Bulldogs Draw Stickwomen in Finale, 2-2

The Harvard field hockey team thought it had seen the last of Nada Sellers.

Sellers, an All-America last year--and the lvy League record holder for saves in a game, a season and a career--shut out the Crimson in three of the four games Yale and Harvard played over the course of four seasons.

But Sellers graduated last year.

Imagine the Crimson's surprise when Sellers' ghost appeared on Soldiers Field yesterday in the guise of Yale's present goalie, freshman Sue Sabatino.

Sabatino established a new lvy record by recording 44 saves, and Jessica Cohen scored two goals to give the Elis a miraculous 2-2 tie with Harvard in front of 30 spectators.

The Crimson got goals from Sharon Landau and Julie Cohen, Jessica's twin sister; outshot the Elis, 57-3; and had 26 penalty corners to Yale's six in the season finale for both teams.

But it didn't matter. Sabatino was just too good.

"Their goalie?" Harvard Captain Gia Barresi said. "All I can say is--she's excellent. We haven't played that well all year."

Sabatino had broken Sellers' single-game lvy record earlier in the year when she recorded 39 saves against Pennsylvania. And she now holds the lvy single-season save record with 151.

"She's great," Yale Coach Diane Moyer said. "She's been playing like this all year. She only had one game where she wasn't up to par, when she gave up four goals to Springfield. She's going to become even better."

Sabatino is right on line to snatch the only lvy record Sellers still holds--career saves. She only needs 113 more.

Running smack into Sabatino was the latest misfortune for the stick women, who came into this season with gobs of talent, but finished with the same 3-8-4 overall record they sported last year. Their Ivy record fell from 2-2-2 last year to 1-2-3 this season.

Freshmen Landau, who scored eight goals this year, and Char Joslin, who has won praise from opposing league coaches for her expert ball handling, give the Crimson a solid foundation to build on next year. And Harvard goalie Denise Katsias, who finished with only one shutout this year after recording four last year but turned in some great performances against nationally-ranked teams, will be back next year to anchor the defense.

Soldiers Field Farewell

For Barresi and fellow Co-Captain Jenny Pyle, however, yesterday's game was their last in a Crimson jersey.

"It's sad," Barresi said. "I'll miss it.

And her advice for next year's players?

"I'd tell them to continue to play as a team," Barresi said. "Put team goals above individual goals."

But goals won't come easy against Yale over the next three years. Not with Sue Sabatino in net.

THE NOTEBOOK: Landau's eight goals were two less than the entire Crimson team scored last year...Katsias recorded three saves yesterday...Cindi Ersek finished second behind Landau in team scoring with three goals...Kate Felsen and Joslin led the team in assists with two apiece.