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HARVARD GAZETTE ARCHIVES Big 'D' = Jessica Larson By Jamie Weir
As a nation, we are enamored of offense. We were captivated by last year's home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. Michael Jordan is the most recognized professional athlete in the world. NFL Merchandising reports that its best-selling jerseys are those of Terrell Davis and Randy Moss, the NFL's leading scorers in 1998. And there we were this summer, a nation glued to the television, watching the Women's World Cup. Santa Clara assistant women's soccer coach Brandi Chastain displayed the ultimate in sports euphoria after netting the game-winning goal as the U.S. team downed China. Years from now, the image of World Cup '99 that lingers will be Chastain's left-footed blast past Gao Hong rather than Brianna Scurry's amazing penalty-kick save or Kristine Lilly's game-saving header in the 100th minute – both plays that kept the U.S. World Cup dreams alive. Oft forgotten are the golden-glovers, the shot-blocking mavens, the defensive linemen, and the stay-at-home defensemen. But truth still lies in the adage "offense wins games, defense wins championships." And for Harvard women's soccer, the backbone of the defense is senior sweeper Jessica Larson. Larson, a Romance languages and literature concentrator from Albuquerque, N.M., has been instrumental in the success the Crimson has enjoyed in the past three years: a 40-11-3 overall record, two Ivy titles and three trips to the NCAA Tournament. Defensively, Harvard has allowed only 48 goals in those 54 games, a statistic that ranks as the Ivy's best. Larson entered the 1999 campaign with nary a goal or assist to her credit in her first three varsity seasons, which, unfortunately, restricts readers from finding her name in the paper very often. Yet that makes her no less an important cog in the wheel of Harvard women's soccer. As the last line of defense before the goalie, Larson and her backfield mates have thwarted more would-be scoring attempts than the casual fan would ever realize. And for a team that has never been an offensive juggernaut, the defense becomes that much more important. "One thing we have stressed is taking care of both sides of the scoreboard," comments Head Coach Tim Wheaton. "We've never been a high-scoring team, and defense has always been our strength. Since coming to Harvard, Jess has been a big part of that. Her leadership and ability have been the backbone on which we have built that defense." Larson has started every single game the Crimson has played since she arrived in the fall of 1996. She rarely comes off the field once the opening whistle blows, and she is a leader both vocally and by example. She becomes a coach on the field. "Jess is a calming influence for us back there," states Lauren Corkery '01, Larson's backfield mate the past two and a half seasons. "She is an unbelievable player who can dominate opponents. What has been great for me, and for our defense, is that she is such a strong leader. She has such a presence, and we know nothing will get by her." And, in fact, not much has. The trademark Harvard defense has limited opponents to just seven goals through 13 games. The team has earned a top-20 national ranking, and is one of two Ivy women's teams still undefeated in League play. Larson has been impressive throughout, including picking up team MVP honors for the Harvard Invitational earlier this month. As is the case with most Harvard athletes, there is more to Larson than her sport. In fact, that is why she chose Harvard over other college programs. "There is room to be a person here at Harvard, not just a soccer player," notes Larson. "Everyone on the team has other dimensions to them. Harvard encourages you to do other things, to travel abroad, to experience the best of all worlds." That works out just perfectly for Larson and her outside interests. Growing up in New Mexico, where almost half the population is of Hispanic descent, Larson developed quite a love affair with Latin America. In high school she spent time working and teaching in Honduras and Mexico. The summer of 1998 was spent studying in Michoacán, Mexico, and she spent a semester in Argentina last spring. After graduation, she hopes to work with the nonprofit organization Operation Smile, which travels throughout Latin America, helping families with children who need facial reconstructive surgery. "Outside of soccer, Jess' interests are amazing," comments Wheaton. "When she was in Argentina, she was able to play soccer with the locals, and it gave her a connection to that society. She would go to the men's games, or play pickup with the women." The passion for soccer that kept her connected to the Argentine society is now focused daily on the task at hand: her senior season. Larson, similar to other senior captains, has expectations for herself and her team. She fully expects the Crimson to be a contender for the Ivy title. She anticipates a fourth straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. She focuses on being a good leader and captain. And as an added bonus, she has gotten to see a little bit of how the other half lives. She scored her first collegiate goal, and added two assists, in a victory over Alabama-Birmingham in the campaign's opening weekend, and now has five points on the season. It is refreshing to see the defensive star enjoy a little piece of offensive glory, even if it was so long in the wait.
Copyright 1999 President and Fellows of Harvard College |
