In an interview with the Crimson in late December, Farmer said that he originally passed on Larson because his pre-draft allocation of players already gave him considerable defensive depth.

"Larson did very well at the camp, but we already had the central defender from the Norwegian national team [Gro Espeseth] and then we drafted [former W-League Boston Renegades defender] Erica Iverson," Farmer said. "I was a little surprised [Larson] wasn't drafted, but you have to understand, a lot depends on what combination of players have already been allocated."

At this point, only Zotter has a secure position on a WUSA roster. Berman, Stauffer and Larson will all have to beat out lower draft choices to earn their roster spots.

Carrie Moore, Harvard's volunteer assistant coach this past season, was the 14th round pick of the Washington Freedom. She will be among those draft choices who must fight to preserve their place in the league.

"Some of my players were confused--they thought that when they were drafted they made the team, but this is not a done deal," Farmer said. "The beginning is not the end result. Those who are drafted are not guaranteed to make the team. There is still an opportunity to add through discovery."

Farmer has made quite a discovery in inviting Stauffer, one of the most decorated players in Ivy history. She is Harvard's third all-time leading scorer with 37 goals and 36 assists. She was a two-time Ivy Player of the Year, a three-time All-American and NSCAA National Scholar Athlete of the Year.

In 1999, she earned the ECAC's Award of Valor given to an athlete "whose courage, motivation and relentless determination serves as an inspiration to all." In the fall of 1997, Stauffer took a year off to provide support for her brother Matt, who died of leukemia in January of 1998.