Injuries Handicap Booters In Dartmouth Game Today

The hour exam season has arrived in the classroom, but the big test of this afternoon will take place on the Business School Field, where the varsity soccer team faces Dartmouth.

If the Crimson can come up with solid answers is will bounce back from its loss to Cornell into the thick of the Ivy race. If the right answers don't come, Harvard's title hopes are through.

The two biggest question marks for the team are at goalie and center halfback.

With Nat Bowditch and Rich Hammond both out until next week's Penn game, Norris Childs, last year's freshman goalie, will make his first varsity start. Coach Bruce Munro considers Childs better prepared to handle the job than when he let in three goals after Hammond's injury at Cornell.

To fill the shoes of Chuck Okigwe, another Cornell casualty, Munro has shifted inside Fred Akuffo back to the center half slot. Sophomore Lutz Hoeppner will start at inside right in Akuffo's place.

If this setup doesn't work, Munro will move Captain Bill Kerstetter to center half and use sophomore Joe Gould at Kerstetter's right half position.

Left half Andy Kydes, outside right Dudley Blodgett, and left inside Hugh Polk have also been slowed by injuries, and Munro won't know until the game starts whether his juggling is over or just begun.

In addition to overcoming injuries, the soccer team must break out of the lethargy that marked its defeat to Cornell and most of its practices this week.

Dartmouth brings with it two 1-0 losses to Brown and Penn. If everything clicks. Harvard will be lucky to hand the Indians a third.