The Harvard men's soccer team dropped a 2-1 heartbreaker to Boston College Saturday at the Business School field, knocking the booters out of contention for the top spot in the Greater Boston League (GBL).

Despite playing their best match since tying nationally ranked Hartwick College last month, the Crimson lacked finishing power on offense, and defensive miscues allowed the Eagles to tally twice in the closing ten minutes of the game.

The loss cost the booters their last chance at a post-season playoff berth; B.C., which remained undefeated and untied in the GBL, clinched that league's title. Unbeaten and nationally ranked Columbia won the Ivy title for the second straight year.

Opening the game in a new formation that moved All-Ivy winger Mauro Keller-Sarmiento to center halfback, the Crimson controlled the flow of play throughout the first half, creating several near misses on combinations between Keller-Sarmiento and forwards Mike Mogollon and Leo Lanzillo.

The booters' domination paid off at 32:36, when junior John Lyons took a ball at his left midfield spot and cracked a hard 25-yarder that sailed past the outstretched fingers of goalkeeper Gordon Farkoub into the upper right corner of the net.

With the Crimson displaying unusually methodic offensive buildups, B.C. could not get a decent chance at the Harvard goal until ten minutes into the second half. Eagle forward Keith Brown blasted a shot off a corner kick that goalie Peter Walsh could only parry. The rebound came steaming out of a goal mouth crowd and right fullback Deniz Perese had to slide in to clear it off the line.

Taking advantage of B.C.'s lack of composure, the booters fought a strong, gusty wind to knock the ball around, waiting for chances, but with no result on the scoreboard.

The bottom fell out at 79:38, when the Crimson defense failed to clear a Pete Dorfman cross. The ball rolled to substitute forward Brad Wise, who drilled it past a charging Walsh into the top of the twines.

Four minutes later, the Dorfman-Wise combo struck again. Walsh misjudged the cross and Wise sent the ball goalward. Crimson midfielder Frank RiCapito, standing on the goal line, tried to clear the shot, but deflected it into the net.

Control

Even in the losing effort, the Crimson demonstrated that with the proper lineup it can play a control game. Although he did not see much of the ball, Keller-Sarmiento drew plenty of attention in midfield, creating space for Lyons and right half Leighton Welch. The result was support to the front line that has often been missing this season.

And wingers Lanzillo and Mogollon werre successful in spreading out the Eagle defense; in short, the chances were developed Saturday, but they were not put away.

"We played well enough to win," coach George Ford said after the game. "It was just bloody unfortunate," he added.