Men Booters Gain NCAA Bid

You thought only Superman could fiddle with time?

Well, think again. The Harvard men's soccer team can't spin the earth backwards on its axis--but the booters are about to pull a tricky time trick nonetheless.

Monday morning, the Crimson received a bid to the post-season NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament. Sunday afternoon, Harvard will face Yale in the tourney's opening round.

Meaning that the booters--who still have a regular-season match-up with the Leis on tap--will be jumping into post-season play before the post season theoretically arrives.

Top that, Superman.

As a matter of fact, Harvard (8-2-3 overall, 3-0-2 Ivy) has found a superhero of its own lately in the person of freshman phenom Derek Mills. In just six games, Mills has recorded 10 goals and four assists--and has vaulted into the Crimson scoring lead with 24 points.

Not surprisingly, Mills' addition to the roster--he sat out the first half of the season awaiting an NCAA eligibility ruling--coincides with a period of amazing Crimson productivity.

Starting with their 4-0 victory over Princeton October 24, the booters have rolled to a 5-1 mark while outscoring their opponents, 23-6.

Harvard's lone upset over the six-game span was a 2-1 loss to Boston University on the turf of the Terriers' Nickerson Field. But if all goes the Crimson's way, it should get a shot at revenge against B.U. in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Game

Harvard's opening-round match-up with Yale is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday at Ohiri Field--with the winner advancing to second-round play against B.U. at Nickerson Field the following weekend.

New England's regional champion will face the victor of New York's Hartwick-Long Island University contest in the quarterfinals. Two years ago, when the Crimson last participated in the NCAA tourney, it advanced as far as the quarterfinals before falling to U.C.L.A.

If the booters are still in the running this time around, their path to a national championship will end at Washington's Tacoma Dome December 13.

In the meantime, Harvard still has the matter of an Ivy League championship to take care of. The Crimson travels to Philadelphia Friday night to meet Penn--and was scheduled to wrap up the regular season at home, against the Elis, on the morn of The Game.

As matters stand now, though, either Harvard or Yale will be pawing the turf at B.U. in NCAA action the day after The Game. To avoid back-to-back games, the squads have rescheduled their November 22 contest for November 19 at Ohiri.

A victory against the Elis on the 19th could give Harvard its first Ancient Eight title since 1970. A victory against the Elis Sunday could start Harvard on the way to its first national title ever.

Either way, the post season is officially underway.