The
History of Women's Soccer
at Harvard University
Written by Buffy Clifford
Assistant Sports Information Director
Cambridge, Massachusetts, Fall 1996.
For Harvard women's soccer, it started
as all good things do: out of the spotlight.
But it wouldn't take long for the spotlight
to become focused.
Back in the spring of 1976, as pair of Harvard
students, Karen Fifer and Jackie Schlenger,
approached Crimson's men's freshman soccer
and varsity lacrosse coach, Bob Scalise,
about forming a women's soccer program.
Fifer and Schlenger must have been very
convincing, because in the fall
of 1976 the pair, with the help of their
new coachand the athletic department's
good grace, had rounded up 30 candidates
and subsequently given birth to
a club program. This was a club program
in name only, as Scalise demanded
a "varsity commitment from the start."
As he would later note, "It was obvious
from the start that the desire would not
allow for anything less."
That first squad recorded a 4-5 mark against
collegiate opposition, and an 0-4 record
against Ivy teams that had already
been in existence for a couple of years.
However, the commitment displayed by
the team prompted the athletic department
to grant it varsity status.
Harvard Varsity, 1978
The program followed a meteoric path
with 9-2-1, 13-1, and 15-1-1 seasons,
making the beacon for women's athletic program.
The Crimson women's soccer team had fun,
worked hard, and was successful.
The first standout was Sue St. Louis, who
was the first woman inducted into the
Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame
for soccer. She netted
18 goals as a frosh in 1977 and raised her
season total to 20 as a sophomore.
Sue St. Louis '80
While St. Louis was unquestionably the star
of the first two Ivy League championship teams,
it was Julie Bryneteson who can be
credited with securing the Ivy title in
both seasons, scoring hat tricks in each
championship final, 3-0 and 5-1 wins over
Brown, respectively. In addition to twice being
named tournament MVP, Bryneteson was
selected by Soccer America as the first
female winner of an MVP award.
In 1978-1979, the Crimson combined for
a gaudy 28-2-1 record, with the only
losses coming to UMass, 2-1 in 1978 and
4-3 (OT) in 1979. The tie was with
Cortland State, 1-1, in the 1979
AIAW Eastern Championship.
If there was concern following the
graduation of St. Louis, with her Harvard
and Ivy League scoring records, it was
quickly abated during the 1981 by
the emergence of five freshmen who
would earn All-Ivy honors. Kelly Landry,
Alician Carillo, Jennifer Greeley, Inga Larson,
and Deb Field represented a new breed.
Jennifer Greeley '85
Landry 24 goals and 31 points were
Harvard records. Greeley was MVP of
the Ivy Tournament, and All-Tournament
at the AIAW National Tournament.
At the AIAW's, the Crimson's win skein
was stopped by Central Florida, 2-0, but
victories over Texas A&M and Oregon
brought Harvard a fifth place national ranking.
Kelly Landry '85
"Our first championship teams simply had
great all-around athletes. This next group
featured skilled soccer players, products of
soccer programs that had never existed
for our earlier players," said Scalise.
The 1982 season saw the Crimson return
to the AIAW Nationals after an 8-5-2 season
which had 6 overtime games, before falling
to Missouri-St. Louis, 2-1.
In 1984, Kelly Landry finished off her
rampage on St. Louis' scoring records.
But more importantly, an infusion of
talented freshmen, including keeper
Tracee Whitley, once again brought high
hopes to Cambridge. What developed was a
Tracee Whitley '88
memorable season, highlighted by a 1-0
win over UMass. Ann Baker provided
the game-winning goal. After a 2-1 win
over Vermont in the first game of the
NCAA playoffs, the Crimson stood at
14-2-1. One more victory and Harvard
would be off the to Final Four.
However, UMass, the bane of Harvard
women's soccer, stood in the way by
fashioning a 1-0- win over the Crimson,
avenging a regular-season setback.
Seniors Landry and Greeley earned
the distinction of being the first
4-time All-Ivy selections. Whitley would
finish her career with 26 career shutouts,
distinguishing herself by becoming the
first Ivy Player to win
Rookie of the Year (1984) and
Player of the Year (1987)
honors. The 1987 Crimson squad finished 8-2-3,
giving up only 7 goals on the season, as
Whitley registered 9 shutouts.
Other standouts in the late 80s and early
90s included Tracy Hackeling, a two-time
Academic All-American, Andrea Montalbano,
a four-time All-Ivy First Team choice,
and Tara Weinstock, a two-time All-Ivy
First Team choice.
After taking over for Scalise in 1987,
Tim Wheaton guided his team to the
ECAC tournament in 1991, where the Crimson
dropped a close 2-1 contest to James Madison
Coach Tim Wheaton
in the semifinals. The Crimson had won its last
four regular season contests, including a 3-0
shutout of Ivy co-champion Dartmouth, and
finished the year at 9-5-1, continuing
the tradition of excellence.
In 1994, Wheaton's squad returned to
post-season play in the form of the NCAA
tournament. Harvard fell to nationally-ranked
UMass, 3-0. The Crimson finished the
season at 9-4-3. The following year, Harvard
found itself at the top of the Ivy League,
compiling a 6-0-1 Ivy record for its
fourth league title.
Editor's Note:
1996 was a great year for the women's
soccer team. They compiled a 15-2 record
overall, a 7-0 Ivy record, and Harvard's
fifth Ivy championship. Their final rankings
were #10 in the NSCAA poll, and
#7 in the Soccer America poll.
Highlights of the season were a last-minute
win against Yale, and a come-from-behind
victory over Dartmouth, the latter a
battle of unbeaten teams. Their only regular
season loss in 16 games came against
nationally-ranked UConn,
a thrilling game in which the Crimson
outshot their opponents. Their season ended
abruptly in the first round of the NCAA
tournament: a triple-overtime loss to UMass,
2-1.
Ten players made All-Ivy, but that list only
included one senior, Dana Tenser. In other
words, Harvard will definitely be back
next year. Led by Emily Stauffer, again
the Ivy Player of the Year, the powerful
offense of Naomi Miller, and a stingy
defense (Jennifer Burney and Anne Browning
in goal, both All-Ivy, and freshman back
Jessica Larson). Gina Foster was
Ivy Rookie of the Week twice during
the season.
Come
back to this page again for
additional comments and photographs
of historical interest.