Opponents will feel the sharp blow of Harvard's offensive punch when they battle the Crimson water poloists for the New England championship, beginning at 4 p.m. today, at the MIT pool.

First-seeded Harvard will play at full strength with the return of three top starters who missed last week's Army Invitationals at West Point. "We have a lot of momentum and a strong tight offense," team captain Mike Graff said Wednesday.

Dan "Deadeye" Daiss and Fred "Hawkeye" Mitchell return to the lineup along with Peter "Legs" Hursh, who just recovered from an ankle injury. A newcomer from the swim team. Hess Yntema, should beef up the Crimson's offensive attack.

The Crimson, with a 14-1 record, will be threatened by Northeastern and Brown, but odds favor more Harvard victories. Third-seeded Brown lost a 4-3 squeaker to Harvard earlier this month and second-ranked Northeastern played no better, losing twice to the Crimson so far this season.

Graff said the Brown threat "has diminished considerably" since the Bruins lost to Northeastern last week. "Of the two teams. I'd say Brown's much better," he said. "But we've beaten them before and we're going to do it again."

Harvard's water polo team has won three New England crowns in the last four seasons. The squad plays two games today and, most likely, the championship game at 7 p.m. tomorrow.