The Harvard men's tennis team yesterday clinched at least a share of the Eastern Inter-collegiate Tennis Association title by downing Dartmouth, 7-2.

More important than just the crown, though, the win qualified the netmen (15-3 over all, 8-0 EITA) for the NCAA tournament.

"We are very happy over taking back the title [which Harvard had won three of the previous four years]," sophomore Darryl Laddin said "We desperately wanted this--it was our goal from day one."

Defending EITA champ Columbia could still tie for league laurels if the Lions win the rest of their matches and the Crimson loses to Princeton in its regular season finale, but the Cantabs would still advance to the NCAAs by virtue of their 7-2 pounding of Colombia earlier this year.

Since that victors, Harvard has been the overwhelming favorite to take back the title. Thus, the most surprising thing about yesterday's contest may have been that the netmen lost two matches.

The Crimson hadn't lost two matches to the same opponent in its previous five contests and had a combined 59-4 match record over its last seven meets.

Fittingly, it was Crimson co-captain and first singles player Larry Scott who Clinched the crown for Harvard. Scott has led the team to greatness all year, and bus 6-1, 6-7, 6-2 victory provided the fifth and title winning match for the netmen.

Dave Backman also needed three sets to dispatch his second singles opponent, finally winning 6-4, 6-7, 6-3. At third single, Bill Stanley was a straight-sets winner.

Peter Plandjian and Laddin were also singles conquerers for the Crimson, while Arkie Engle suffered the team's only singles loss at the number-six spot.

Scott and Engle won at first doubles and Palandjian and Laddin won at third. However, Paul Palandjian and Beckman fell 7-5, 7-5 at the second spot.

"There's no feeling of contentment," Scott said. "It's a very satisfying feeling to win the Ivy championship," but we've still got higher goals to reach.

"Right now we're looking forward to the NCAAs," he continued. "We've never won a round there, and we're looking forward to the future and what we can still accomplish."

In the immediate future, the netmen must deal with a tough Princeton squad, one they are certainly not overlooking. "Everyboody's ecstatic," Ladding said. "and we'll be more ecstatic after the Princeton match."