Water Polo Team Wins Home Opener, Swamps Befuddled Engineers by Ten

With the final seconds ticking away, the Harvard water polo team made a rush for the MIT net. Co-captain Houston Hall fed Pat Jakobson with a quick pass, and amid a swarm of bobbing heads and waving arms, Jakobson faked right, then whipped the ball past the goalie's right ear.

Seconds later, with teammates surrounding him, whooping and hollering, Jakobson raised his arms in victory.

Domination

Sounds like a down-to-the-wire thriller, doesn't it? It wasn't even close. The aquamen thoroughly dominated the Engineers last night in their home opener at Blodgett Pool and didn't let up until the final gun. Final score: 15-5, Harvard.

With three earlier goals to his credit, Jakobson's final tally was just icing on the cake. Playing perhaps the finest game of his Harvard career, the SoHo senior pressured the MIT defense all night long.

The game ball for last night's victory, however, unquestionably belongs to sophomore Dave Fasi. "He's the best player in the East right now as far as I'm concerned," Coach Steve Pike said after the game, and Fasi showed why by hurling six fireballs into the MIT twines, enough to exceed the Engineers' total output all by himself.

Despite the final score, last night's contest didn't look to be a washout during the first half. MIT hung tough in the first 16 minutes and trailed by only 5-3 at the half.

Egged on by a sparse but enthusiastic, beer-guzzling crowd, the Crimson came out gunning in the third period. Rich Guerra set the pace with a goal after two minutes of play, and Fasi followed with two more quick ones to open up an imposing 8-3 lead.

Meanwhile, the aquamen used heads-up defensive play to check the MIT offense. Rich Reid, a.k.a. the Wall, lived up to his nickname by shutting out the Engineers in the third frame.

Contrary to what last night's score might indicate, the aquamen are far from peaking as a team. More practice time and game experience is needed before Harvard can make a successful bid for the title of number one in the East.