Aquawomen Rip Bruins, 15-5

The Harvard women's water polo team showed up for its season opener against Brown last night at Blodgett Pool ready to continue last year's success.

The Crimson was ready.

The Bruins weren't

Dominating the game from beginning to end, Harvard (1-0) breezed to a 15-5 victory over Brown. The Bruins are supposed to be one of Harvard's key rivals this year. Maybe when they get a couple of more games under their belt.

Last night, Brown was slower, sloppier. And the Crimson took advantage.

Gillian Salton led all Crimson scorers with four goals and four assists. Tara Gustilo tallied four times, collecting a hat trick in the third quarter.

At the 1:36 mark of the first quarter, Salton scored Harvard's first goal when she took a pass from Stephanie Faro and connected with a shot right in front of the net.

Twenty seconds later, Salton, setting up a breakaway with a steal, passed the ball to Faro, who swam down the length of the pool with no Brown defenders in sight. Harvard 2, Brown 0. The rout had begun.

With 4:32 left in the first period, Salton netted a chip shot in front of the net for a 3-0 Crimson lead.

A minute later, Salton did it again, this time off a pass from Gustilo.

While the offense clicked for Harvard in the opening quarter, the Bruins couldn't figure out how to handle Harvard's defensive pressure and didn't challenge Harvard goalie Mel Berger. The Crimson defense held the Bruins to no shots on net.

In the second quarter, the Bruins finally mustered some offense. But with Harvard leading, 6-0, Berger reacted to a shot right in front of the net to temporarily preserve the Harvard shutout.

A goal from Valerie Nellen from 10 feet out, and Gustilo's first goal of the game with 33 seconds left in the second quarter upped the Harvard lead to 8-0.

Broke

The Bruins broke the Crimson shutout 40 seconds into the third quarter, but Gustilo's goal off two Brown defenders a minute later gave Harvard a 10-1 advantage.

The closest Brown ever got was with 2:59 left in the game. A Bruin tally made the score, 13-5. Less than 20 seconds later, Kaari Reierson battled for the ball with the Brown goalie and earned a goal for her effort.

Nellen, controlling the ball in the hole, dished it off to Julie Hopkins, who scored Harvard's final goal with 56 seconds left in the game.

THE NOTEBOOK: The Crimson won't play another game until April 4, when it hosts MIT in a key cross-town matchup.