Soccer Team Ties Yale to Finish Season, 7-4-2

The Crimson booters kicked off the Yale weekend yesterday as they battled an inspired Bulldog squad to a 1-1 deadlock at the Business School Field.

Yale pounded at the Crimson, out-shooting it, 19-11. But goalie Ben Bryan played his usual superb game, making ten saves and allowing only one tally. Substitute forward John Challenger knocked home his first career goal to earn the draw.

The tie concludes a surprisingly successful Harvard season in which the booters have achieved a 7-4-2 record. Expected to finish near the bottom of the Ivies, they responded with a 5-1-1 slate for second place.

The Crimson began slowly yesterday as it seemed to be feeling the effects of two hard-fought Brown games. But the Elis could not penetrate the stingy Harvard defense, led by fullback Dan Jiggets.

Harvard finally got a break going as Leroy Thompson outraced Yale fullback Rick Tye for a Lyman Bullard pass. Thompson fired from 25 yards out and barely missed the game's first tally as the ball hit the goalpost.

The Crimson threatened a few minutes later behind the adroit dribbling of Bullard. He cut his way through the Eli fullbacks and connected with Steve Hines. The forward then hit sophomore Challenger ten yards in front of the goal. Challenger rammed it past netminder Tom Gurray at 33:20.

Tuck It To 'Em

"Steve gave it to me right in front and I just tucked it in," Challenger said. "I really didn't do any of the work, but it sure felt great."

"He did a nice job on the goal," Coach Ford said of Challenger, a second-stringer. "I put him in because I wanted to give some of the guys a chance to play."

The Elis came out in a flurry in the second half. They controlled the play and began to pepper Bryan, but they could not beat the feisty netminder.

Bulldog Sherill

The constant pressure finally paid off when striker Don Reyter fired for the upper portion of the net. Bryan made a leaping save and the ball rebounded out front.

Bulldog Sherill Henry fed the loose ball back to Reyter. This time Reyter didn't fail. He slammed it into the unattended left side of the net to knot the game at 1-1.

Harvard recovered and mounted an attack of its own. But the Crimson passing was not up to its usual efficiency and they didn't score.

Yale dominated the final 15 minutes with a furious assault. It gave the chilled Harvard crowd a couple of scares but Bryan was equal to the task, and the contest ended in a deadlock.

"We've played better," coach Ford said. "But it was tough coming back after the two Brown defeats."

Unbelievable

"It was an unbelievable season," he continued. "To come out of the season the way we did, the players have had to be willing to work like never before. They've done it with a lot of discipline. I couldn't ask for a better bunch of guys."