At the head of every great team there is a great leader. The Harvard women's soccer team is no exception.

Co-captain Jess Larson has anchored a solid Crimson defense all season as Harvard finds itself atop the Ivy League standings and in position to reclaim the coveted league crown.

Larson has continued to showcase the form that has made her an All-Ivy selection in each of her first three years.

This weekend at the annual Harvard Invitational at Ohiri Field, the senior sweeper led a Harvard defense that allowed only one goal in two wins, a 2-1 ovetime win over Ivy rival Penn and a 1-0 defeat of No. 9 BYU. Her play on the weekend earned her team MVP honors for the invitational.

"[Larson] was wonderful," Wheaton said. "She just played so hard and great. She really leads everything for us back there."

"She totally handled [Maren Hendershot, BYU's] best player," freshman forward Beth Totman said. "And she totally shut down Penn's forwards on Saturday."

As a sweeper, Larson does not pile up the offensive statistics. This season, though, she has scored a goal and added two assists--the first points of her Harvard career.

Her importance to the Crimson offensive attack, however, cannot be measured in statistics. Larson is looked upon to start many of Harvard's advances up the field.