The close losses are always the toughest ones.

Just ask the Harvard men's lacrosse team following yesterday's game with Brown.

The Crimson, which battled back from a four-goal deficit in the fourth quarter, surrendered a last-minute tally off the stick of Brown's Walt Cataldo and fell, 8-7, in front of 200 fans at Ohiri Field.

With the defeat, Harvard (now 6-2 overall, 2-2 Ivy League) dropped from contention in the battle for the league title, as both Brown and Cornell now boast perfect 3-0 records in the Ivies.

But the Crimson was gallant in its effort to tie the game in the final stanza. Trailing 7-3 with only 11 minutes left to play, Harvard put in four goals in a six-minute span to knot the score, 7-7.

"I was pleased to see this team come back like it did," Harvard Coach Bob Scalise said. "We turned over the ball too much in both the first and third quarters. Otherwise it could have been a win."

Both squads scored in streaks throughout the hard-played contest. The Briuns jumped on the scoreboard early with two goals in the first four minutes of play, and another goal at the start of the second period put them ahead by three.

Then it was the Crimson's turn to capture the momentum, as it powered in three goals within a four-minute stretch in the second quarter to tie the game.

Brown fought right back, however, notching a score with only 56 seconds left in the half to grab a 4-3 lead. Three more Bruin goals in the third quarter made the score 7-3 with one period to play.

That's when the Crimson's Bill Pennoyer started to take control of the game. With 11 minutes left, the big defenseman took the ball the length of the field and shot it past Brown goalie Steven Ayers to make it 7-4.

Less than two minutes later, Pennoyer sprinted downfield again, but this time hit freshman David Kramer with a pass in front of the net. Kramer tucked in the shot, reducing the deficit to two goals.

Danger Zone

With seven minutes left, Harvard's Steve Lux passed from behind the net to an open Chris Garvey, whose goal brought the Crimson within one, 7-6. Kramer almost tied it up at the five-minute mark, but his shot hit the right post and bounced out of the danger zone.

Finally, with 4:18 remaining, freshman Mark Donovan notched an unassisted goal to even the score at 7-7, capping the run of four consecutive Crimson goals.

But the Bruins were able to hold the ball for most of the remaining four minutes, and with 26 seconds left Cataldo scored the game winner. Harvard goalie Mike Bergmann made the initial save on the shot from another Brown player, but the rebound came right out to Cataldo, who put it home for the win.

The Crimson had one more chance to tie the contest, but Ayers made a save on Garvey's last-second attempt to clinch the win.

Kramer led Harvard in scoring for the game, putting in two goals and earning one assist. Lux also had three points, all of them coming on assists.

Pennoyer finished with one goal and one assist, while Perry Dodge, Rob Griffith, Donovan and Garvey scored one goal apiece. Bergmann made 22 saves in the game, while Ayers wound up with 12 for Brown.

While the Crimson may no longer be in contention for the Ivy title, it still has a good chance to earn a spot in next month's NCAA tournament, provided that it does well in its six remaining games.

"There is still a lot of season left," said Scalise, coaching in his final game against his alma mater. "We have to go out and win some games if we want to be considered for an NCAA bid."