One of the characteristics of a highly ranked team in any sport is the ability to win, even when outplayed.

The University of Connecticut field hockey team, ranked second in the nation, proved that point yesterday by defeating Harvard, 2-0, on blustery Soldier's Field.

In fact, the triumphant Huskies were outplayed in almost every aspect of the game, with the final score the only notable exception.

"The team played a great game, I'm very proud of them," Harvard Coach Edie Mabrey said of her troops, who played perhaps their finest hockey of the year despite extending their amount of consecutive scoreless minutes to 280-four straight games.

Not too coincidentally, the Crimson (now 2-4 overall) has dropped each of those four games.

But if ever a loss showed that a team is headed in the right direction, it was yesterday's two-goal defeat at the hands of the Huskies.

For Harvard created more opportunities than it's had since its two season-opening wins and had the highly ranked Huskies (now 9-0) on the ropes for much of the game.

Crimson Captain Ellen O'Neill, who led the Crimson yesterday with five shots on goal, was most optimistic about the squad's fortunes.

"This game has given us a lot of confidence," O'Neill said. "More than frustrating, it has given us a little push."

Perhaps what gave the Crimson its biggest push yesterday, and its biggest shot in the arm, was someone who wasn't even on the playing field.

Enter Bambi Taylor, In goal.

The junior forward replaced freshman Kristin Abely--who joined the team just two days before season's start and then proceeded to start the squad's first five games for almost three-fourths of yesterday's contest. Though the Crimson lost one of its most potent scorers by putting Taylor in goal for the first time ever, the move seemed to lift the Cantabs like nothing else had this year.

And as a result, the Cantabs dominated the early portion of the game, out-shooting the Huskies, 16-9, in the first half. Only Harvard's inability to turn its superior plays into points stopped the Crimson from pulling off what would have been a major upset.

The splendid play of Husky goalie Terry Kix, who notched her fifth shutout of the year, also averted any Harvard hopes.

In the end, what killed Harvard most though, was that the visiting Huskies proved a bit too powerful for even Taylor, who turned in some equally acrobatic saves of her own.

Almost 18 minutes into the game, Uconn struck like lightning. Marjory Abbott drilled a shot into the right corner of the goal. Taylor, who appeared to be screened on the play, did not see the balt until it was too late.

The second half was a carbon copy of the first, with Connecticut outplayed, but Harvard outscored.

At 23:46 Rose Smith cruised down the left side of the field unchallenged and whacked the ball into the top right-hand corner of the net.

With about 10 minutes left, Abely took over in goal for Taylor, who quickly changed and rushed onto the field as a forward.

Taylor's presence on the field seemed to bring another new drive to the squad, but the Crimson was unable to net the ball.

But as Harvard new gears for the all-important Ivy opener Saturday at Penn, its newly found ability to put shots on goal was clearly the most important aspect of yesterday's loss.

"We did have the shots." O'Neill said adding "that's the important part."