W. Soccer Looks to Remain Unbeaten in Ivy

Cracking the top twenty-five in nationwide ranking, the Harvard women's soccer team has proven time and time again that a rebuilding season does not necessarily mean a losing season.

In fact, it's been anything but.

In a debut that has all but astonished veteran fans, the Crimson has extended its win streak to five games, suffering its only loss of the season to New Hampshire, a non-Ivy League team.

The Crimson (6-1-1, 3-0 Ivy), ranked first in the Ivy League look to extend its conference unbeaten streak to four games tomorrow against Cornell (3-3-1, 1-2 Ivy).

The Big Red does not boast an impressive record yet this season, but has played strongly in recent games. Cornell will have home field advantage at Berman Field, coming off of a three-game win-streak, defeating St. Bonaventure on Wednesday, and regional rival Colgate and Ivy opponent Columbia last week.

Cornell, like Harvard, has been led by the play of its freshmen. Midfielder Sarah Olsen has led the Big Red attack, notching two game-winning goals during its win streak.

None of Cornell's recent success concerns the Crimson. The Big Red has not defeated Harvard since 1993--a 1-0 overtime upset. The Crimson boasts an all-time record of 9-3-5 against Cornell, including a 1-0 win over the Big Red at Ohiri Field last fall.

"We are going in to the Cornell game confident that we are the better team, but we are not taking this game lightly," said freshman goaltender Cheryl Gunther. "Cornell is always scrappy and plays with a lot of heart so we have to go into the game with the same intensity."

Not only does Harvard have the confidence, but it also has the heart. Boasting a crop of sensational first-years, coupled with the depth of talented veterans, the Crimson has once again become a formidable foe in the Ivy League.

"People have stepped up all over the field," co-captain Jessica Larson said. "We no longer depend only on certain players to pull us through. Everyone is expected to get the job done."

After capturing the Harvard Invitational with a spectacular win over No. 9 Brigham Young University (11-1-0), the Crimson is shaking up the national rankings as well.

In a typically strong second half, the Crimson pounded away at the Cougar defense.

Harvard was finally rewarded with just 47 seconds left in regulation, when one of its fabulous freshmen stepped up to the task. Beth Totman, who was named to Soccer America's Team of the Week, broke the scoreless deadlock and gave Harvard a 1-0 win.

And this, after a stellar 2-1 overtime win against Ivy rival Penn, only proves that the best is yet to come. Senior co-captains Beth Zotter and Jessica Larson are the core of the team, notching solid performances every game. Zotter broke her dry spell against Penn in perhaps the most opportune time of the game, while Larson, the MVP in the Harvard Invitational, continues to dazzle by leaving her opponents in the dust.

"Jess Larson is the core of the team," Gunther said. "She sets the tone for everyone else."

But Gunther has been an unsung hero of the bunch. She has filled the void left by Anne Browning to concentrate on crew. Starting every game this season between the pipes, Gunther has been on a hot streak unmatched by anyone in the Ivy League.

With a scorching 0.65 goals-against-average, it is no surprise that she was selected as Ivy League Rookie of the Week.

Gunther only let two balls hit the net in the Harvard Invitational. She made a dozen saves, denying the Quakers five times and added seven against Penn.

And even more impressive, she helped maintain the Crimson's unbeaten streak against No. 11 Hartford last week, stopping eight shots in the double overtime 1-1 tie.

"We have definitely picked it up a notch over the past week and we are hoping to maintain this level or surpassed it as the season progresses," Gunther said. "I am confident that we will fare well against the Big Red this weekend and I'm looking for another shutout."

Look for the Crimson to dominate the Big Red this weekend and extend its unbeaten streak to lucky number seven.