The third-ranked, once-beaten Harvard soccer team, its regular season over, begins its fourth annual post-season quest for a berth in the NCAA playoffs in Miami this afternoon at 1 p.m. when it hosts Ivy rival Brown in the New England regional finals. The winner will battle Cornell for a spot in the Christmas tournament in the Orange Bowl.

The Bruins, who inflicted the 3-2 overtime loss a week ago Saturday which knocked Harvard out of a first place tie with Penn for the Ivy title, will be facing a Crimson squad different in a number of respects from the unit it met previously. Then, as now, however, Harvard will be ranked number three in the nation. Forward Dragan Vujovic, who missed the contest and Harvard's next two against URI and Yale, has returned from his brother's wedding in Yugoslavia.

The addition of Vujovic will bolster an offensive unit which had on off-day against the Bruins, and will give the Crimson line both added flexibility and scoring punch. Since Brown may try to isolate or double-team Ivy scoring record-holder Chris Papagianis. Vujovic's return to the line-up will, hopefully, help to spread out the Bruin defense and prevent the kind of massing in the center which characterized Harvard's loss.

Besides the return of Vujovic, the Crimson will confront Brown with a healthier starting 11 than last time out, and perhaps a squad healthier than since the beginning of the season.

Players Healthy

All but two starters were healthy enough to participate in an intrasquad scrimmage yesterday. For the majority of the season such a session attracted just a handful of players, since most were getting medical treatment or trying to recuperate from previous injuries.

Felix Adedeji, whose back problem has been a source of concern all season long, appears to be on the way back after a disappointing campaign. Adedeji played in Saturday's scrimmage and may finally be ready to perform at the high level that Crimson fans have come to expect from the All-Ivy junior forward.

Linemate Bent Hinze who continues to be hobbled by a variety of leg ailments, is not fully recovered from his last injury but will be able to play somewhere near his ability, as was not the case in the loss to Brown.

After closing out his Ivy career with a superlative three-goal performance which upped his record-shattering Ivy point total to 21 Papagianis appears to be fully recovered from a water-on-the-knee problem. Harvard's ability to utilize Papagianis, especially on the wings and in front on corner kicks, will be a key.

At midfield, where the Crimson has problems controlling the ball against Brown, the team is healthy. Starters Bahman Mossavar-Rahmani and Emmanuel Ekama both looked good Wednesday against Yale, and Ekama's ability to play despite continuing pain from a strained tendon in his heel has been remarkable. Demetrio Mena, who has been used extensively as both forward and linkman, will continue to see considerable action.

On defense, Harvard, as it has been for most of the season, is healthy, Captain Ric Scott, who along with Papagianis was named to a special New England university division all-star team which played the college division all stars Sunday, has recovered from a severely bruised shin, and starters Brain Fearnett and Henry Sideropoulos are ready. Only the fourth fullback, Ric LuCivita, is hurting, and his charley-home does not appear to be serious.

The Bruins, who best UConn 4-2, to reach the New England finals, are an aggressive physical team. In its win over Harvard. Brown was able to force the Crimson into playing its style of soccer a brand characterized by a fast break, opportunistic offense: a swarming hustling defense: and his inordinate number of head balls Using its superior height on fullback clears. Brown was able to dominate the midfield and prevent Harvard from initiating its short passing control offense.

Harvard must not, as it did in its loss, abandom its ball-control offence, for to do so would play right into Brown's hands. "They are better in the air." Bruce Munro said yesterday. "We'll have to keep it on the ground especially if it's windy day." He added.

In the first Brown game, the Crimson defense harried by the hustling Bruins rushed a considerable number of posses and as a result. Brown was able to get the kind of scoring chances it thrives on. Hopefully the Harvard fullbacks will not commit the dangerous turnovers deep in their own end that characterized the first game. If the Harvard offences can utilize its ball handling ability avoid clogging the center and take the shots when they are there instead of marking the extra pass the crimson should make it one step further down the road to Mismi.