The dream was reborn in defeat.

Last year, the Harvard women's lacrosse team travelled to Hanover, N.H. and fell to Dartmouth. For the first time in six years, the Crimson was not the Ivy League champion.

Women's Lacrosse

1986 record: 11-4

1987 record to date: 5-2-1

(four Ivy games remaining)

Harvard had won or shared the league title in five of the first seven years of the sport's Ivy League history. But in Hanover, in front of 1000 screaming fans, Dartmouth was the new champion.

"Next year," the Crimson players thought, "we'll get it back."

Now--next year, this year--the Crimson is back. The team's two co-captains and all-Ivy selections--Blair Wardenburg and Genie Simmons--are gone. But the core of last year's Ivy runner-up is back. Ready to win back the title. And even do a little more.

The team is young. Nine freshmen and four sophomores are on the roster. But, so far, the Crimson has tamed the Ivy League. Harvard bounced Penn ad Princeton over spring break to leap to a 2-0 league start. In the next two weeks, the Crimson will play five games, four against Ivy opponents.

"We're sitting pretty in the Ivies right now," Harvard Coach Carole Kleinfelder said. "The Ivies look to be tougher than they've been in the past. I think we're capable of doing well, but we have to start playing a more mature-type game."

The Crimson can look for mature play from its captain, Kelly McBride, who led the league in scoring last year with 24 goals. Saturday, McBride helped the Crimson to a breezy 24-9 victory over Northeastern by scoring six goals--all in the first half.

McBride is not the only Crimson player capable of putting the ball into the net. Kate Felsen, Cindi Ersek and Leelee Groome provide an excellent supporting cast for McBride.

"One person can't carry us," Groome says, "we need help from everyone."

On defense, the Crimson is equally strong. sophomore goalie Kelly Dermody continues to show improvement. Lisi Balliere and Katie McAnaney head a quick and stingy defensive corps.

Winning the Ivy League is the first goal of this team. With that a definite possibility, the Crimson has allowed itself to dream a little beyond a league crown to higher heights--appearances in the ECAC and NCAA tournaments.

The first step toward league and national glory will come against Brown tomorrow in Providence. After finishing in third last year with a 3-3 mark, the Bruins are on the rise, hungry to cop their first title.

Harvard is hungry to win back that title.

"Against [Ivy League opponents] we're strong," Groome says. "You can see our inexperience, but it won't keep us from winning the Ivies. Now we have to grind down."

"The team itself is really personable," Groome adds. "Everyone plays well together, and it's fun. But now we have to concentrate on playing our best."

Kleinfelder has been a little discouraged by her team's play of late--Harvard fell to UMass, 10-8, last Wednesday. But she sees promise. The dream is alive and well.

"We need to do a lot of coaching, but I'm not discouraged," Kleinfelder says. "I think we can be a good team by the end of the season."