First, the current news.

Today at Ohiri Field, the Harvard women's lacrosse team (9-0 overall, 5-0 Ivy League) will face Dartmouth. A win would give the Crimson its eighth Ivy title since 1981 and improve its league record since 1981 to 50-3.

The Crimson should be ranked number one in this week's national poll, announced today by the National Women's Lacrosse Coaches' Association. Harvard was ranked second in last week's poll behind Penn State, which lost to Princeton last week.

Is this a normal state of affairs for the Crimson? The possibility of a top national ranking may be something new for Harvard. But winning? That's normal stuff.

Time now for a history lesson-with help from Crimson in Triumph by Joe Bertagna '73.

Bertagna's section on women's lacrosse says that 1979 was the decisive year-when Carole Kleinfelder, who coached the U.S. national lacrosse team in 1978, took over the Harvard program.

Kleinfelder, now in her 11th season, has posted an overall record of 135-49-3. Okay, 1979 was a decisive year.

And so was 1981, the year Harvard captured its first Ivy title with a perfect 6-0 league record. The Crimson entered the NCAA tournament, proud owners of a 17-0 overall mark. After skipping past James Madison, 11-4, in the first round, Harvard lost to Maryland, 5-3, in the semifinals, and Temple, 8-6, in the consolation game.

Dynamic

Then there was the scoring duo of sophomores Francesca DenHartong and Maureen Finn, who, from 1980 to 1983, combined for 629 points.

Check the Ivy League record books for women's lacrosse:

Most goals in a season: DenHartog, 30 (1981).

Most goals in a career: DenHartog, 95 (1980-1983).

Most points in a game: Finn, 13 (1982, vs. Cornell).

Most points in a season: DenHartog, 46 (1981).