Booters Shoot for Brown in Ivy Opener

Harvard Coach Bob Scalise calls it the key game of the Ivy season.

But considering that the Ivy season has hardly begun. It's slightly difficult to understand what's so key about tomorrow's women's soccer showdown it between Harvard and Brown.

That is, however, until you consider that the two league favorites come into the 11 a.m. showdown on Oniri Field undefeated and unscored upon.

It gets tad easier to understand once you also consider that less than year ago Brown defeated Harvard. 5.3 to take its second straight Ivy League championship.

And when you consider that the game will showcase the league's two players and two top goaltenders. It almost an understatement to say that the game could go a long way in determining who takes the 1984 league laurels.

A year ago, the Bruins took the league laurels by virtue of their 5-3 triumph over Harvard in Providence. Brown's Ivy League Rookie-of-the-Year Lynn Marinello scored four goals in the title deciding game.

Saturday will be Harvard's first chance for revenge. The Crimson enters the game sporting a 3-0-1 record and ranked 13th in the nation. And probably more spectacular, freshman goalie Tracee Whitley enters without having allowed a goal against in her four collegiate games.

Yet, the Crimson is not alone in its seller play. Brown has ripped through its first four opponents by a combined score at 13-0, and defeated highly touted UMass just two days ago.

The Bruins' answer to Whitley is Kathy Kostic, who like her Harvard counterpart has been perfect in her 360 minutes in goal this year.

But it could be the stars on the field mat turn Saturday's match-up into a classic. Brown will showcase not only Kostic but also high-scoring foreward Lynn Marinello.

In four games, the Bruin sophomore has already netted six goals, so it's little wonder Scalise says the key for Harvard will be to contain Marinello.

Meanwhile, Harvard will counter with Whitley and former All-American Kelly Landry, who had three goals in last year's loss.

What could make tomorrow's game even more interesting is that Landry enters the showdown just two points shy of equaling the all-time Harvard scoring record. Either one goal or two assists would the Landry with all-time leader Sue St. Louis. (See inset)

The matchup of the talented Bruin goalie and the talented Harvard forward could be the highlight of the game, and Kostic says she's excited about the prospect.

"The games we're played haven't been tough." Kostic says. "I'm looking forward to being tested by stronger teams in the future."

In Harvard, which two days ago socked the University of New Hampshire, 5-0, Kostic will get her wish.

While Brown will have to worry about Landry on offense-Scalise says he expects the Bruins to double team his offensive star just like every other team has done this year--it will also have to contend with Whitley.

The Harvard record for shutouts in a season was set in 1979 when Wendy Carle and Barb Mahon teamed up for eight, but even they were unable to string together more than two in a row. Whitley, a member of the under-19 girls national team, has hardly broken a sweat in her four straight shutouts.

So all that's left for the coaches to do is to send the teams onto the field. A terse Brown Coach Phil Pincince, would only say that "It should be a very good game."

Scalise, whose squad some consider a slight underdog to the two-time defending Ivy champs, is a little more confident. "We have a tradition of rising to the occasion when we're underdogs," he says.

Now they'll also have to do it in a very key game.