ITHACA, N.Y.--The game's first 89 minutes and 59 seconds had left the Harvard field hockey team just one second shy of a double overtime scoreless tie.

But the game's final second here last Saturday left the Crimson with plenty of time to pull off one of the most miraculous victories in the history of organized field hockey.

The Harvard squad that hadn't been able to score through 70 minutes of regulation and 19 minutes and 59 seconds of two overtimes tallied the only goal it needed with one second left in the contest on a Linda Runyon slapshot from five feet in front of the Cornell goal.

Runyon's rocket set off a wild Harvard celebration in front of the Big Red net.

The Cornell team slunk away in dispirited disbelief.

Two's the Charm

The 1-0 victory was the second in a row for the Crimson (2-4-1) and the first--against one loss--in Ivy League play. The loss dropped the Big Red to 3-4-1 (1-3 in the Ivy League).

Runyon's crucial tally was set up with 30 seconds remaining in double overtime.

Crimson wing Gia Barresi took a long pass from defender Anne Kelly at the midline and charged down-field.

No one stopped her until she came within 10 feet of the goal.

By that time a horde of Crimson and Big Red players were crowded around the net.

In the confussion, Barresi snuck a pass to Runyon.

"The ball went to Gia and then to me," Runyon said. "I took it around someone and flicked it in.

"All I thought was, 'Time is running out. There's no way I want to tie this game.'''

Harvard could have skipped the last-second heroics had someone tapped in Crimson midfielder Jane Grim's 18-ft. blast near the end of regulation play.