When he left Harvard's Ohiri Field more than a year ago, he was just another All-Ivy Crimson soccer player. An All-Ivy performer, to be sure, but nothing extra special.

Now, returned, John Catliff is a man among boys.

In the fall of 1984, Catliff led the Crimson booters in scoring for the second straight year, garnered league honors for the second straight year, and led Harvard to its first NCAA quarterfinal appearance in more than a decade.

Then Catliff went on to try his hand--and his feet and his head--at bigger and better things. Returning to his native Vancouver, British Columbia, Catliff played for his national team in a series of World Cup qualifying matches.

Although Team Canada eventually qualified for the world-wide soccer showdown, Catliff suffered a severe injury to his right knee and could not compete for his country.

But--at least from Harvard's point of view--there was a saving grace. Catliff, originally a member of the Class of '86, took off the spring semester last year to try to get back onto Team Canada in time for the World Cup.

The comeback failed, but Catliff's move made him a second semester senior this fall and thus eligible for another year of intercollegiate play.

You might expect that after 18 months of international competition, Catliff would find college soccer a little easier.

And if you thought that, you'd be right.

In his first game back, against MIT last week, Catliff scored his team's first goal and assisted on another in Harvard's 3-0 romp.

But Catliff was just warming up.

His real test, and the real test for the entire Harvard squad, came Saturday against eight-time defending Ivy champ Columbia.

Catliff scored Harvard's first goal against Columbia at the 11:42 mark when he took a Drory Tendler pass on the left of the Lion goal and lined a shot into the upper right corner of the net.

And then he scored again. And again. And again.

Four times John Catliff took aim on the Columbia goal, and four times his shots found the twine.