It was a defeat but not a loss when the Harvard men's soccer team fell to Hartwick, 2-1. Saturday in the cold rain and mud at Ohiri field. The booters, after drying off, had good reason to hold their heads high.

Fast, tough, intense, and ranked in the top 20 nationally, Hartwick found a worthy competitor in the Crimson.

The Crimson outshot Hartwick, penetrating on offense for most of the second half.

"We played pretty evenly with them, said Harvard Coach Jape Shattuck, adding that it was the first "full 90 minutes of good play, the first game we put two good halves together" this season.

The first half saw two Hartwick scores swim past Crimson goalie Phil Coogan. The wet field and a slipping fullback allowed for a breakaway goal, and a sliding Coogan watched the second goal splash into the net.

Coogan was unimpressed by the Hartwick offense. "We had more play on their side," especially in the second half, Coogan said. The four or five saves he made during the game weren't enough to keep him busy.

The Crimson's persistent second-half attacks on the Hartwick goal finally succeeded when Captain Leo Lanzillo headed in a cross from freshman Paul Nicholas. The offense continued its barrage for the remainder of the game, and may have pulled off a victory if it had an extra ten minutes.

State of Alert

"It would have been nice to win, to knock off one of the top 20 teams," Lanzillo said. "It was a game we could have won."

"It is disappointing to outplay a team and lose," Coogan said.

Although the game does not affect the Crimson's chances for a New England playoff berth, or its already guaranteed spot in the Greater Boston League playoffs, it does boost the Crimson's image.

As sophomore Frank DiFalco said. "Every time you play a top 20 team, it's important to prove something to people who don't think you're too good."

"Each time you do well against a good team, it gives you a reputation," shattuck explained.