News

Cambridge Residents Slam Council Proposal to Delay Bike Lane Construction

News

‘Gender-Affirming Slay Fest’: Harvard College QSA Hosts Annual Queer Prom

News

‘Not Being Nerds’: Harvard Students Dance to Tinashe at Yardfest

News

Wrongful Death Trial Against CAMHS Employee Over 2015 Student Suicide To Begin Tuesday

News

Cornel West, Harvard Affiliates Call for University to Divest from ‘Israeli Apartheid’ at Rally

Soccer Team Dashes Dartmouth, 2-1; Ford's Booters Face Williams Today

By William E. Stedman jr.

For the Harvard soccer team, Saturday's contest at Dartmouth was a veritable offensive explosion. The Crimson, who did not score more than a single goal in five previous games this season, exploded for two against the Big Green last weekend to earn a crucial 2-1 Ivy League victory in Hanover, N.H.

With Brown taking the weekend off to bombard non-league competition, Harvard moves into a tie with the Bruins for first place in the League with 3-0 Ivy records. The Crimson, 4-1-1 overall, takes on Williams today.

Sophomore Lyman Bullard, playing inside right on the forward line, provided the winning margin as he drove in both Crimson goals in the second half on nearly identical plays, to rally Harvard from a 1-0 defeat.

But while Bullard was going Harvard its first multi-goal game of the young season, it was the conditioning and defensive play that held the tenacious Green at bay in the second half. The goalkeeping of Ben Bryan especially was frustrating to Dartmouth.

"Bryan was the difference," Dartmouth's first year coach Tom Griffith said yesterday. "He came up with some very big saves. I thought he played exceptionally well."

The senior goalkeeper saved 13 of the 27 Dartmouth shots on the goal, eight of which occurred in the first half. The only Green blast to get past Bryan came after just 3:23 had elapsed in the game. Steve Alfred took the pass from one of the Ivy League's premier assisters, Bruce Bokor (six assists in three Ivy contests), for the lone Dartmouth tally. Bokor now holds both the Dartmouth season and career (11 so far) assist records.

The Big Green took that lead with it at halftime, but Harvard's conditioning paid off in the second half. While Dartmouth tired, the Crimson kept running and came up with a pair of goals on 12 shots. Mark Porto was forced to make his only two saves of the game as well in the second half, as the Crimson's accuracy was somewhat off in the game.

'Super Pass'

Bullard beat Porto twice after cutting in behind the Green fullbacks and converting perfect passes from teammates Leroy Thompson and Mark Zimering. The first goal came at 10:33 of the second half. Ralph Booth started the play by passing the ball up to Thompson.

"Leroy just pushed it in between two of the fullbacks," Bullard said yesterday, "It was a really super pass." The assist gave Thompson his first point with the Crimson.

Bullard cut in behind the fullbacks, took the pass and put the ball in the outside right corner.

The second goal at 23:27 resulted from a similar play, but this time it was Zimering that passed the ball through the defense from about 30 yards out. Bullard placed the game winner in the lower left corner.

Ford's squad will have to continue its hustle this afternoon at 2:20 when the William's team journeys in from the scenic Berkshires for an important regional contest on the Business School Field.

Williams (4-1-1) is rated as the number six school in New England as of last week's poll, with Harvard right behind in the number seven slot. A Crimson victory today will surely vault Harvard ahead of the Ephmen and could move the squad as high as fifth depending on the outcome of other New England contests.

A jump in the polls will also help Harvard's bid for a berth in the NCAA post season tournament. The top four University Division teams in the N.E. poll have already been selected, and right now these are UConn, Brown, UMass and Harvard. Williams, Springfield and Keene State, which are rated ahead of Harvard, are College Division clubs and selected for a separate tourney.

Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter.

Tags