Booters Heading South For NCAA Final Four

The Harvard men's soccer team is heading South this weekend for its second straight NCAA Final Four appearance.

This year's semifinals and championship game will be held at Riggs Field in Clemson, S.C. The Crimson (14-0-3) will face San Diego St. (19-5-0) in the semis Saturday at 1 p.m., with host Clemson (16-5-2) meeting North Carolina (20-4-0) at 3 p.m. Winners advance to Sunday's 1 p.m. final.

The Crimson is looking to win its first semifinal contest in four trips to the Final Four. Last season, Harvard fell to eventual champion Duke, 3-1, in the semis in Durham, N.C.

Number four in the nation at the start of the tournament, Harvard is the top-ranked team remaining in play and the only undefeated squad in the nation.

Under a new policy instituted by the NCAA Tournament Committee, all Final Four contests will be held at one college site. Clemson was selected to host this weekend on the basis of crowd capacity, weather conditions and quality of facilities.

"It may be the nicest soccer facility in the country," Harvard Coach Mike Getman said. "If the weather conditions are good, it should be an excellent tournament."

Riggs Field is a brand new stadium, built last summer and capable of accommodating up to 10,000 spectators. Clemson--like Harvard and most Division I schools--has the maximum size college soccer field (120 yards x 75 yards). And, like Harvard's Ohiri Field, the playing surface is grass.

North Carolina's Fetzer Field, the other top alternative for a Final Four site, runs only 66 yards wide. With Harvard's tendency to play wide in the midfield and capitalize on its wings, the Clemson selection is an advantage for the Crimson.

"[North Carolina] would have been a bit of a problem for us," Getman said. "We're a much better team on a bigger field."