Last week, Harvard men's soccer Coach Jape Shattuck called Saturday's showdown with Brown "the most important game of the season."

If that's so, then the Crimson booters came up with their "most important win" of the season, decisively clefeating a visiting Bruin squad, ranked sixth in New England, 4-1 at Ohiri Field.

"This was a big win, not only because Brown was a good team, but because it was an impressive win," Crimson Captain Lane Kenworthy said.

Harvard now stands at 8-4 (3-2 lvy), and Saturday's Victory should improve its seventh-place ranking in the fall-important New England regional rankings.

Only the top two teams in New England will receive bids for NCAA postseason play, and Harvard must win the rest of its New England games to even be considered.. The Crimson plays the fifth-ranked University of Massachusetts squad Tuesday afternoon at Ohiri.

Although it was Harvard that prevailed before 100 partisan fans Saturday, it was the Bruins who made the preemptive strike.

In the 10th minute, Brown Captain Chris Strausser took advantage of some confusion in the Harvard area caused by a well-orchestrated free kick to drive a beautiful volley into the upper right corner of the goal from about 20 yards out.

Harvard equalized in the 30th minute when junior striker John Catliff, after bringing the ball down the middle of the pitch into the Brown penalty area, passed over to midfielder Nikhil Sigh.

The determined Singh was able to hit the ball past Bruin 'Keeper Barry Friedman even though he was in the act of falling down after being challenged by a Brown defender.

Two minutes later, midfield schemer Paul Nicholas set up the second Crimson goal. The Scotsman found a seam in the Bruin defense, dribbled down near the end line, and pulled a pass back into the middle to the waiting right foot of an unmarked Catliff. who banged it in

Kenworthy put the third tally on the board in the 42nd minute.