The Harvard lacrosse team usually just has to show up to beat M.I.T., but not this year.

In today's game Harvard faces the best Engineer team in ten years. Coach Breen Munro has worked his boys through hard practices the past two days, and he hopes to eliminate what he refers to as "the cavalier attitude that sometimes catches up with you."

Harvard is definitely hurting. Star defenseman Rick Loomis is out for an indefinite time with a shoulder injury. His loss might hurt the play of the team's line defensive trio, which has been working together so well.

Also, the injured ankle of midfielder Phil Bollinger is still a question mark. If he doesn't play, Al Timberlake will probably start in his place.

On comparative scores the teams are evenly matched. M.I.T. handily beat Adelphi 7-3, while Harvard needed two goals in the last two minutes to edge the Long Island school 8-6, Hofstra nipped M.I.T. 9-8. Harvard clobbered Hofstra 15-7, but that was without Hofstra's star midfielder Phil Mordente.

Last year, in one of three victories, Harvard had come from behind to edge the Engineers 7-5. But this year's Crimson team is shooting for a winning season. Today's game will be close but Harvard will win.