"I'm like a garbage collecter back on defense," Pew said, "and I only get to touch the ball when it gets through everyone else."

And with Ellen O'Neill and Michelle Ippolito turning in some superb performances up front yesterday, Pew didn't have much garbage to collect.

O'Neill and Ippolito keyed the midfield game, while senior Andy Mainelli took care of things in from of the goal. Last year's leading Harvard scorer, Mainelli tallied her third score of the young season when Gia Baressi found her wide open in front of the Providence goal.

That goal, with 24 minutes left to play, put Harvard on top, 1-0, and set the stage for Pew's penalty stroke five minutes later.

Lost in the fine offensive display was the outstanding play of freshman goalie Kristin Abely, who recorded the shutout in just her second collegiate game.

"Kristin is playing a lot older than she is," Mainelli says of the Yardling, who stopped into goal in Saturday's season-opening 2-1 win over Vermont just two days after she first showed up at practice.