Harvard's hopes of winning its fourth straight Ivy soccer title and continuing its mastery over Brown dissolved Saturday as the fast-breaking Bruins edged the Crimson 2-1.

Brown's opening goal was scored before the Crimson defense had even touched the ball. The Bruins' inside Phil McGuire stole the ball on the right side after Harvard's opening kickoff, moved it past midfield and lofted a long lead pass across to left wing Win Anakawa, who was all alone deep in Crimson territory.

Anakawa sped downfield, easily skirted surprised Harvard fullback Terry Winslow, and passed across to McGuire who had moved up quickly into the penalty area. As Crimson goalie Nat Bowditch moved out, McGuire slipped the ball neatly back to his halfback Frank Golet who popped it by Bowditch into the open net.

Harvard recovered rapidly, however, and clearly dominated the rest of the half. The quick, accurate midfield passes of the Crimson halfbacks and forwards notably those of junior inside Fred Akuffo seemed to baffle the over-eager Brown defenders, and Harvard out-shot the Bruins by better than three to one.

Tenacious ball-hawking and sharp passing by center half Bill Kerstetter, and aggressive tackling and long clears by sophomore fullback Karl Lunkenheimer successfully thwarted Brown's fast-break offense, though both Bruin wings were constantly left uncovered, and they occasionally threatened to slip through for open shots.

Harvard's failure to score in the first half was largely due to the superlative performance of Brown goalie Allan Walsh. His sure-handed saves and intelligent play on the Crimson's few-break away threats effectively stalled each of Harvard's scoring opportunities, and his 60-yard heaves from the penalty zone kept the Crimson from maintaining a virtually permanent territorial advantage during the half.

Harvard scored at 7:42 when center forward Jim Salton-stall arched a perfectly placed corner kick to the rim of the goal area and Walsh was forced to gained possession, the ball was jarred come out to handle it. Before he had loose in front of the goal mouth.

Akuffo was waiting for the ball at the edge of the penalty zone and he calmly laced a right-footed kick through the crowd and into the open net.

Just three minutes later, Brown went ahead to stay, taking advantage of Harvard's right side defense which was weak throughout the game. Bruin left wing Win Anawaka, again all alone just outside the left end of the penalty area, took a pass from the right side and quickly leveled a hard shot past Bowditch into the near side of the net.