Despite a late goal from midfielder Leelee Groome, the Harvard field hockey team fell to Boston University, 2-1, last night before 40 spectators at Nickerson Field.

Groome, who saw extensive playing time for her second straight game after spending most of the season on the bench, popped a corner pass into the Terrier net with 3:29 left in the game.

Groome's first goal of the year sparked the stickwomen, who put on an impressive two-minute drill with time running out.

But another Groome shot off a penalty corner missed right in the last minutes as the Crimson could not net a tying goal. Harvard's overall record dropped to 3-8-3 overall.

"Once we scored we got pumped up," Harvard Co-Captain Gia Barresi said. "We started playing real well. We just ran out of time."

Harvard faces Yale tomorrow at Soldiers Field in the season finale for both teams. Both the Crimson (1-2-2 Ivy League) and Elis (1-4) are looking for their second league win.

Harvard--which finished tied with Yale for second place in the league last year--needs a victory to match its 1985 Ivy record. The Elis will be looking to prove that their record is not a proper reflection of their team's skill.

"It's a big game," Barresi said. "We definitely would love to finish up on a good note."

The Crimson and the Terriers battled to a scoreless first half on the artificial turf last night. Harvard was hampered early because Crimson Coach Nita Lamborghini chose not to start Co-Captains Barresi and Jenny Pyle.

Lamborghini inserted freshman JV player Lynn Frangione in Pyle's important sweeper position. And Frangione, playing in her first varsity contest, perfomed solidly until Pyle was inserted late in the first half.

"The first half was slow," said Barresi, noting that her team performed better on artificial turf in a 1-0 loss to Boston College last week.

"We're a much better turf team than we were in the beginning of the season," Groome said. "We've learned to use the big ball--big hits that get up the field."

B.U. netted its two goals early in the second half--the first off a spinning shot outside the penalty circle that rolled off Harvard goalie Denise Katsias' pads and into the net.

The second Terrier goal came off a penalty corner with 20 minutes left in the game.

Harvard scored two late goals to knock off Brown University, 2-1, last Saturday, but couldn't repeat the magic last night, despite Groome's heroic efforts.

In her last two games, Groome has two assists and a goal. She hadn't recorded any points in her previous 12 games.

"She's had two really good games," Barresi said. "She's definitely playing well."

"I feel like a million bucks," Groome said.

THE NOTEBOOK: For her two goals against Brown, Crimson forward Sharon Landau was named lvy League Player of the Week, the first Harvard player to be so honored this year. Two Crimson players--Linda Runyon and Bambi Taylor--earned the honor last year. Both have since graduated....Landau, a freshman, leads the the team in goals with seven...Brown Coach Wendy Anderson was very impressed with Crimson forward Char Joslin's play last Saturday, and said she would vote for Joslin for lvy League Rookie of the Year. Harvard goalie Katsias finished third in the Rookie of the Year balloting last after turning in a stellar rookie season.