Playing on a field that resembled a ski slope more than a soccer field, Harvard's undefeated women's soccer team braved the conditions and won an easy 4-0 victory over Princeton in Princeton Saturday.
The booters swarmed all over the hapless Tigers, keeping play in the Princeton end for most of the game. Goalie Marlene Schoofs performed flawlessly, but was rarely tested as she notched her fifth shutout of the year.
The Crimson won the opening toss and chose to play "uphill" in the first half. Midway through the period. Harvard sophomore sharp-shooter Sue St. Louis took a centering pass from striker Ellen Hart and fired the ball into the left corner of the net for a 1-0 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Tigers were forced to push the ball up the inclined field, and Harvard's superior conditioning turned the game into "kind of a rout," said St. Louis.
With 8:16 gone in the half, St. Louis found the net again for her 14th tally of the year when she rolled a shot through a tangle of players in front of the Princeton net.
About two minutes later, freshman left winger Cat Ferrante was streaking toward the goal on a breakaway when she was tripped from behind, and Harvard was awarded a penalty shot. Kathy Batter beat the Tiger goaltender easily, and the Crimson a 3-0 advantage.
Jan Pelletier tipped in a Marcia Hamelin bullet to seal the 4-0 shutout, and the women booters had their ninth consecutive win in nine games this year.
The booters will put their undefeated record on the line this weekend when they travel to Brown for the Ivy League Championship Tournament where they are seeded first.
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An Evening With Champions