So Sad to See Good Teams Go Bad

Last year at this time, when the winter teams were finishing their schedules, you couldn't help but be optimistic about what those teams would do a year later since there was such a heavy concentration of sophomore and junior talent. But this winter turned out to be a rather disappointing one for almost all of Harvard's teams. Only the squash and track squads did as well as expected.

There was, of course, the hockey team, which has been the target for most disgruntled Harvard fans. Last year, the Cavanagh line had been spectacular and the Crimson had earned third in the NCAA's. Since almost everyone was returning, including the Cavanagh line, it seemed that the goal would be to improve on last year's showing in the Nationals, but as it turned out. Harvard was not invited because it failed to live up to expectations.

The Cellar

No one was counting on the basketball team's reaching the NCAA's, but it was not unrealistic to think the Crimson might finish seventh in the Ivy League. Yet, when the season had ended, Harvard had compiled its worst league record since 1952, partially because it could not come up with the big play at the right moment.

The swimmers had lost Martie Chalfie and a great diver in Bill Murphy, but the sophomore stars were back, and there was a talented group from last year's freshman team to strengthen the lineup. It appeared at first that the team might finish behind Yale in the EISL. But the league was tougher this winter and the Crimson faltered in the crucial meets in February to end up in fourth place again with the same record it had in 1969.

Should Have Won

The skiing, fencing, and wrestling teams-all expecting to improve-suffered from injuries and quitting, but even given these setbacks, often lost when they should have won. Losses to Yale by both wrestlers and fencers concluded rather dismal regular seasons.

On the bright side, the squash team overcame every obstacle on the way to a perfect record. Harvard bettered Penn both in a dual meet and in the intercollegiate tournament. The track team managed an almost unbelievable third in the NCAA's after an undefeated dual meet season.

Though the winter hasn't been one to write home about for most varsity teams, the freshmen lost only ten of their 92 contests-the best collective performance ever by a group of first-year winter teams. Both the track and squash teams were undefeated, and the basketball team was one of the top few in the nation. The swimmers came within a second of the impossible-beating Yale. A wrestler won at the Easterns. The hockey line centered by Dave Hynes broke the scoring record set by the Cavanagh line two years ago. All around, it was an outstanding winter for freshmen.

These teams will undoubtedly do much to add to the talent of next year's varsity teams, particularly in the case of basketball. The question which cannot yet be answered, of course, is whether or not these 1970-71 teams will live up to their potential in a way that their predecessors clearly did not.