Larson anchored one of the stingiest defenses in the country, repeatedly thwarting the opposition's scoring opportunities from the sweeper position. Senior back Gina Foster and junior back Lauren Corkery completed an impressive Crimson backfield that relieved much of the pressure from the loss of Browning.

Further bolstering the Harvard defense was the surprising play of freshman goalkeeper Cheryl Gunther, who proved more than able to fill into Browning's shoes. The rookie allowed just six goals during the regular season for a .40 goals-against average--both Harvard records.

For the regular season, the Crimson allowed just eight goals--the lowest total in the nation--on defense in 16 games. Harvard's dominance was stunning down the stretch, as the Crimson allowed just three goals in the 10-game winning streak to end the season.

For her standout play as the defensive anchor, Larson was unanimously selected as Ivy League Player of the Year. Foster joined Larson on the All-Ivy First Team, while Corkery and Gunther earned Second Team honors. Gunther was also named the league's Rookie of the Year.

Zotter and seniors Ashley Berman and Julia Blain provided stability and superior playmaking ability from the midfield to spark the Crimson offense. Freshman Bryce Weed also proved crucial to the Crimson attack.

And when it came to scoring, it was two freshmen who took the lead. Rookie forwards Beth Totman and Joey Yenne demonstrated an uncanny nose for the net, as they netted 19 and 18 points, respectively. Those tallies were good for tops on the squad and for second- and fourth-best in the Ivy League, respectively.

Sophomore forward Colleen Moore also provided a much-needed offensive spark, netting 15 points of her own on the season.

Berman and Weed earned First Team All-Ivy honors, while Zotter, Yenne and Totman made their way onto the Second Team.

Having relied heavily on a strong senior leadership throughout the season, the Crimson will clearly feel the loss of its graduating players. However, if this season showed anything about Harvard, it demonstrated that the underclassmen were certainly ready to handle the pressure of Division I soccer.

Up front, Totman, Yenne and Moore--the team's three leading scorers--will return to lead the Crimson attack. And in the midfield Weed will be joined by fellow freshman Orly Ripmaster, who also had a solid rookie season, netting eight points on the year.

On the defensive side, Harvard will certainly find replacing Larson a nearly impossible task. Nonetheless, a talented group of defenders seems poised to pick up the slack. Corkery will likely fill in for Larson at the sweeper position and will be joined by freshman Katie Urbanic, who was impressive in her rookie campaign.

And perhaps most importantly, Wheaton will again lead the Crimson onto the field. For his team's performance on the 1999 season, Wheaton was named Soccer Buzz Magazine's National Coach of the Year, as well as the NSCAA/Adidas Women's Northeast Region Coach of the Year.

"[Wheaton] has a tough job, because we have so many girls with strong opinions," Larson said. "But he has done a great job listening to everyone and making them feel involved. He puts so much time and energy into the team, and it really shows."

Wheaton's obvious on-field successes--four Ivy League titles in five years--coupled with the return of such a talented group of players, makes Harvard a good bet to make some noise once again next season.