"They grew more like each other than separate," soccer coach Tim Wheaton said. "Beth became more that type of [hard worker], while Genevieve was more of an off-the-field type person."

It worked. The Crimson finished 9-3-3 overall in the regular season and went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1984, improving from its 6-7 record of a year ago. Harvard was also undefeated in Ivy League play, coming in second place with a 5-0-2 league record.

The defining game of the year was the battle with Brown on November 5. A win would give Harvard the league title, while a loss or tie would make Brown the Ivy champ. The match would be a bitter disappointment for the Crimson, as the Bears came back from a 3-1 lead to tie, 3-3.

"We were so psyched," says Megan about the Brown game. "Everyone was really nervous--really an excited nervous--and so confident, but it just didn't happen."

Nevertheless, the season was a success, and Wheaton feels that Chelius and Megan played a large part in that.

"They were great for two reasons." Wheaton says. "Individually they were outstanding athletes and people--they led by example and were two to the hardest workers on the team. Secondly, they were off-the-field leaders, knowing what to say to get the team motivated."

Contrary to popular belief, a captain does not have an easy job.

"Being a captain is a big responsibility," Chelius says. "In high school, the responsibilities were limited to going out to midfield for the coin toss. But here, it's also talking to different players and resolving personal problems."

A captain is a sort of a player-coach, a person that participates in the sport and also serves as a go-between for his or her fellow players and the coaching staff.

To do this, the captain must be a model for the coach, and he or she has to understand and serve the unique needs of every teammate.

"You're always kind of on stage," senior soccer player Libby Eynon says. "You always have to be in a good mood."

As underclassmen, the foursome had a big taste of some successful captains. They met people like Ceci Clark '92, co-captain of the field hockey and lacrosse teams her junior and senior year. And they met Liz Berkerey '93, who co-captained the '93 lacrosse squad and tallied the tying goal in the team's 1990 NCAA Championship victory that completed Harvard's comeback from a 4-0 deficit against Maryland. (although the Crimson would eventually lose in overtime.)

These were the people that showed Chelius, Colligan, Megan and Winters what it meant to be a winner and a Champion.

"It adds some pressure," Colligan says. "I've known some powerful captains and want to achieve the monumental things they achieved."

The students are now the teachers, as the foursome has an entire new crop of underclassmen to lead and set an example for. And they know that someday the Class of 1998 will become the captains, trying live up to the standard set by their forbears.