What began in September as a rebuilding season ended late yesterday afternoon as just that when the Harvard field hockey team closed out its 1979 season with a disappointing 3-0 loss to Northeastern.

The team was not expected to go far, and it failed to qualify for the regional championships, finishing with a mediocre 6-7 record. But yesterday's lackluster team was not the Crimson squad of midseason, the squad that beat Penn and almost upset Springfield, Princeton and UConn.

At the outset, the stickwomen looked headed for surprising results. They opened the season with a new coach, half a dozen freshman starters, and only one senior. These conditions prompted rookie mentor Edie MacAusland to warn, "I know every body says it, but this is a rebuilding year."

Peanut Butter

But it did not seem like a rebuilding year when the young squad jeiled early and sprinted to a 5-2 mark.

Freshmen Kate Martin, Maureen Finn and Sarah Yedinsky joined sophomores Sara LeBlond and Anne MacMillan, juniors Annie Valie, Sue Field, and juniors co-captains Chris Sailer and Elaine Kellogg to from a cohesive, spirited and talented team that proved it could, in Field's words, "play with the best in the east."

MacAusland (called by goalie Betty Ippolito "A great coach and a great inspiration") brought out the best in every player and created a truly united squad that seemed destined--despite its inexperience--to be a factor in regional play.

But something happened. First a loss to Dartmouth. The a narrow victory over inferior Brown. Then another loss, this time to Princeton. Than UConn. Then Yale. All well-played games; all demoralizing losses.

Yesterday, the frustration came to a head. The Crimson played a solid game that would make any rebuilding team pround. Freshman goalie Kate Williams turned back 11 shots, but missed three--one by Sue Paylor and two by Carol Dainneault--and that was the ball game.

The offense showed spark (17 Crimson shorts to 15 for the Huskies). The defense and midfield had their lapeses. And, like so many mediocre teams, the goals just never came.

But there is a bright side. With the exception of Julie Cornman, everyone will be back next fall. Come September, the strickwomen will return raring to go.

After all, what's a rebuilding season without a "wait 'til next year?" NOTEBOOK: Francesca Don Hartog's seventh, eighth and ninth goals sperked the J.V.s to a 3-1 win over the Huskies, closing out a successful season under Leslie Milne... Martin, Field and Sailer tied for the varsity scoring crown with five goals apiece.