The Harvard water polo team rallied from a three goal deficit to defeat Northeastern yesterday in their spring season debut, Erasing a 5-2 Huskie halftime lead, the Crimson came back strong in the second half and won the game, 7-6 on a goal by Kent Osband at the final gun.

Captain Mike Graff led the Crimson scoring with two goals, while Tracy Mallory, Alan Booer, Reed McCarty, and Jim Vogler added a goal apiece. On defense. Phil Jonchkeer led a stingy second half effort that thwarted the Huskie offense. The team's performance was particularly encouraging since Harvard was playing without its strongest swimmers and best offensive players.

The water polo team will host Northeastern on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in a return match, and will then travel to Quebec, Canada to compete in the North American Cup Championships. It will play six games in a two and a half day span, meeting teams from as far away as British Columbia and Mexico.

Harvard, faced with some top flight competition, will have to play at its best if it expects to win more than one or two matches, but captain Graff was enthusiastic about the team's chances. "I'm not too worried about the caliber of the opposition," he said," We can be as stiff as anyone."

Because water polo is not a recognized varsity sport it does not qualify for Athletic Department funds, and the team may be forced to hitchhike to the tournament and find accommodations wherever it can.

The following weekend, Harvard will travel to New York for the Paul M. whacker Invitational Tournament. "The whacker is the big one," Graff said. "The team won't have any trouble getting up down there."

Al Bozer was Philosophical about the team's chances in the two tournaments: "The team feels that the athletic representatives of the University should be concerned with moral issues as well as their competition. Therefore we will be satisfied with moral victories in the weeks to come."