It started out like another joke, reminiscent of the 6-1 degradings of Smith and Stonehill or the 5-1 humiliation of Tufts. But despite a 3-0 halftime lead, by the end of the women's soccer game, the partisan Crimson crowd was about as amused as the audience at a sleazy joint for down-and-out comics.

Even coach Bob Scalise could barely manage a smile after his soccer eleven grimly hung on to a 3-2 win over Dart-mouth Saturday.

Before the game the Crimson camp had reason to be worried; they faced a 3-1 Dartmouth squad while missing two of their best defenders--Wendy Sands and Gia Johnson.

But after the first 15 minutes of Crimson domination that left the score 2-0, Harvard seemed set for a relaxed morning of soccer. Harvard's forward line had Dartmouth's defense wallowing in confusion. Right wing Cat Ferrante dominated the right wing, doing her Gene Purdy imitation as she dug for the ball in the corner of the field, and Sue St. Louis terrorized the center of the field as usual.

It was St. Louis, last week's winner of the Ivy woman athlete of the week (she may never give the award up), who drilled home the first tally 9:55 into the game. Taking a beautiful Kathy Batter lead pass that split the Dartmouth fullbacks, St. Louis stormed towards the goalie on a breakaway and rammed a tremendous line drive shot Bobby-Charlton-style into the right corner of the net.

Co-captain Julie Brynteston, emerging from a sluggish first few minutes, set up the Crimson's second goal with a hard ground pass from the left side of the penalty area to Ferrante, who placed a left-foot precision shot high into the top left corner of the goal.

When a Sara Fischer shot found its way through Dartmouth goalie Holly Rath's arms at 21:45, the game seemed all but over. It wasn't.

The Big Green came screaming back in the second half as the Dartmouth halfbacks and front line managed to put enough pressure on Harvard's defense to exploit the absence of Sands and Johnson, and shake the confidence of the inexperienced Crimson backs.

After halfback Donna Halverstadt, and fellow halfback Betsey Brew closed the score to 3-2 with 11 minutes left, the Crimson seemed ready to be nudged off the cliff.

But unlike the sheep in "Far from the Madding Crowd," Harvard hung on. Dartmouth's desperation attempts to tie the game failed, and Harvard's record climbed to 7-0.