Throw in the loss of last year's starting goalkeeper and another All-Ivy second teamer in senior Anne Browning--who left the squad after last season to concentrate on crew--and the prospects for the 1999 version of the team were none too good.

But all was not lost. Harvard Coach Tim Wheaton brought in a strong freshman class to complement a solid core of senior leadership. In reality, the Crimson ship was righted from the start.

Harvard counted on its first-year stars to jump right into the starting roster, as four freshmen found themselves firmly entrenched in the Crimson lineup in the team's opening- day win over Texas Christian.

Freshman forwards Beth Totman and Joey Yenne--both of whose high school credentials could fill volumes--stepped in spectacularly to carry the brunt of the Crimson scoring load. The duo tallied 19 and 18 points respectively, good for the top two spots on the team and second and fourth in the Ivy League.

Freshman Bryce Weed contributed heavily in midfield spot vacated by Stauffer, earning her First Team All-Ivy honors in her first year. Weed netted five goals and four assists for 14 points on the year, and created countless scoring opportunities for Harvard with her athleticism and ball-handling skills.

Classmate Orly Ripmaster added three goals and two assists in limited action in the midfield to further bolster the Crimson attack.

But the freshman with the biggest impact on the year may have been the one in goal, Cheryl Gunther. Gunther stepped into the sport's most pressure-filled position and simply shined. Gunther led the Ivy League in goals against average (0.44), goals allowed (seven) and save percentage (.922) en route to the league's Rookie of the Year award.