behind before he could finish the goal, earning Harvard a penalty kick of its own.

Steffa, unfazed by the moment’s emotion, strode to the spot and finished his second game-winner of the year.

“I love pressure situations,” Steffa said. “I would step up a hundred times to take [penalty kicks].”

Unfortunately for the Crimson, their seniors have stepped up for the last time. Harvard was not selected for the NCAA tournament yesterday, meaning the uniquely talented Steffa—a hard-nosed defensive midfielder who admirably filled Lobach’s role as a central defender at times this year—has played his last game.

“Joe Steffa is a fantastic personality,” Kerr said. “He’s very vocal, he’s a leader, he’s not afraid. He makes an impact in every game.”

Junior Ladd Fritz was more succinct.

“Joe likes to keep everybody in line,” he said.

Morrow, having made himself a valuable contributor at the varsity level, completes a collegiate career he began as a prolific scorer on the junior varsity squad.

“You can count on Charlie to bring some energy to the field and really give us a spark,” Kerr said.

Luckily for Harvard, the unlikely duo’s careers converged for one final afternoon in Philadelphia, allowing them to end their careers on a relative high note.

“I think it’s time to finally hang ’em up,” Steffa said. “I never thought I’d see the end of soccer, but it’s the best way I can go. I’ll always be able to look back and remember fondly the last time I put on a Harvard uniform.”