The booters are hoping, however, that today's contest is not as defense-oriented as the squads' last encounter.

"We're hoping to have the game become an end-to-end kind of game," Scalise says. "We'd like a fast-tempo, high-paced game."

Catamount Coach John Carter agrees, noting that his team should have been more aggressive last time. "Harvard had a slight edge in play earlier in the year, but we will attempt to gear it up a little more."

The "slight edge" Carter referred to was a 25-5 Crimson lead in shots-on-goal and a 21-2 margin in corner kicks.

But numerical leads don't win ball games, unless the numbers in question are the final scores.

"We're confident but not overconfident," says Crimson freshman Julie Sasner, who will be participating in her first national tournament. "It's so exciting just to play on this caliber of team."

The squad's caliber could well be the highest in the nine-year history of the Harvard program.

Through 16 games, Whitley has allowed only six goals. The previous record was nine in 14 games (1978). And Harvard's 10 shutouts on the season shatter the old mark of eight (1980).

Crimson Co-Captain Jennifer Greeley spears the midfield, while senior Inga Larson heads an outstanding defense.

What this all adds up to is a Harvard squad that has work ahead of it, but good reason to be confident. "Player for player we have a better team than Vermont," says Landry.

If the Crimson survives today's game, and number-four seed University of Massachusetts knocks off 13th-ranked Boston College. Harvard will travel to Minuteman territory for next weekend's quarterfinals.

And after that, the path leads south to the NCAA Final Four, to be held November 17 and 18 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Scalise, for one, is ready to start the journey. "Vermont is very capable, but if we can play well...Good things happen when we play well!"