Though Farrar would be facing his former team, he asserts that his previous ties would have no bearing on the game.

“It’s not my old team,” Farrar said. “I never coached those guys. It’s a very different dynamic.”

While Brown would hold the home advantage in a matchup in Providence, the Crimson sees it as further incentive to play well. Offsay, who described the play of the Bears as comparable to a pro-wrestling match, is eager to overcome Brown’s thuggery once again.

“I get a big boost out of playing in front of their crowd,” Offsay said. “We’re going to be trying to shut them up as best we can.”

TAMING THE TERRIERS

If all goes as planned, Harvard’s opponent in the championship game would be St. Francis.

The only team to go through the regular season undefeated in Northern division play, the top-seeded Terriers are the favorites to win the tournament. But although they defeated Harvard 22-11 the first time the two teams met, the game was much closer than the score indicated.

“In that game, Harvard hit the post maybe six times,” said St. Francis coach Carl Quigley. “That makes a significant difference in the outcome. It’s too easy to get caught up in the score.”

Furthermore, that game was only the Crimson’s second match of the season, and Farrar had just taken over at the helm. Harvard has improved significantly over the past six weeks, winning its last five games against Northern division opponents.

“Our team has matured and gelled in the course of the season,” Voith said. “This time we play [the Terriers], it will be a different game.”

The game could be different for more reasons than one. The NCAA is currently carrying out an inquiry concerning whether some St. Francis players played professionally in Europe before joining the Terriers. Because the NCAA cannot, by policy, comment on ongoing investigations, the number of players being inspected and the exact nature of the inquiry could not be confirmed.

But Jim Hoffman, the compliance director at St. Francis, did admit that players on the team were being investigated.

“Somebody has questioned their previous involvement with teams that may or may not have been professional,” Hoffman said.

While nothing implicating has yet been found, any evidence of professional involvement would make the concerned players ineligible immediately.

The Crimson, however, is more concerned with eliminating the errors that were responsible for its loss to the Terriers.

“The first time we played [St Francis], we made a bushel-full of mistakes,” Farrar said. “They’re a strong team, and they’re just very good at punishing your mistakes.”

“Our biggest advantage is our mental game,” Offsay added. “We need to just slow the game down and play smart.”

And the Terriers know that Harvard will come ready to play.

“Harvard will be there,” Quigley said. “They are well-coached, well-disciplined, and they should be a formidable opponent.”