Harvard Varsity Club NEWS & VIEWS of Harvard Sports Volume 51 Issue No. 4 www.varsityclub.harvard.edu November 28, 2008 FALL 2008 IVY CHAMPIONS Football Wins 13th Ivy Championship by Kurt Svoboda Director of Athletic Communications It was the 125th playing of “The Game.” It would help determine the Ivy League championship and there was the possibility that an unprecedented four schools could share the prize. And it was cold. And it was windy. The conditions were not conducive to Harvard’s prolific passing attack and as if the temperature did not spell it out, senior Chris Pizzotti’s first pass attempt of the game confirmed it as his off-balance roll-out pass slipped from his hand and wobbled to the ground. What came next was a familiar series of occurrences which the Harvard faithful had grown to appreciate throughout a grand 2008 season – the Crimson rising to the occasion. Just one week removed from a tough afternoon of running the ball against a talented Penn defense, the Crimson found itself backed into a corner of offensive strategy versus the nation’s top defense in Yale. Harvard’s offensive linemen rose to the occa- sion, punishing the Bulldogs’ defensive front, and Pizzotti and the two. Unable to run the ball however, Yale turned to pass plays sophomore Gino Gordon did the rest. At the end of the game, throughout its final scurry to the end zone but senior Eric Schultz Harvard had outrushed All-America running back Mike McLeod shut the door with a blind-sided strip-sack of QB Brook Hart. and the Bulldogs by a count of 261-54. Gordon tallied 168 yards in Junior (and captain-elect for 2009) Carl Ehrlich scooped up the a career-best showing while Pizzotti also showed his scrambling loose ball and one more bruising run by Pizzotti on a third down ability with a career-high 79 yards in addition to an efficient pass- play sealed Yale’s fate with the Crimson running out the clock on ing game despite the conditions. a game that saw Harvard control the ball for nearly 40 minutes. The result was as lopsided a 10-0 final score as one is likely Big defensive plays in tight games highlighted Harvard’s run to see, but the finishing chapter could not have been written to its 13th Ivy League championship and its first consecutive titles without one more fitting stand by Harvard’s defense. After a big since 1982-83. Schultz himself accounted for three big individual punt return by Yale set the Bulldogs up nicely inside Harvard’s efforts to punctuate a career filled with big plays. five-yard line with four minutes to play, Yale received another gift when a fourth down pass interference call gave them the ball at Continued on page 3 Women’s Soccer Wins First Ivy Title Since 1999 by Tim Williamson Nichols walked up to the ball and set her focus on the mission Assistant Director of Athletic Communications ahead. “I stared at the ball before the kick, trying to keep my focus,” Nichols said. The junior moved towards the goal and lifted One cannot draw up a more dramatic moment. Harvard and the ball into the back left corner of the cage, past the diving Columbia were tied 1-1 in double overtime in a game to decide Columbia goalkeeper, clinching the Crimson’s eighth Ivy League the Ivy League title. With nine seconds left in that second and title. Immediately, the team stormed the field to congratulate final extra session the Crimson was awarded a penalty kick after Nichols and was joined by several hundred fans who celebrated freshman Melanie Baskind was pulled down in the Lions’ box. next to the net. Junior Lizzy Nichols, a defender with an accurate leg, was called For head coach Ray Leone, the moment was perfect. “My on to take the kick. heart has never pounded so much,” the second-year coach said. “The feeling was complete happiness for a group of young women that wanted to do something truly special together. It all finally came together the second that ball went into the back of the net.” “All that week we knew how big the game was,” Nichols added. “I’m really proud of our team. We were on a mission all season and I’m so happy the effort and hard work paid off.” Winning the Ivy League championship at home on Ohiri Field also had a special meaning to the Crimson. In 2006 and 2007, Columbia and then Penn clinched conference titles at Harvard, giving the Crimson extra motivation this fall. After opening the year in California, the Crimson rattled off a six-game unbeaten streak heading into its first Ivy League game