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Putting the Pieces Together

It's Rebuilding Time for Harvard Field Hockey

Captains: R. Burke, L. Davies

1991 Overall Record: 13-3-2

1991 Ivy Record: 3-1-2

1991 Ivy Finish: 1st year, will vie with freshman Jessica Milhollinfor duties in the net.

But the biggest question is the midfield, whereHarvard is crying for help.

Without an adequate transition game, theCrimson's great defensive and offensive strengthswill mean nothing.

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Caples' first task, she said, is to experimentwith players to find the right combination in themidfield.

Junior Emily Buxton will likely shift into themidfield. Buxton, a versatile St. Paul's graduatefrom Concord, N.H., shifted into left backfieldwhen she got to Harvard and assumed a startingrole there last year. Now Caples will call on herto help out in the midfield.

Buxton will join Harvard's two returningmidfielders, neither of whom are particularlyexperienced: Co-Captain Laura Davies, a Weston,Mass.-resident who played in only eight games thepast two years; and sophomore Megan Colligan, aWestbury, N.Y.-resident who saw action twice lastyear.

It's unlikely that this unit will be able tomatch the strength of last year's--which boastedIvy stars Ceci Clark, Kristen Fowler (currently anassistant coach) and Becky Gaffney--but right nowCaples doesn't seem worried about that.

In fact, her team's relative youth doesn't fazeher either. One of collegiate field hockey's mostsuccessful recruiters, Caples is confident in herteam's athletic ability and desire. All it takes,she says, is finding the right chemistry.

"I'm optimistic about our season. I've beenencouraged by our practices," Caples said. "It'snice. We're at a good level."

The question for the season is: is "a goodlevel" the highest level?

FIELD HOCKEY: '91 RESULTS9/14  at Rhode Island  2-0  W  1-09/18  at Northeastern  0-3  L  1-19/24  at Holy Cross  4-1  W  2-19/26  at Brown  2-2  T  2-1-110/2  Springfield  1-0  W  3-1-110/5  at Pennsylvania  4-1  W  4-1-110/9  Boston University  2-1  W  5-1-110/12  Yale  1-0  W  6-1-110/15  Providence  1-0  W  7-1-110/19  at Cornell  0-2  L  7-2-110/23  Boston College  3-1  W  8-2-110/26  Princeton  2-2  T  8-2-211/2  Dartmouth  3-0  W  9-2-211/5  New Hampshire  2-1  W  10-2-2ECACs  WestChester  1-0  W  11-2-2  Princeton  2-1  W  12-2-2NCAAs  BostonUniversity  0-3  L  12-3-2

FIELD HOCKEY: '92 SCHEDULE9/20  Rhode Island  1 p.m.9/23  Connecticut  3:30 p.m.9/30  Brown  11 a.m.10/3  Pennsylvania  7 p.m.10/8  at Boston University  7 p.m.10/10  Cornell  11 a.m.10/13  at Yale  3 p.m.10/16  at Providence  3:30 p.m.10/18  Holy Cross  7:30 p.m.10/21  at Boston College  7:30 p.m.10/24  at Princeton  11 a.m.10/28  Northeastern  2 p.m.10/31  Dartmouth  11 a.m.11/3  at New Hampshire  2 p.m.

CrimsonSuz RossAbove: FRANCIE WALTON hunts down fellowjunior and fellow Mather-resident SARAH DOWNING.Right: Junior EMILY BUXTON ever so delicatelyapproaches the ball. Below: Co-Captain RACHELBURKE leads a breakaway during action lastseason.

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