George Ford and his Booters are traveling to Middletown, Conn., today to take their placement examination in New England soccer.

Wesleyan's soccer team, seventh ranked in New England, will show exactly how Ford's well-drilled machine reacts to pressure.

Ford has thus far been a tough coach relying heavily on his promising sophomores, along with conditioning and seemingly endless drills. He has proven his expertise and mastery of the technical aspects of soccer.

Yet in sports and especially in the Ivy League the intangible human elements of dedication, sacrifice, and enthusiasm seem to differentiate the winning from the losing teams.

Today the Crimson players will show exactly how hard they are willing to play under Ford. The opposition will be formidable although Terry Jackson, Weslyan coach, said yesterday that his team is less talented than last year's squad which beat Harvard 3-0.

On paper, however, they must be considered the favorites, featuring a two-year honorable mention all-New England goalie in Jeff VanNest, two experienced co-captains in fullback Steve Levin and Half-back Carl Cavrell along with last year's second leading scorer Mark Nickerson who has already scored twice this year.