The Harvard soccer team ran its Ivy League record to three wins and no losses yesterday by defeating Dartmouth at Hanover, 5-0.
Penn is heavily favored in their game at Princeton today, and if they win, the Crimson and the Quakers will go into next week's game at Philadelphia tied for first place.
Chris Papagianis and Felix Adedeji paced the Harvard attack with two goals apiece, and fullback Chris Wilmot added another.
With linkmen Nourie Harrower and Emanuel Ekama back in good health, Harvard controlled the center of the field. "In the game against Cornell last Saturday we were forced into kicking the ball long, but today we played the ball short and moved up field with short passes," Wilmot said after the game.
Adedeji opened the scoring with a head shot in the first period, and in the second period Papagianis beat the over-committed Dartmouth goalie after taking a quick pass from Wilmot.
Harvard gained complete control in the second half, and Dartmouth dropped back into a prevent defense with as many as nine men in the penalty area. When they did get the ball, the Indians sent long passes through the middle which either went back to goalie Shep Messing or were easily picked off by the Harvard fullbacks.
The game was put out of reach in the third period when Wilmot put in a head shot on a corner kick by Harrower. "No one challenged me, and I had a clear shot at the corner," Wilmot said.
In the fourth quarter coach Bruce Munro put in four substitutes without breaking the team's momentum. John Waciuma and Ric LaCivita maintained control at midfield, and fullback Lawson Wulsin set up the best goal of the game with a long sideline pass to Adedeji on left wing. Adedeji dropped the ball into the center, and Papagianis came in from right wing to score with a head shot.
Adedeji scored the final goal on a pass from Papagianis. The goal was Adedeji's tenth in the last four games. He has scored seven times in three Ivy League games and leads the league in goals and total points.
"Felix can walk the ball in, or hit the corners from thirty yards," Munro said after the game. "That's why he's so explosive. Dartmouth had three or four men on him all game, but then he just chips the ball over to the other side."
Captain Charlie Thomas sat out the game to rest his ankle, and he will be ready for the showdown with Penn next Saturday. Phil Axten takes a final series of tests today to check out a possible concussion. Brian Fearnett, Ekama and Harrower have all recovered from earlier injuries and illness.
Harvard outshot Dartmouth, 32 to 6, and goalie Messing only had to make three saves. "This was the first time this season that we played our short passing game from start to finish. I think we're ready for Penn," Munro said. Yesterday's results Harvard 5 Dartmouth 0 Today's games Penn at Princeton Cornell at Yale
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