The Harvard men's golf team had to battle the elements yesterday on a cold, windy day at the Duxbury Yacht Club.

And along with the gusty winds and 40-degree temperatures, the Crimson faced two Ivy League golf powerhouses--traditional rivals Princeton and Yale.

"It got really windy," junior Dave Friedman said. "That made it tough."

Not exactly a casual afternoon at the ol'country club.

Yet the Crimson (2-3 overall) played very well, finishing a respectable third with a team score of 409, only two shots back from the Tigers (407) and 12 shots behind the Elis (397).

"They are easily the two best teams in the Ivy League," junior Captain Ross Cockrell said. "We almost pulled an upset."

And while the Crimson thought that the Tigers or the Elis might cruise to a blowout, it was the wind that was its stiffest opponent.

"We were expecting to get blown out," Friedman said. "I thought we played really well."

Stracks on Track

Leading all scores was Yale's John Stracks, who shot a scorching 75. Right on his tail was sophomore Andy Chao, who led the Crimson with a 78, tying for second best among all scores.

Behind Chao was sophomore Robert Kincaid, who tied for fourth place with a round of 80. The secondyear duo have been consistent standouts for the Crimson all season.

Sophomore Dave Miller and Cockrell shot rounds of 84 and 85, respectively, and Friedman pulled out his second consecutive strong finish from the seventh spot, ending up his day with an 82.

Comeback Trail

Friedman's success has been somewhat of a surprise.

"I didn't play too well on the spring trip," Friedman said. "I'm starting to make a comeback."

Not such a bad day, after all.

"Yale and Princeton are so strong and so experienced. They're mostly upperclassmen," Cockrell said. "We're a young team, so it was nice to finish this close."

With this solid performance comes a boost in confidence for the Crimson, especially important since the team is gearing up for its Ivy League contests in two weeks.

"We feel like we can win the Ivies," Cockrell said.

THE NOTEBOOK: Before heading into its Ivy matches, the Crimson must first face crosstown rival Tufts and western Massachusetts foe Amherst. The match is scheduled for next Tuesday.