The varsity wrestling team yesterday took the second step on its trek through a brutal early season schedule and got snared by Boston University, 27-13. Only a strong finish saved the Crimson from a defeat as one-sided as last week's 28-9 loss at Springfield.

Last week, Harvard got two victories out of its first three wrestlers, but this time around the Crimson quickly found itself in a hole.

To start the contest, Dave Albert (118 lbs.) lost to B.U. co-captain Jeff Lambert, 3-1. Harvard coach John Lee felt that Milt Yasunaga (126 lbs.) was less aggressive than he should have been in his match. Consequently, Lee said, the Crimson grappler ended up tying an opponent he should have beaten.

In the second match, freshman Bill Maulvihill (134 lbs.) lost, 15-9, to the terriers' best wrestler, Sev Popolisio.

In the middle weights, George Baker (142 lbs.), wrestling in a match for the first time in almost two years, lost 5-4, Tom Bixby (150 lbs.) lost 10-9 after trailing 10-3, and Jim Corcoran (158 lbs.), returning from an injury, dropped his match too.

Next, blind freshman Ed Bordley's first Harvard start ended in disappointment when he was pinned. Lee said that Bordley was a better wrestler than his opponent, but early in the match the Terrier matman was able to break away, get to his feet, and then catch Bordley in an unexpected pinning hold.

At that point, the tangled Crimson wrestlers were far behind B.U. on the scoreboard, too far behind for their closing rush to make a difference.

Captain Jim Strathmeyer battled his opponent to a tie, and then Sal D'agostino (190 lbs.) defeated his opposite, 8-4. Kip Smith (UNL) finished the match by pinning the Terrier heavyweight.

Lee called B.U. "stronger than any Ivy League team, but I still halfway thought we could have beaten them." The turning point, he concluded, were the two ties, both in matches which he felt the Crimson should have won.

Now, early in the season, the schedule allows the winless matmen no respite. This weekend, they are entered in a tournament against a field including powerful Hofstra.