Water Polo Drowns Yale, Falls to Brown in Tourney

Under the direction of rookie coach Robert Webster, the Harvard men's water polo team is looking forward to a successful season. Thus far the Crimson has compiled only a 3-3 record, but, with one of the toughest schedules on the East Coast, Harvard has shown it can compete with some of the best teams in the nation.

The polomen kicked off their season with four games at Annapolis, Maryland, on the weekend of September 21. The first match was a hard-fought loss to Slippery Rock, ranked second on the east coast.

Considering that it was its first game of the season, under a new head coach, Harvard's 10-7 loss to a top-ranked team was that much more impressive. The rest of the tournament resulted in a 10-8 victory over Massachusetts, an 11-8 loss to another top-ranked team, Brown, and an 11-8 taming of Bucknell.

Last weekend, the Crimson pounded Yale, 11-2, at the Brown Invitational. The Crimson's manhandling of its Ivy League archrival is an indication that the team is coming together.

The second game of the tournament was a rematch with the Bears on Saturday. Harvard held a 6-3 lead going into the fourth quarter, when disaster struck. If the Crimson had had as much energy as heart, it most definitely would have pulled out the win, but the team was just worn down from three invigorating stanzas. Brown won 10-8.

This year's Crimson squad has a more balanced attack than others in the past. This year's starters include senior Mike Johnson, Junior Chad Barker and sophomore Jeff Zimmerman setting the hole, Co-Captains Todd Forman and Peter Richards, and senior Steve Kan on the outside. The starting goalie is junior Danny Oakes.

Oakes displayed his outstanding abilities by stopping three breakaways this past weekend. Goalie Peter Toot supplies the team with the depth it needs in such a vital position.

Youth Movement

The Crimson's future shines bright with promising underclassmen such as the multi-talented freshman Jose Bousquets. Coach Webster's new focus on defense has opponents reeling and Harvard jumping.

"We have the most talent on the East Coast," Forman said. "Once we get into better shape and get used to the techniques of Coach Webster, we will kick some butts."

The polomen have this week off, but they resume action in two weeks when they compete in the EWPA tournament, hosted by Brown. The field of teams will include Navy, Slippery Rock, UMass, Bucknell, Iona, Princeton and Brown. Harvard will host its own tournament in three weeks, featuring other New England opponents.