Laxmen Are Thunderous

It may have poured on the Harvard men's lacrosse team this past week, but the Crimson came away high and dry after defeating Penn, St. John's and the Ft. Lauderdale Lacrosse Club.

The laxmen (4-1 overall, 1-1 Ivy League) rolled past the Quakers, 8-6, at Ohiri Field a week ago, and then traveled to Ft. Lauderdale where they shocked Florida's top club team, 17-1. Harvard finished off the week by pouring over St. John's, 5-4, Saturday in New York.

"Considering the elements," Harvard Coach Bob Scalise said, "it was a pretty good showing."

Harvard's league win over Penn was its biggest conquest of the week, as the nationally-ranked and defending Ivy League champion Quakers were riding on 11-9 victory over third-ranked Navy a few days before.

"They were flying, and we were able to upset them," Scalise said.

Trailing 8-4 with less than two minutes remaining, Penn surged to score two quick goals, but the excellent netminding of senior Mike Bergmann was too much for the Quakers. Bergmann earned Ivy Player of the Week honors for his performance in goal. The Crimson was led by sophomore Rob Griffith, who netted three goals.

In Florida, the Crimson met the state's two-time defending champion club team, which boasts a trio of former All-Americas. Harvard jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the first period and continued to dominate for the remainder of the game.

Sophomore Brad Raymond scored an amazing seven goals in the 17-1 victory.

Saturday, the Crimson took the Big Apple by storm, defeating the Redmen despite downpours and terrible field conditions.

"It just kept pouring on us," Scalise said. "We anticipated that the score would be low due to the weather, and because both teams have good defenses."

Harvard led, 5-1, at the close of the third period, but St. John's came back with three goals in the final stanza. "They came back in the fourth," Scalise said, "but we didn't really feel that we were ever going to lose. We controlled the field for the entire game."

Raymond netted two more goals in the win, with Mark Donovan--who took the Crimson's face-offs--adding another.

"We came together and gelled as a team," Scalise said. "Now we are prepared for the bulk of the Ivy season which remains."

The laxmen's next contest is tomorrow at Spring field College. The Crimson will host Yale at Ohiri Field Saturday afternoon.

THE NOTEBOOK Last year, Penn advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals, where it fell to Syracuse, 14-7. Since 1971, Harvard has put in only one NCAA Tournament appearance, dropping a 16-12 match to eventual champion Johns Hopkins in 1980...The Quakers lost only one game in the Ivy League last year.