Just a few months ago, senior Tom McLaughlin raced by a tightly packed defense and rifled a shot past Princeton goalkeeper Ethan Bing to clinch victory for the Harvard men's soccer team. This spring, he hopes to repeat the feat against Tony Meola.

For the second straight year, Harvard's captain has been drafted by a club in Major League Soccer (MLS), the United States' top professional soccer league. Last year, midfielder Will Kohler was selected by Metrostars, but he opted for the security of a job in finance. This season, forward McLaughlin got the call, and he intends to give MLS a shot.

"I'm still looking at recruiting, but soccer is my bag, and I'm not ready to hang up the boots," McLaughlin said.

The 1997 Ivy League Player of the Year and leading scorer, McLaughlin caught the eye of professional scouts and was chosen by the New England Revolution in the final round of the 1998 College Draft with the 36th overall pick.

"We have definitely helped our team in this year's drafts," said Revolution Head Coach Thomas Rongen. "[McLaughlin is] a quick and intelligent player."

"Tommy's a real great leader on our term," Harvard defender Ryan Kelly said. "He's one of the most explosive players I've ever played with."

As highly regarded as he is, McLaughlin still face an uphill battle for a roster spot. MLS teams are permitted to carry just 20 players on their rosters.

As an attacking player, the competition McLaughlin will face will be especially fierce. The Revolution recently acquired standout El Salvadoran striker Raul Diaz Arce in a blockbuster trade which sent its most recognizable player--defender Alexi Lalas--southward to Metrostars.

In addition, a healthy Joe-Max Moore returns to the team for another season. Lately, Moore has been a mainstay of the U.S. National Team, and he could even command a spot in the team's first eleven in the World Cup finals this summer.

"I don't see much room up front any-more," McLaughlin said. "I'm not going to beat [Moore and Diaz Arce] out."

The Revolution also possesses a wealth of young attacking talent, as it used three of its four college picks this year on offensive-minded players in an effort to improve on its league-low 40 goals last season. The first of those selections was Johnny Torres, this season's Hermann Trophy winner, college soccer's version of the Heisman.

McLaughlin is not intimidated, though.

"I'm sure it's good competition out there, but I really feel comfortable with my play," McLaughlin said. "I'm confident."

If the competition for roster spots does not pose enough difficulty for McLaughlin, there is the small matter of spring semester preventing him from proving his worth to his new coach.

McLaughlin is intent on graduating with the class of '98, which means that he cannot turn his attention to soccer in earnest until early June.