The Harvard men's lacrosse team's goal this year is to return to the NCAA tournament and advance as far as possible.

The No. 19 Crimson took a huge step towards realizing that dream with a dramatic 13-12 victory over No 10 UMass two nights ago.

"This win really legitimizes our record [7-3, 3-1 Ivy]," said coach Scott Anderson after the game. "None of our earlier wins enhanced our credibility because the teams we beat have not performed that well themselves, so this was a crucial victory for us."

To solidify its position in the eyes of the selectors, Harvard will have to dominate the rest of its opposition, including Yale (2-7, 0-3), which it plays in New Haven this weekend.

All four of its remaining opponents are sub-.500 and are a combined 9-24. An upset would be disastrous, while a close victory wouldn't help.

Brown, Cornell and Penn, Harvard's three Ivy victories, are all mired in losing seasons, so Harvard will look to piggy-back on the wins of its victims. The idea is that you can compare two teams who do not play by how they fare against shared competition.

By this logic, Harvard will hope that its rivals, like UMass, continue to lose and the teams that beat the Crimson (Duke, Princeton and Hobart) continue to play impressively.

Those three teams are virtually assured of a berth already, which would lessen the implication of those losses.

Yale does represent a small opportunity in terms of this rule of transitivity. The Bulldogs scored an 11-10 win against Rutgers, which is ranked above Harvard after beating highly-regarded Syracuse. An impressive Harvard victory would raise its relative standing.

Lost in this tangled web of connectivity is the fact that the Crimson will have to score against a Yale team that can play excellent defense.

Led by senior captain Vin Ferraro, a Second-Team All-Ivy player last year, and sophomore Don Gerne, the close defensive unit may present some difficulties.

Junior goalie Joe Pilch, who was Ivy Rookie of the Year two years ago, provides another defensive presence. A 230-pound ex-football player, he is a big obstacle in net and an intimidating presence who leaves the crease to make bone-jarring hits.

Harvard roughed up the Bulldogs last year, notching a satisfying 13-5 victory, and will try for similar success tomorrow.

As the superior team, Harvard will have to guard against a letdown. However, the bottom line is that the Crimson is propelled by the knowledge that it can't afford to lose. The fun of beating Old Eli is only an added bonus.