On the plus side, when the two teams do end up playing out the game, Harvard will likely be in better shape in terms of personnel than it would have been Tuesday. While the Crimson's injury status has improved steadily since the start of the season, sophomores Beth Totman (stress fractures) and Katie Urbanic (back strain) are still out.

Most likely, neither will be ready to play tomorrow when the Crimson travels to Providence to face Brown (5-0, 0-0 Ivy).

The Bears, who have yet to play their first league contest this year, are coming off a 1999 season that they would probably just as soon forget. Brown finished the year at 3-12-2 overall and 0-7-1 in Ivy play, their only non-loss in league action coming in a 1-1 tie with fellow cellar-dweller Columbia.

Last season's disaster left the Bears with nowhere to go but up in 2000, and so far, they have shown definite signs of improvement. With wins in its first five games of the year, Brown is off to its best start since the 1984 season when it went 13-1-1 en route to an appearance in the NCAA Quarterfinals.

A major part of Brown's success in its first five games has been its defensive excellence. After surrendering 28 goals in its 17 games last season, the Bears have posted four shutouts already this fall.

Brown's goaltending tandem of Mary Jo Markle and Sarah Gervais have proven specially effective. The pair, which has split time equally in net so far this season, have combined to post a miniscule 0.20 goals-against average.

Against the Bears, the Crimson offense will probably look to shoot a great deal from the outside. That strategy worked beautifully in Harvard's 2-1 win over Penn last Saturday, as the Crimson's game-winning goal, netted by senior midfielder Meredith Stewart, actually came from 30 yards out.