Varsity Stickmen To Face Yalies In Crucial Game

Harvard's varsity lacrosse team plays its most important game of the season this Saturday--and predictably it's against Yale. The Crimson must down the Yalies to keep alive any possible chance for a second place finish in the final Ivy standings.

Harvard hasn't finished as high as second in five years.

But the Crimson won't find things as easy as they would have expected. Yale began badly this year, but the Blue has finally ignited and played some disturbingly powerful lacrosse. Last week they tied defending Ivy champion Princeton, 8-8, capping off a five-game streak without a loss.

Yale is exceptionally strong at the face-off position where All-Ivy Tom Preston will be a major headache for the Crimson's Jim Kilkowski. If Harvard is to win, the lighter and smaller Kilkowski will have to shut off the Yalie's patented scoring sweeps, "which make the Blue go," according to Harvard coach Bruce Munro.

Big Guns

But Harvard has some big guns of its own which should help end the season on a winning note for the Crimson. Attackman John Ince is leading the league in scoring with 22 points, and midfielder Bruce Regan is also on the "top scorers" list. Along with All-Ivy Kilkowski, All-Ivy midfielders Marty Cain and Captain Tom Nicosia are in good shape for the trip to New Haven.

Yale is primarily an offense-oriented club, getting most of its points from the attackmen, but Harvard's defense will probably balance-off this Yale advantage.

"I feel we have the best defense in the league," Munro said, and the hustling play of Mike Ananis, Bob McDowell, and Pete Barber seem to bear him out.

Harvard has concentrated on its "extra man" plays and defensive drills in practice this week, and spirit is high. In what will be a game so even that Munro thinks "only the team that wants it the most will win," the Crimson should show the greatest desire.