PROVIDENCE--The best defense may be a great offense, but the best defense still can't win you games.

Despite brilliant play by junior goalie Denise Katsias, the Harvard field hockey team proved that theory true today here at the Margolies Athletic Center in Providence, R.I., suffering a frustrating 1-0 loss to Brown.

The Crimson (now 6-6-2, 1-3-1 in Ivies) was unable to produce enough offense to touch the Bruins, who won on sophomore forward Barbara Wiley's second-half goal. Harvard has now scored only one goal in the last three games.

"We weren't offensive enough," Harvard Coach Nita Lamborghini said. "We were able to mount some second-half pressure, but not enough necessary scoring opportunities."

Despite the Crimson's inability to put anything in the goal, the game was far from decided entering the second half. Well into the stanza, the Bruins' own offensive machine had failed to put anything past Katsias.

Most of the first period took place in Harvard's end of the field, but several fine saves by Katsias--including an excellent stick save with 13 minutes left in the half--kept the Bruins at bay. It was clear, however, that Brown was playing superior hockey, and that the Crimson needed a big break.

But that break never came, as Brown flooded the Crimson goal area with shots from nearly every angle.

"They put tremendous pressure on our defense," Lamborghini said.

Katsias's kick save denied Brown forward Katherine Wilder with 34 minutes remaining. Several more brilliant saves by the Crimson goalkeeper and tough defense led by Tri-Captain Jane Grim kept Brown scoreless until Wiley broke Harvard's defensive spell at the 16:27 mark.

Sliding a rebound off Katsias's pads and into the goal, Wiley became Brown's leading scorer this season with six goals and two assists.

Despite aggressive midfield play by Tri-Captain Kate Felsen, the Crimson was still unable to threaten the Brown goal until three minutes were left in the game. Bruin goalie Sarah Lamont continued her masterful freshman campaign by kicking away one final Harvard threat in the last minute to close out the shutout--the Crimson's third consecutive loss.

"We didn't execute," said Tri-Captain Cindy Ersek. "They simply outplayed us."

The Harvard stickwomen will try to close the 1987 campaign above .500 Wednesday afternoon, when they travel to New Haven to close the season against Yale.