NEW HAVEN, May 20--Yale lacrosse coach Bill Harkness dressed 48 players for today's Harvard game. they watched an underdog Crimson ten match the nation's fourth best team for nearly three periods before leasing, 12 to 9.

The Crimson defense, particularly Jay Byrne and goalie Sid Clark, chackled Yale's vaunted attack for six minutes before Bam Stowell cut in to score on a pass from Jim Herman. Thirty seconds later Harvard's Dave Waring retaliated by scoring on a quick pass from Bill Plissner. Two more goals by attackmen Ned Yost and Rick Hudner put the losers out front, 3 to 1, at the end of the first period.

In the second period, the varsity added two more scores, but defense and midfields did not chock or press hard enough to stop a five goal Eli barrage. Paul Birdsall's third period goal tied the score, 6 to 6, but the Blue countered with three more in that period despite the alert goal tending of reserve Dick Thomas.

Both teams matched scoring and rough stick work in the last quarter. The most stunning play of this period, if not the game, came from the leser's Rick Hudner. Hudner, filling in for the injured Bill Graham on the second midfield, stole the ball in front of his own goal, out-raced four Elis, and sont the last Blue defender sprawling with a shoulder block on his way in to score.

First period: Stowell (Herman) (Y), 6:10; Waring (Plissner), 6:45; Yost (unassisted), 8:06; Hudner (unassisted), 10:25.

Second period: Potter (unassisted) (Y), 0:35; Warner (unassisted) (Y), 1;45; Rockefeller (unassisted) (Y), 2:00; Reeve (Herman) (Y), 4:51; Mauran (unassisted), 8:16; Plissner (Post), 10:26; Folan (Reeve) (Y), 12:41.

Third period: Birdsall (Hudner), 1:26; Casey (Potter) (Y), 2:03; Horman (unassisted) (Y), 4:46; Potter (Herman) (Y), 12:14.

Fourth period: Folan (Smith) (Y), 2:01; Hudner (unassisted), 3:33; Murphy (unassisted) (Y), 5:02; Timberman (Herman) (Y), 8:30; Baldwin (Byrne), 13:36; Baldwin (Mauran), 13:46.