Ohiri Field, October 12
Harvard 5, Boston University 0

Team records:
Harvard:  3-4-2
BU:  7-4-2

Game Report

Possible headlines for this game:

"My, how the Crimson have changed . . . and, omigod, how the Terriers have changed."

Or this one:

"Toto, there's no place like home."

I hardly recognized these teams, compared with the results of last weekend in Palo Alto (Oz), and with the usual hype that accompanies B.U. every fall, no matter what.  B.U.'s collection of foreign ball players notwithstanding (is Nick Bone ever going to graduate?), Harvard simply tore them apart in every way, and played the kind of confident, controlled game that we have known them to be capable of executing.

The differences today were steady and productive play in the middle (Keeton &  Hench, as judged by Steve Locker), and my sense that they convinced themselves to just relax and play soccer.  They were finding the open man, the passes were creative, there was only a limited amount of one-on-one play, and the defense always came up with the big play, even when they looked like they were in trouble.   Another possible factor may be the unusually high number of shaved heads on the team, many of the players perhaps attempting to rid themselves of the California Flu and other demons.  After today, the next shaved head might well be that of B.U. coach Neil Roberts.  Unless he pulled it all out today during the second half.

All goals came in the second half.  The first two were by Tommy and Timmy, as McLaughlin received a ball from Wyant, and the two combined for the second.  The third was by Will Hench (assist McLaughlin), a long, low drive to the right side of the goal.  Next up was Lee Williams, from way out, on a ball that skimmed off a defender's head and over the goalies arms.  Finally, McLaughlin was at the end of a long series of nice passing, the last one from Toure McCluskey, and nailed a lefty pill in the upper corner.  He finished with 2 goals and 2 assists.

More and more players were used off the bench, even before the lead became insurmountable.  It appears Harvard is beginning to find out there is more depth than initially thought, and where to use it.  In the season's early games, it was common to see only 1 or 2 players off the bench.  That's not the case any more, and this shifts some of the pressure off the usual suspect, and makes the rest of the boys feel like they are capable of and indeed making a meaningful contribution.

Scoring
[see above]

Season stats

Stats will be posted as soon as they are made available.