The Crimson golfers face their toughest challenge of the season Saturday when they defend their ECAC crown at Ithaca.

Harvard won the Eastern last year when they put on a second round rally that brought them up from fifth place. It was the first time a Crimson team had won the Eastern in forty years.

All but one of Harvard's golfers from last season will be in the competition this year. They will face their toughest challenges from Navy, Penn State, Princeton, Dartmouth, and Yale.

Princeton has lost only once this season to Navy. In addition to beating Princeton, Navy also handed the Crimson its only loss of the season. Penn State which lost possession of the Crown for the first time in four years last season will be especially eager to regain its lost title.

NCAA Invitation

If the Crimson repeats last year's performance they will be invited to compete in the NCAA tourney. They can also be invited to the NCAA's if they finish above fourth place.

Yank Heisler, captain Bruce LoPucki and Jack Purdy were Harvard's top performers last year. As a sophomore, Heisler shot a 151 in the first two rounds of the competition last season. His play so far has been erratic but in his last two outings against Brown and Yale he has started to pull out of his slump.

Finishing among the top sixteen performers last year, Heisler went on to play in the individual competition. He reached the semifinal round where Mike Porter of Princeton, last year's individual winner, beat him. Porter, will be back this year to defend his title.

Captain Bruce LoPucki, who had not lost a match this year, has the Crimson's best chances of finishing in one of the top positions. His Greater Bostons medal play was not as good as it could have been but LoPucki Smells a possible All-America nomination and he needs to finish near the top if he wants a chance at it.