The past is a hard thing to shake.

In 1990, the Harvard men's lacrosse team had its best season ever, advancing to the quarter finals of the NCAA tournament. For the juniors and seniors, that season is the standard by which they measure success.

But, at the same time, the Crimson has another, much darker memory to confront. Last season, Harvard opened up the year with an 11-8 loss to a less-than-spectacular C.W. Post team, and the season just got more frustrating with every game.

Harvard went 3-10 and tied for fifth (2-5) in the Ivies. Needless to say, the Crimson learned how to measure disappointment.

With those two contrasting season firmly in its mind, the team is looking for a mixture of experience and youth this year to help write a successful beginning to a new season.

Players said the team is concentrating fully on the present and trying to take advantage of all the new players and new looks.

"This year we're a lot more up beat, and we just want to get it going," senior goalie Chris Miller said.

Senior defender Pete Welch said that the team's optimistic attitude has a lot to do with the youth on the team.

"I'm very excited about the fresh blood this year," Senior defender Pete Welch. "They're really impressive."

Fifteen freshmen join the Crimson this season, including high school All-Americans Pat Marvin, Steven Gaffney and Michael Todd.

Offense was a big problem for Harvard last year, but the addition of young explosive players to the attack and midfield lines should give the crimson a boost.

"The freshmen are going to be a big Contribution this year," Co-Captain Paul Faust said. "They've adjusted to the higher level of play and are fitting into the team well."

Harvard Coach Scott Anderson said that the team's success will depend on how well the younger players perform.

"The biggest problem last year was our inability to score," Anderson said. "That's where our youth will fit in this year."

"It's hard for me to gauge how [the freshman] will react to a Division I level of play," Anderson said. "And I don't want to put too much pressure on the freshmen."