Lacrosse Team Breaks Even On Tour, Beats Hofstra, Washington Stickmen

With just five days of pre-season practice on a lacrosse field, Harvard still managed to win two out of four contests on its spring jaunt through the South last week. Termed a "general success" by coach Bruce Munro, the varsity's tour included an upset victory over a highly-rated, but over-confident Washington ten on Saturday.

The Crimson stickmen opened the season against Hofstra last Monday, but lacked scoring punch in a 5-1 victory over the Dutchmen. Facing an unfamiliar zone defense, the varsity picked up four of its five goals in the last two quarters of the low-scoring contest. Converted attackman Tink Gunnoe's goal and two assists along with the clearing and passing of captain Al Straus on defense made the Crimson's 1963 debut a successful one.

Monday's game of goalies and defense was transformed into an offensive melee of major proportions at Rutgers on Tuesday. The Knights walloped the varsity 17-10, collecting four goals before the Crimson could break the scoring column.

Joe Barton and Pete Wood scored quick markers at the close of the opening period, but six straight Rutgers goals in the second quarter gave the Knights a 10-2 lead that the varsity never overcame. Six of the Crimson's ten goals came from the midfield with Wood, Barton, and Joey Prahl leading the way.

On Thursday, Maryland took up where Rutgers left off. The Terrapins blasted Munro's stickmen 15-5, taking maximum advantage of ten Crimson penalties. Seven Maryland goals came on extra man plays and the varsity never led in the one-sided rout.

Prahl's two solo tallies and assist were tops for the Crimson and, along with Joe Barton's control of midfield face-offs, were the only Crimson bright spots in a very dismal afternoon. The Terps kept goalie Gill Leaf occupied in the varsity nets most of the game and limited Harvard's offensive excursions to a bare minimum.

But the Crimson learned while it lost and showed the kind of lacrosse it is capable of playing against the Washington Lacrosse Club two days later. Scoring at least twice in every period the varsity beat the clubbies 12-5.

Tink Gunnoe set up the first tally with a pass to Lou Williams on the crease. The ambidextrous junior collected six more assists and three goals before the afternoon was over to take part in all but two of twelve Crimson scoring plays.

Seven different stickmen tallied for Harvard in what Coach Munro called "our first real team effort of the season." Taking advantage of their better conditioning, the Crimson virtually ran its skilled, but short-winded opponents off the field.

Midfielder Pete Wood's six goals led the Crimson in scoring while Prahl and Barton each contributed five markers over the four game span.