W. Booters Look to Defy History

Harvard's women's soccer team is looking to defy the dictates of history when it travels to the University of Massachusetts to play the Minutemen this afternoon.

The Crimson (2-2 overall, 1-0 Ivy) has only mustered four wins in 15 tries against UMass in the series history.

But, if it is any consolation to Harvard fans, the Crimson ended a six-game losing streak to Massachusetts last season with a 1-0 win, and is coming into this game with a bit of momentum, following its 2-0 victory over Ivy rival Columbia Sunday.

"We really don't know too much about UMass," Goalkeeper Brooke Donahoe said. "All we really know is that they are always pretty good...We were fortunate to beat them [last year]."

Donahoe has been a standout player for the Crimson so far. She made a school record 23 saves in the loss to Stanford, breaking the record held by 1987 Ivy Player-of-the-Year Tracee Whitley, who recorded 18 saves against Boston College in 1985. Donahoe made the Ivy honor roll last week for her performance.

"Right now we're just taking every game as it comes a long," Donahoe. "We've been playing about every other day, and we're getting better with each game. Things are starting to click."

"Clicking" on offense are sophomore Libby Eynon and freshman Katie DeLellis.

Eynon scored the first goal of the game in the win over Columbia at 33:38, while DeLellis scored the second 50 minutes later.

Currently, Harvard is tied for second in the league in conference games with Yale and Dartmouth. Cornell is at the top of the standings with a 2-0 record.

The Crimson is third in the league in overall record behind Cornell (4-0) and Yale (3-0).

Cornell forward Jennifer Tidsbury was named the player of the week in the league this week as she leads the Ivies in league scoring with three goals and is second in overall scoring with five. In three of Cornell's four wins this season, she has scored the game-winning goal.