Last season, suffering from a lack of leadership in the backfield, the New Havenites slumped to a 5-8-2 finish (2-3-2 Ivy). But with Zenobi at sweeper--and playing at full strength, after missing a pair of mid-season contests because of injury--Yale has reemerged as a defensive power in New England.
And providing the backbone for the entire squad is senior goalie Jeff Duback. A member of the West team at last summer's Olympic Sports Festival in Houston, Duback was named First Team All-America his sophomore year at Yale.
In the Elis' 14 contests thus far, Duback has allowed only five goals, giving him a goals-against average of 0.26. His 10 shutouts this year and his 24 career whitewashes are both Yale records.
Duback's counterparts on the Harvard side are sophomores Chad Reilly and Stephen Hall. Hall was tabbed as the Crimson's top net-minder entering the season but has suffered from a lingering viral infection for much of the year.
Reilly, who has played in nine of Harvard's 13 contests, owns a 0.91 g.a.a. and a .786 save percentage. In limited action, Hall has recorded a 1.25 g.a.a and a .750 save percentage.
With the Crimson attack putting on a show of late--23 goals in six games--both goalies have enjoyed the luxury of consistent offensive support.
Currently leading Harvard in scoring are freshman Derek Mills (10 goals and four assists for 24 points), senior John Catliff (9-4--22), and junior Nick Hotchkin (6-8--20).
Come Sunday, the Crimson scoring machine will come face-to-face with the Eli shutout machine. Although the result will not decide the Ivy crown--that event will have to wait until Wednesday--it will bring either Harvard or Yale's post-season to an early close.
HARVARD (8-2-3 overall, 3-0-2 Ivy) YALE (11-2-1 overall, 5-0-1 Ivy) MIT W 3-0 Central Conn. W 2-1 (OT) Columbia W 4-1 Brown W 1-0 Connecticut T 1-1 (OT) Providence W 1-0 Brandeis W 3-2 (OT) Cleveland State W 2-0 Hartwick L 3-1 Massachusetts W