Aquawomen Drop OT Heartbreaker

For a team that has mowed through the majority of its opponents with business-like efficiency, the Harvard women's water polo team just has not been able to solve the mystery of the Brown Bears.

But boy, has it come close.

After suffering its first defeat of the season at the hands of the Bears last weekend--a heartbreaking 15-14 overtime decision at the Brown Invitational tournament--the Crimson (13-2) went one better yesterday.

After a tight, intense match, Harvard again bowed to the Bears--this time in a 14-13 double overtime loss in the finals of the Northern Playoffs at Blodgett Pool. The tournament also featured Dartmouth, MIT, UMass, Wellesley and Wesleyan.

After receiving a bye on Friday, the Crimson breezed through matches Saturday against Wellesley and MIT, making extensive use of its bench and testing out strategies.

"We knew that Brown was our only real competition," admits sophomore Missy Ford.

The Outcome of the title game was undecided until the final minutes. The teams traded goals throughout regulation, with neither squad opening up a larger bulge than Brown's 5-3 lead late in the second period. And even this lead was shortlived, with the Crimson scoring just 17 seconds later to tighten things back up.

The primary challenge for Harvard in this match was containing Brown's star player, Alisa von Hartitzsch. The Crimson utilized a full-court press defense for the majority of the game, but this proved largely ineffective, as von Hartitzsch victimized the Crimson for an astounding 10 goals.

"The press wasn't as effective, so we're going to drop one defender from a weaker shooter onto her in the future," said Ford, who scored three goals. The drop is a strategy the Crimson son uses regularly in practice.

The contest got even tighter over the final two periods. Neither team could muster more than a one-goal lead, and it appeared that the team that scored last would emerge triumphant. The Crimson took a 10-9 lead with just 1:48 remaining, but could not hold it, and regulation ended in a 10-10 tie.

The first overtime looked promising for Harvard, as it led 12-10 on a goal by freshman Una Kim with just 1:10 to play.

But the Bears pulled a rabbit out of their hats, scoring with 49 and 26 seconds to play to extend the contest into a second extra frame.

The Crimson paid dearly for squandering its first overtime opportunity. Harvard could not find the back of the net again after the Bears took a 14-13 lead with 2:02 remaining.

Junior Ana Dujmovic and senior co-captain Erin Pyka led the Crimson with four goals apiece, while von Hartitzsch's 10 led all players.

"It was a pretty tense game," Dumjovic said. "Brown was really psyched to play, and we were really nervous. Our team didn't play as well as we can this weekend."

The impact of this loss will be felt in next weekend's Eastern Championships. The meet, which will be held at Brown, will determine which teams go to the NCAA tournament at Maryland in May.

As a result of yesterday's activity, the Crimson will receive the number-four seed, while the Bears will be seeded second. Despite the seeding, players feel the bracket is favorable, and anticipate a rematch with Brown later in the tournament.

The top two finishers at Easterns will earn berths in division A of the NCAA tournament, while the third and fourth place teams will go to division B of the tournament.

In Harvard's case, however, the University will only provide funding if the team qualifies for division A. With perennial powerhouse Slippery Rock almost assured of winning the tournament, that leaves the Crimson battling the likes of Brown, Maryland and Bucknell for one spot in an effort to extend its season.

While the defeat may not prove fatal to the Crimson's tournament hopes, it certainly will cause a week of frustration and restlessness for the players, who harbor no affection for Brown's physical style of play.

"It was a really rough game," said Dujmovic, who speaks from experience, having broken her finger in the heat of Sunday's battle. "They're very rough and dirty--they do some things just for self-confidence. It gets people intimidated.

"We're really psyched to play Brown," she says of the potential matchup in Easterns. "We've lost some players and need more time playing together, but we're still better than them. We'll beat them eventually."