It shouldn't have ended this way.

It shouldn't have ended this way for captain Mike Clare. The senior offensive lineman, who is roundly respected by his teammates and coaches alike, deserved better than that yesterday. For all the work and sacrifice of the last four years, he at least merited the opportunity to taste victory one last time in the place he called home for so long.

It shouldn't have ended this way for Chuck Nwokocha. The senior tailback, whose mother came to watch him play in his final game at Harvard, did all that he could to help his team win yesterday. In the second quarter, the speedy Nwokocha shocked the Elis with a 94-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. It was the longest such return by a Harvard player against Yale, and it was the first TD return for Harvard in 17 years. Despite this Herculean effort, Nwokocha lost to Yale for the third straight time, and for the second and final time at home.

It shouldn't have ended this way for Neil Rose. The junior quarterback was hailed as a savior when he revitalized the offense and led the team to untold productivity. He set records in almost every significant category and will be remembered as one of Harvard's finest passers. And yet, sadly, Rose valiantly deteriorated yesterday before his fellow students, admiring supporters and more importantly, his family, who had flown in from Hawaii.

Rose is, in a sense, our tragic hero. He was the powerful Achilles whose heel was interceptions and whose death was in the greatest of wars--The Game.

Far from the lauded leader, it shouldn't have ended this way for the unsung heroes of this young team. At the start of this season, many wouldn't have recognized the names of Nick Palazzo, Matt Leiszler or Dante Balestracci. Now, after their enormous contributions to the team and their competitive drive, it's hard to imagine we could soon forget those names. It is unjust for such a good group of talented and dedicated players to go without the laurels of victory.

However, as the saying goes, life is unfair.