All the damage has taken a mental toll on the lot of them.

"I was looking forward to this year because I now feel comfortable and I don't feel that awkward feeling that you have when you're new," Totman said. "The injury that I have now was a huge letdown, but I can only try to keep in good shape in hope that I'll be able to play."

With the trio of sophomore stars missing, five of their classmates remain to pick up the pieces. Ripmaster, for one, has already demonstrated an ability to shoulder some of the offensive load. Now a starter at midfielder, Ripmaster scored what proved to be the game-winning goal against Vermont last Friday.

"Although my class has experienced some serious injuries, which are tough to work through, a core of us is still eager to be leaders on the team and experience another winning season," she said.

Other players are stepping up their production, too. Yenne, for instance, netted her first career hat trick last Friday. Just two games into the season, she already has half as many goals as she did all of last year when she was the team's second-leading scorer behind Totman.

"Because our class is so phenomenal on the field, I feel that it's largely going to be our responsibility to take on a leadership role," Yenne said. "Even though we're only sophomores, we have the experience and talent to help this team get to the level we were at last year."

That wealth of experience should translate into helpful advice for the team's newest members. For the second year in a row, Harvard will boast an eight-person freshman contingent considered among the best in the nation, as Coach Tim Wheaton ushers in a group of recruits ranked 17th in a poll by Soccer Buzz.

Just like their predecessors, the new rookies are already evoking praise for their quick transition to the college game--an adjustment that, as Weed can say from personal experience, is never easy, but is definitely helped by team chemistry.

"Moving away from home for the first time and being immediately placed in a high intensity situation with little idea of what to expect was challenging for us all last year," she said. "However, the number of us and the immediate bond that we established with each other helped make every aspect of the transition much easier."

If Harvard's second wave of blue-chip recruits mature as quickly as its first did, the Crimson should have little trouble overcoming adversity to vie for the Ivy title, which, Totman says, has always been the team's aim.

"Our main goal is to win the Ivies and this is what we focus on," she said. "Winning an Ivy title my freshman year was a great feeling, and I don't want to, nor do I intend to, forget that feeling. I'm positive that the rest of the team feels the same way."