The Crimson lacrosse team (0-7) sprung a surprise game plan--called offense--on an unsuspecting UMass squad yesterday, staying neck-in-neck with the highly-touted Minutemen for three quarters before collapsing, 12-8.

Harvard's greatest weakness throughout the afternoon was that it could just not catch 22, UMass attackman Pete Conolly, who got loose for three goals and six assists. Conolly, a short, sunken-chested milque-toast with an equally unimpressive stick, somehow knew exactly where to be, where to shoot, and whom to feed.

Meanwhile, upfield, Crimson attackman John Hagerty was putting on his own show with four goals and one assist while igniting the Crimson's most impressive scoring attack since the spring tour.

The first four-and-one-half minutes of the contest might have been clipped from the scenario from any other Harvard loss. Conolly recovered a busted clear and scored easily with one minute gone, then fed attackman Fred Michels for the first of Michel's three goals, two minutes later.

But Harvard rebounded one minute later as Hagerty, in a one-on-one situation, hammered the ball past goalie John Rutledge.

The stickers tied the game with 11 minutes gone, on a quick-stick by middy Andy Anderson, on a feed from attackman Steve Milliken. Conolly, unphased, only retaliated with another goal, running into a crowd on the Harvard crease before popping it past goalie Bob Coplan.

The Crimson, undaunted by UMass's number two ranking in New England, jumped to a 4-3 advantage on an unassisted goal from Hagerty at 1:34 in the second period. Two minutes later, "Hags" fed attackman Fred Adair, whose limp ground shot went in.

The seesaw battle continued, as Conolly fed Andy Scheffer an extra-man to make it four-all. The Minutemen then went ahead on a hard, screened shot by Dwight Blomquist.

Harvard grabbed two again, though. Hagerty, recovering a loose ball in front of the UMass crease, slapped some blue mustard on an over-the-shoulder shot into the left side of the net. Milliken put Harvard on top, 6-5, feeding middy Garth Ballantyne, who put a streaking, screened shot past Rutledge.

UMass tied to end the half, with a breaking Conolly feeding Scheffer, who was sitting on the crease.

Hagerty began the second-half scoring with a one-on-three tally, knocking defenders down in front of the goal. Yet Conolly took the cue, and fed middy Rich Lally, to tie it at seven, Conolly brought it to the crease next and bounced an unassisted shot in. The third quarter ended with UMass ahead, 8-7.

The Minutemen broke ahead in the fourth quarter with three goals in three minutes. Blomquist, Lally, and Michels (2) scored, and Conolly earned two more assists.

Controversial Whistle

Attackman Jim Quinn tallied for the Crimson, but a ninth goal, by Bob Frisbie, was erased, on a controversial whistle.

Harvard dominated play with edges on shots, 44-42, and ground balls, 40-36. The midfield worked well with the attack, especially in extra-man situations, but it was the graceless but effective antics of Conolly that spelled the difference.