Lining Them Up

Quietly and with teamwork the Harvard soccer team has been winning games this fall. The harriers, without victory this autumn, are washed up for the year; the football family can still salvage its fortunes with a win over Yale; but the booters, after eight games against the best teams of the East, are assured of a .500 record no matter what happens in their last three contests.

The Crimson is favored against Brown, M. I. T., and Yale, and, should it sweep them, will take a second in both the Ivy and New England Leagues.

In its opening game against Springfield, national champs for the last we years, the soccer team lost 1 to 0, but in its next game tied Cornell, the team most likely to take the Ivy League, 3 all. Then came four straight shutout wins over Amherst by three goals, Army by three goals, Tufts by five goals, and Dartmouth by four goals.

A week ago against a strong Navy eleven, the Crimson did not look good in losing 2 to 0, but last Saturday at Princeton the team recovered its passing game and topped the Tigers, 3 to 1, while hampered by dysentery.

Munro New Coach

Although J. Bruce Munro, the soccer coach, was appointed to his job only in September of this year, the team has not suffered from readjustment troubles. A former All-American player of the speak-softly school, Munro has had fine personnel relations and performed the intricate task of keeping some 40 players out for a sport without a Jayvee schedule.

Munro inherited eleven letter-winners from his predecessor, wee Scot James MacDonald, and has used, with a few modifications, the short pass, English style of play that MacDonald taught. But according to the small coterie of old-time Boston soccer enthusiasts who are the only regular rooters for the team, the Crimson has improved considerably over the past two years. Under Munro, it plays a more coordinated control game than last year, when it won seven and lost two.

Every afternoon at the Business School Field the players are constantly prodded with Munro's shouts of, "Control the ball. Look where you're passing. Keep it on the ground." Unfortunately a control game is not the typical American style of play, for most U. S. teams emphasize contact and long downfield boots.

Fears "Football Tactics"

Before every game Munro's main worry is that his team won't "play its one game," but will drift into football tactics. "If we play soccer we can," he says, "we shouldn't have much trouble with most College teams."

For its first-string personnel the booters have an experienced group. Captain Phil Potter, the left inside, is probably the key man on the attack, a good shot, and the best passer on the team. Two years ago Potter was the squad's high scorer. Hans Estin, the center forward, is the high scorer this year and was a letter winner last year. Charlie Weiss, the right inside, is a sophomore and one of the best dribblers on the squad.

Munro has two fast wings this year in Bill Dawson, playing his fourth year on the Varsity, and Jon Spivak, a Varsity sprinter last spring. Roy Heisler, Bill Gilbert, Dick Wallace, and Franny Chen are the principal substitutes for the forward line.

Halfbacks Vary

On his halfback line, which Munro calls the most important position in his system, the starters vary. Don Louria, playing his fourth year, is well established at center-halfback and is the man who runs the defense and sets up the attack. But at the winghalfs the situation is fluid. Gus Seamons, Harvey Mudd, Disk Miller, Bob Carswell, and Dick Saul all see action.

At the fullback positions Rick Drake and Mike Scully have played all of the close games. Both are oven 6' 2'' and as a Dartmouth forward said, "They run like gazelles." Scully played fullback last fall for the Crimson while two years ago Drake played at Cornell.

In the goal is Loring Batchelder, a former Andover player, one of the best net minders in the Ivy League this year. He still has one more year to play.