Harvard junior lacrosse star Lili Pew will undergo surgery Thursday at the University of Pennsylvania to repair torn ligaments and possible cartilage damage in her right knee. The Philadelphia native suffered the injury Saturday in the Crimson's match against Cornell.

One of Harvard's top athletes, Pew will miss the remainder of this year's lacrosse season and will begin rehabilitation early this summer. Doctors remain unsure how quickly-if at all-Pew will be able to return to the Crimson playing fields.

If she is unable to grace the Harvard fields next year, it will mark a major loss for Harvard athletics. For the pat three years, Pew has solidly flanked the Harvard field hockey squad's defense, achieved a national ranking as one of the Crimson's top squash players and, more recently, was on her way to becoming one of the area's top lacrosse stars.

"Lili's just one of those people I don't think you can replace," Harvard lacrosse Coach Carole Kleinfelder said last night. "It's just a shame that this had to happen to someone like her."

Pew suffered the painful injury just 10 minutes into Saturday's match, when she fell and twisted her right knee on the artificial turf of Cornell's Schoellkopf Field.

Nevertheless, the Kirkland House resident remained in high spirits last night, vowing that she'll be back as soon as possible. "I know inside that I'll come back," Pew said, adding, "I'm planning on it."

"The thing is she was coming on so strongly," Kleinfelder said. "She had come miles in her lacrosse play." In fact, Pew-who began her lacrosse days as a goalie and just moved to her field position last year-had delivered her finest performance ever last Wednesday, when she contributed three goals and three assists in the Crimson's 14-6 triumph over Brown.

Demonstration

However, it is Pew's inspiration that teammates and coaches say the Crimson squad will miss most during the junior's absence. "She's a lot of the heart of the team," Kleinfelder said. "Her contribution is as potent on the field as it is off."

Pew's injury-the latest in a long line of ailments that have plagued the Crimson squad all season-came as many lax women were fighting their way back from less serious injuries. Only Francesca DenHartog, who is still suffering from a bad back, and sophomore Lisa Black, who remains hobbled by a pulled Achilles tendon, are still not at 100 percent. Both, however, should play when the Crimson squad, now 7-3-1, return to action Saturday against Yale.