Unrealized Goals For M. Water Polo

How much does one goal mean?

Ask the Harvard men's water polo team and they will tell you, "Everything."

One goal ended the season for the Crimson this past weekend. A 9-8 overtime loss to nemesis Brown in the Eastern Water Polo Association's Northern Division Qualifier--held at Harvard's Blodgett Pool--forced the goggles back into the locker for a year. The players can only look back for answers.

"It was a frustrating season," co-captain Chip Hellar said. "We had our ups and downs. We were a very competitive team and yet we did not make it to Easterns."

The loss to Brown knocked the Crimson out of the hunt for a tournament berth. However, the team still had to play in one last game under tough circumstances. The meaningless consolation game is always difficult for a team that had hopes of moving on. The Crimson recovered, however, to play tough in the fifth-place match and defeated Boston College by a score of 13-8.

The game against Brown, although disappointing, will also be remembered as a positive game.

"If we had to go out, this was the way we wanted to do it," Hellar said. "This was the best game we played all year. We never gave up. We were there emotionally and physically. It is, perhaps, the most memorable game I have played in four years."

"I can't call it a positive game because of the outcome, but I can't call it negative either," sophomore goal-tender Edward Chen said. "We were way down, and we came back. It was an unlucky loss."

The loss was, in fact, the highlight of the year for freshman Mike Zimmerman.

"To be in a double overtime game where everything was on the line was amazing," Zimmerman said. "If we won we continued and if we lost we went home. To play that well under that kind of pressure was great."

Of course, Zimmerman has three more years to look forward to.

Brown--considered the Crimson's arch-rival--provided the team with another one of the year's highlights.

Midway through the season the Crimson faced off against Brown--a team that they had only beaten once since water polo became a varsity sport--and came away victorious.

"That was a big game," Chen said. "It was only our second victory against them in something like 14 years."

"That win felt great," Zimmerman said. "I had known of the rivalry coming into the school. We hadn't beaten them in four years. To come in and win my first game against Brown was just phenomenal."

These were the highlights of the year. The low light may have been at the Air Force Invitational where the Crimson returned from its road trip with an 0-4 record in tow.

As a whole, the season was somewhat disappointing, especially from the perspective of the graduating seniors.

"We [the seniors] had higher expectations for this team," Hellar said. "We came so close in so many big games. However, we only came up with one or two of the wins. Our defense, especially in the fourth quarters, let us down. We let too many teams climb back into games."

"We had more potential than we achieved," Chen said. "We had the right personnel and a deep bench. Things just didn't gel for us as a team in the pool. We had mental breakdowns at key points and they cost us."

As far as the future is concerned, the Crimson faces a tough battle ahead. The graduation of seven seniors is a staggering number.

"It will be a completely different team," Hellar said. "Still, they can do it. They will need some of the young guys to step up. They will still have four of the seven starters returning and should have a good base."

"The returning players are very energetic and enthusiastic," Zimmerman said. "I think it will be another great year."