The Harvard men's soccer team continued its effort to salvage the 1981 campaign yesterday, posting a 1-0 victory over Tufts.
The shutout, Harvard's second in as many games, raised the booters' season mark to 4-5-2 and put them in a strong position to capture the Greater Boston League Championship.
Harvard is now 3-0-1 in the GBL and will have a chance to clinch the league title this Saturday on the Business School Field against Boston College, which is undefeated and untied in area play.
The Eagles will, no doubt, prove more competitive than the Jumbos did yesterday in Somerville. Tufts managed only three shots against Harvard's staunch defense, while the Crimson pounded the Tufts goal all day.
Fire
The booters fired 16 shots on the game, their highest total since the Brandeis game in September--but only found the twine once as Tufts goalie Brian Buchner made some tough saves, and Harvard frittered away numerous chances.
A free kick set up the booters' only tally of the contest as Andreas Keller-Sarmiento lofted a pass from ten yards outside the left corner of the penalty area, which Lance Aryault, moving in from the right side, headed over Buchner and into the Tufts goal.
"It would have been nice to score a few more," sweeper Peter Sergenko said, "but we should do better on our own field."
The Crimson's scoring problems yesterday can be attributed, at least in part, to the Tufts narrow and rocky pitch that prevented Harvard's wings from being more effective and disrupted the booter's ball control.
Frustrating
"It was frustrating that we didn't score more, but the chances were there," said Keller-Sarmiento after the game. "We were comfortable and confident, and the midfield worked well.
Yes, the opportunities arose, but it doesn't matter if Frank Ricapito hits the post of an open goal or if Mauro Keller-Sarmiento misses wide from in close. Goals win soccer games, and Aryault's tally was the only thing separating the booters from another deadlock yesterday.
Against B.C. this weekend, "almost" still won't count; and a couple of goals will be the only things that can produce a GBL championship from an otherwise disappointing campaign.
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