In early June, this paper will name a team of the year and a player of the year.

Most likely, that team will have won a good number of games and captured a league title or two.

And that player will have garnered many honors.

The team of the year certainly won't have won only three games. And averaged less than a goal per game.

But that's exactly what my choice for that honor--the Harvard field hockey team--did this year.

And that player won't be a freshman goalie who wasn't named to any All-teams.

But Denise Katsias is my choice.

I pick the stickwomen because of their grit and spirit in the face of defeat after defeat. There's something special about a team that plays in the cold and rain in front of 30 spectators, loses, but still manages moments of triumph.

I pick Katsias for her guts. And serenity.

The Crimson did not capture the Ivy title. (It finished tied for second with a middling 2-2-2 league mark.)

And the stickwomen were eliminated from NCAA Tournament contention early in the season--they posted a 0-4-1 record in their first five games.

The closest the Crimson came to national glory was when it dropped a hard-fought contest in the rain to eventual champion Connecticut, 2-0.

The squad scored only 10 goals all year. Three players shared the team scoring lead with two goals each, and you couldn't exactly call Kate Felsen, Gia Barresi and Cindi Ersek top-guns.

Often the team would hardly get a shot off at all. Against New Hampshire, the squad managed but three shots--none of them on goal.

But some of the goals the team did score were magnificent. Probably because they were so rare.