Before each season begins, Crimson swimmers figure on one loss, the Yale meet and then set their sights on smashing the rest of the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League. The year and last, Hal Ulen's squad has won 18 out of 19 meets; the single loss was to Yale. So far this season, the swimmers have nine straight victories.

But at 4 p.m. today, they go to New Haven to take their annual defeat. Bob Kiphuth's invincibles have rolled through 83 consecutive opponents in dual meets, and are fairly certain to make it 84 and another EISL title this afternoon.

Ulen expects his Crimson squad to win several events: Pete Dillingham in the dive, Captain Dave Hedberg and John McNamara in the sprints, and perhaps the 400-yard freestyle relay.

In the 300-yard medley relay, however, Elis Dick Thoman, Dennis O'Connor, and Don Sheff recently broke an official world record. And in the middle-distance freestyle events, John Marshall, Jim McLane and Wayne Moore seem certain of victory.

'55 in Preliminary Meet

At 3 p.m., Harry Burke's Eli freshmen will try to extend a string of 87 consecutive dual meet victories established over the years by Yale yearlings. Led by freestyler Captain Kerry Donovan, they will probably hand Bill Brooks' Yardings their second defeat of the season.

The backbone of the Blue varsity is formed by four juniors--freestylers Marshall, Moore, McLane, and Sheff. Two years ago, the Yale freshmen, with this quartet as a nucleus won the National A.A.U. swimming championships.

Last Wednesday, the Eli steamroller met the Bainbridge Navy training center. The sailors featured three former Eli swimming captains, a former Eli diver, an All-American from Ohio State, and an Olympic freestyler from California. But Yale crushed Bainbridge and broke three varsity records doing it.