The odyssey of the 1985 Harvard men's lacrosse team finally ended Saturday with a 13 7 loss at Dartmouth.

The laxmen (3-11) closed out their season against their only challenger for already incident and with the loss, assured themselves of the cellar, with and 0-6 Ivy mark.

The squad's journey from Ivy League title contention as late as the seventh game of its schedule to Ivy cellar-dwellers by season's end is as puzzling as it is disappointing.

With the loss to Dartmouth (2-9 entering the games. Harvard continued its confusing pattern of defeat--light losses to nationally ranked teams and lopsided defeats by sub-500 opponents.

Six of the Crimson's seven losses to ranked teams were by a combined margin of 18 goals. On the other hand, the laxmen dropped four contests to also-ran squads by a 59-32 score.

At least Harvard wasn't predictable in defeat. After a five game losing streak midway through the season due to poor first periods, the laxmen played their second consecutive strone opening on Saturday, only to be blown out in the second period for the second straight week.

The Crimson played the Big Green even in the first stanza, matching the hosts' five goals with five of its own As scoring leader Chris Pujols said, "It looked like it was going to be a pretty good Lacrosse game."

But as the laxmen have learned painfully this season, one period does not a victory make.

"We didn't shoot that well," Pujols said, "and their goalic came up big a couple of times."

Tight defense by the Green and its held the Crimson in the second quarter, while Dartmouth tallied four to leave the Crimson in the familiar position of trailing big at the half.

Recently, the laxmen have seemed unable to duplicate the strong second halves they played earlier in the season. Dartmouth outscored the excomeback kids 4-2 in the second half to send the Crimson to its eighth defeat in the last nine games.

THE NOTEBOOK: Two-time All-America Rob Hawley ended his Harvard lacrosse career with a goal and a season-high three assists....Pujols, a junior, added a goal and an assist to lead the team in assists (30) for the first time, and in goals (26) and points (56) for the second consecutive year. Big Green, 13-7 Harvard (3-11)  5-0-2  0--7 Dartmouth (3-9)  5-4-3  1--13

Goals H. Tom 2. Rob Hawley. Tim McCaffery, Chris Pujols Pete Follows Paul Garavante D. Dave Burt 5. Rob Cote 2. Tim Downes Mike Thompson. Charlie Glidehaus, Bill Maag, John Van Slyke, Jack Bocock.

Assists: H. Hawley 3, McCaffery, Pujols; D. Cote 2, Burt, Downes, Thompson, Glidehaus, Mike Krupka, Chris Little.

Saves: H. Mike Bergmann, 15; D. Scott Kehoe, 18 Phil Bayaly, 4.