With a lingering taste of disappointment from last season and a sense of untapped potential for next season, the Harvard football team closed out its four-week spring practice regimen on Friday afternoon with the annual Crimson-White Spring Game at Harvard Stadium.

As the customary final time to suit up and play before September, the Spring Game provides a showcase for the standout talent of the Crimson's experienced team as well as an opportunity for new faces to make an impression.

On Friday, the veterans certainly solidified their hold on their starting jobs this fall, but the real story was the improvement of previously weak areas for the Crimson and the spirited play of relative newcomers who may make a splash come autumn.

In particular, fans at the stadium were most pleased with the renaissance of beleaguered placekicker Robbie Wright. Last season, the freshman struggled in his role as kicking specialist, going 3-for-8 on field goals and missing two potential game-winners in Ivy contests. Toward the end of the season, Harvard Coach Tim Murphy had lost confidence in his kicking game and decided to go to a "four down" offense rather than botch further field goal attempts.

During the Spring Game, though, the rising sophomore showed why he was such a touted recruit coming in last fall. In the fourth series of plays, the defense held the first-team offense to fourth and long from the 18-yard line. Wright trotted out to the field and calmly drilled the 35-yard field goal.

The feat was met with an ovation from the crowd of 100 spectators and Wright later showed the potential power of his leg by comfortably converting a 42-yard attempt.

Wright, who also moonlights as the team's punter, also had a booming punt after the halftime break and strengthened his hold on both kicking assignments.

In addition to the special teams improvement, the Crimson also demonstrated why many are picking it to compete for the Ivy title next year.