Tufts' best soccer team in years, aided by some miserable weather and the collapse of a supposedly strong Crimson defense, upset Bruce Munro's booters, 4 to 1, yesterday at Alumni Field in Medford.
Scoring once in the first period, twice in the second, and adding an insurance goal in the last quarter, the Jumbos dominated the field. Captain Al Bennett scored twice and set up Spud Tomasso for the other two goals. The Crimson's goal, coming early in the second quarter to tie up the score, was engineered by sophomore center forward Juan Rodriguez.
Playing in the rain with a soggy ball for the first time this year, Harvard looked slow and unaggressive. If there was a fight for the ball between a Crimson and a Jumbo player, the Tufts man invariably came up with the ball. The team was not tired, either, for its conditioning is good, as indicated by the fact that there were no injuries.
Munro was pleased with the teamwork of the untried forward line, which carried out his style of short passes. Yet the Crimson missed many scoring opportunities simply by not shooting when the chance presented itself. The lack of a strong individual scorer to take the place of last year's Vern Drehmel is sorely felt.
Leonard, Knowlton Look Well
Larry Leonard at right half back was the peppiest Crimson player and Win Knowlton and Juan Rodriguez in the front line showed unexpected skill. With these three continuing to show well, and with work on the defensive combination, Munro expects the team to improve.
In the first period the play was divided evenly in both halves of the field. The Jumbos scored halfway through the period after a goalmouth scramble, but Harvard retaliated with nine clean but unsuccessful shots. The Crimson finally connected early in the second quarter when Rodriguez booted in a rebound on a centering shot from Knowlton.
From then on, the Crimson seemed to lose their pep. Bennett banged in his second goal six minutes after Harvard scored, and although Harvard took five shots before the half ended, it didn't take more than three or four more in the whole second half.
Captain Craven Stars
Dick Craven played his usual good game in the goal but the rest of the defense was not coordinating, and Humph Doermann failed to clear the ball consistently. Jim Callahan and Jack Riggen played well as defense reserves.
In contrast to the Crimson, the Jumbos seemed to pick up in scrappiness, and pressed Harvard throughout the second half. The ball was in the Crimson zone most of the last three periods, with Tomasso converting Bennett passes at 19:00 of the second period and 4:30 of the last quarter.
Harvard: Craven, Taylor, g; Ufford, Tiger, rfb; Doermann, Kiggen, lfb; Leonard, rhb; Florin, chb; Harding, Callahan, lhb; Knowlton, Joyce, ro; Baker, Beer, ri; Rodriguez, Seaga, cf; Getchell, Davies, li; Johnson, lo. Scoring: Second period--Rodriguez, 1:30.
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