at Penn on Sept. 27. The Quakers managed a 2-0 win, but Harvard, which began the season with a grueling stretch of nine game in 22 days, and especially its five seniors—Allison Keeley, Rachael Continued on page 3 Fall Sports Recaps Men’s Soccer (12-6-0, 5-2-0 Ivy League) Women’s Volleyball (10-16, 5-9 Ivy) • The Crimson finished third in the Ivy League and made its • Harvard defeated Brown, 3-0 Nov. 1 on the strength of a third straight appearance in the NCAA Championship. The double-double from senior Katherine McKinley. The victory • Harvard dropped its first Ivy League contest of the fall to saw the Crimson hit at a .304 clip. Dartmouth, 1-0, Nov. 1, but bounced back with wins against • The Crimson took Penn to five sets, but lost a 19-17 decision Maine and Columbia. In the 6-1 win over the Lions Nov 8 junior in the fifth set. Four Crimson players recorded double-digit kills Andre Akpan became Harvard’s all-time leading scorer by and three posted double-digit digs. McKinley and sophomore tallying a goal and an assist. Mikaelle Comrie registered 19 kills apiece. • The Crimson traveled to Philadelphia to close out its regular- • Harvard dropped its second consecutive five-set match, this season schedule Nov. 16 at Penn, dropping a 1-0 decision in time to Princeton, 3-2 Nov. 8. McKinley recorded her second overtime, as the Quakers clinched a share of the Ivy title along. 19-kill match in a row, while freshman Christine Wu collected a • Akpan found the back of the net in the 103rd minute and lifted career and match high 40 digs. Harvard to a 1-0 victory over Massachusetts in the opening • Harvard bounced back to beat Columbia, 3-0, Nov.14. Comrie round of the NCAA tournament on November 21. recorded 14 kills in the match. • Senior John Stamatis tallied a first-half goal, but it was not • In its final match of the season, the Crimson came back from a enough as the Crimson dropped a 2-1 decision at South Florida 2-0 deficit to force a fifth game, but was unable to complete the in the second round of the NCAA tournament Nov. 25. comeback in a 3-2 loss to Cornell Nov. 15. • Akpan finished the season as Harvard’s leading scorer and was • Freshman Anne Carroll Ingersoll was the Ivy League Rookie named a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy as the top player of the Year. Three Crimson players earned All-Ivy honors. in collegiate men’s soccer. Senior co-captain Michael Fucito was McKinley was a second-team pick, while Ingersoll and Wu second in scoring. Akpan, Fucito, Stamatis and junior Kwaku earned honorable mention. Nyamekye were all selected to the All-Ivy League first team, with Akpan a unanimous pick. Senior Luke Sager earned All-Ivy Sailing honorable mention. • Harvard sailing took first place in the team standings in both Field Hockey (6-11, 2-5 Ivy League) the Victorian Coffee Urn and the Erwin Schell Trophy Nov. 1 & 2 on the Charles River. Senior Megan Watson and sophomore • In the final game of the season, Harvard freshmanKristin Meghan Wareham took first place in the A Division in a field of Ohanian scored her first career goal, but the Crimson dropped a 17 boats at the Victorian Coffee Urn race. SeniorLauren Brants 3-1 decision to Columbia at Jordan Field on Senior Day, Nov. 8. and sophomore Alan Palmer finished in the top five nine times • After both offenses were held in check in the first half, to beat out MIT by one point to take second place at the Erwin Dartmouth scored with less than 12 minutes to play to secure Schell trophy. a 1-0 win against the Crimson Nov. 1. Senior goalkeeper Kylie • The Crimson went a perfect 19-0 and sailed to a team title in Stone kept the Crimson in the game with three saves. the Michael Horn Trophy Team Race. Harvard went 9-0 in a • Midfielder Carly Dickson was named to the All-Ivy League single round robin against a 10-team field Nov 9 & 10. first team and fellow freshman Georgia McGillvray earned • Harvard took third place in the Men’s Atlantic Coast Dinghy All-Ivy honorable mention. Dickson was also a second-team All- Championship on the strength of coed Sailors of the Week, Northeast Region selection. Sophomore forward Leigh McCoy senior John Grrity and sophomores Tedd Himler and John led the Crimson with 14 points (six goals, two assists) followed Stokes. The trio won the B Division with 22 points in five races by fellow forward, senior Tami Jafar with 11 points (five goals, to help pace the Crimson. The women wrapped up their fall one assist).