The team nobody gave a chance to repeat as Ivy League soccer champion--Bruce Munro's scrappy Crimson eleven--can take a big stride in the direction of its third consecutive title with a victory over Princeton this morning, Kick-off time for the contest between the first-place Tigers (5-0) and the second-place varsity (3-1) is 10:30 a.m. on Princeton's Paradee Field.
In Princeton, the varsity will face a high-scoring, determined squad, Lineman Lew van Amerongen leads a high-powered attack, and captain Jim Wickenden lends strong support, Jim Hicks, a towering forward, is another accomplished scorer and playmaker.
Perhaps the strongest defensive asset the Tigers can claim is their clever goalie, Mickey Michel, In cold, rain, and muck here last year, Michel turned in several acrobatic sayes, and more than any other Tiger contributed to Princeton's 1-0 victory.
Two thirds of Princeton's halfback line have earned distinction in intercollegiate squash, but both deserve accolades for their work in soccer alone, Steve Vehslage, the nation's number one college squash player, was also the Ivy League's number one right halfback last year, and Jim Zug, another of the top ten squash men, is nearly as good.
For that matter, Crimson fans will remember van Amerongen as the performer whose disputed goal tied last spring's Harvard-Princeton lacrosse game at 10-10 with seconds remaining and ended an inspired Crimson bid to upset the Tigers.
But the varsity is more likely to recall last fall's bitter defeat. Crimson goalie Tom Bagnoli was out with a broken hand, and Bob Forbush, today's probable starter, replaced him in the nets. Forbush played a beautiful game, but late in the contest, Tigers Tom Baskett and Pete Georgescu came in unguarded on him. Forbush had no alternative but to go for Baskett, who had the ball, and the Tiger center forward simply passed to Georgescu.
Even then, the varsity almost had a reprieve, but Georgescu's trickling shot bounced off a post and into the goal. Thus the Crimson suffered its only 1960 Ivy less.
Today, Princeton's offence seems improved over last year's, and the Crimson defense is definitely not as good as the one paced by The Crimson offense, while it is no match for Princeton's, is nonetheless a threat, Inside Teddy Wendell was the dominant figure on the field last week against Penn, and his partner, Tadhg Sweeney, also looked good. Wings Chris Martin and Mike Kramer had many near misses Saturday; if they and Sam Rodd are all healthy, perhaps Dick McIntosh can go back to inside, where he is much more at home than at wing. Center forward Seamus Malin is a resourceful center forward. Clearly, the Crimson is going to need a gallant effort, and the insides and half-backs will have to run themselves ragged in order to keep pressure on Princeton and still contain the Tiger offense. With the Ivy limit of 16 players in force, nobody is going to feel much like making the party circuit after the game, but an Ivy League championship--especially a third one in a row--does not come easy.
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The Woman's Eye