No, it isn't a bunch of overgrown babies showing off their crimson and white bonnets, although the squad is one of the youngest of the Crimson's varsity family. It's Harvard's only contact water sport team--the men's water polo six--Lack at Blodgett Pool and looking forward to besting the 13-8 record it posted in last year's inaugural varsity season.

With all of last year's starters returning to action, coach Steve Pike will try to improve the Crimson's showing at the Eastern Tournament--where the aquamen finished fifth last fall--by improving the caliber of the squad's opposition.

"This year means a great deal to the returning players because they've seen the improvement which continual workouts foster," said . "We don't intend to chalk up a 15-3 record against pushovers. We schedule as many top teams as possible early in the season so the fellas can see new moves and practice them for the big tournaments."

In the home opener, Harvard meets defending NCAA National Champion Stanford. In search of other top competitors, Pike has the squad travelling to Annapolis to battle nationally ranked Air Force at a neutral site in October, and has requested berths against Eastern powers Fordham and Bucknell in the Brown Invitational the last weekend in September.

Sophomore sensations Dave Fasi and Steve Munatones will pace the aquamen's attack. Fasi, the New England Tournament MVP and Crimson season point-scoring leader, and most improved player Munatones gained valuable experience against top collegiate competition this summer. Both represented the East in water polo at the National Sports Festival in Syracuse.

Fasi and Munatones joined junior Californians Phil Atkinson and Dave Guerra, both All-New England selections, at a Long Beach State training camp for the last weeks of the summer. Senior co-captains, Houston Hall, Harvard's leading goal scorer, and Rich "The Wall" Reid, 2nd Team All-New England goalie, round out the starting sextet.

But because water polo features a 35-second shot clock which forces virtually continuous exertion in an area larger than a basketball court, dependable reserves are as important as a star-studded last string. According to Pike, a good team must have 11 to 14 strong players to maintain the competitive pace throughout the hour long games.

Varsity swimmers Tim Maximoff and Courtney Roberts lead the bevy of subs certain to see plenty of action Maximoff doubles as a hole setter, water polo's analogue to Meadowlark Lemon's playmaker position in basketball, and as yeoman, using his explosive speed to stop breakaways.

Also look for seniors Pat Jakobson and John Fisher to spark the Crimson from off the bench. The loss of last year's co-captains John Hansen and Juan Enriquez, who both lobbied effectively for the squad's elevation to varsity (level II) status, depletes the depth charts.

In the intense bidding war of recruiting, Pike managed to lure four experienced high school players to Cambridge. Golden Bears Brian Johnson (Santa Barbara), goalie Brian Graham (Los Angeles), and Winthrop Pescasolidos (Exeter), along with Milwaukeean John David lead the Yardling contingent.

With a strong team effort during the double sessions in the early season, the aquamen should qualify for the Eastern Seaboard Water Polo Championships (at Providence, November 14-15) and better last season's fifth place showing. But first the Crimson must capture at least a silver medal at the New Englands held at Blodgett the week before.

Perennial powerhouses Brown and M.I.T. pose the largest obstacles to Harvard's plans at the New Englands. Bruin Coach Ed Reed has eleven recruits to try to replace graduated superstar Russ Hertzberg. Reed and his boys have worked out at sunny U.C.L.A. for the past month so Brown, which has not lost a New England match in six years, should be virtually untouchable.

Gradnation severely weakend M.I.T. which split four games with Harvard last year, all by a margin of fewer than five goals, However coach John Benedick contends that his young Engineers with only three returning lettermen will be ready for any encounter with the Crimson: "We do our best to give Harvard a hard time," Benedick said.

If the Crimson qualifies for the Easterns, which it should, the squad will probably have to handle preseason favournes Brown and Loyola of Chicago to reach the final four. Fordham (fourth last year) and defending champ Bucknell, despite losing the nation's top NCAA scorer, also provide formidable competition.

Whatever happens, Blodgett Pool is sure to witness some of the East's most exciting water polo this fall. And don't be fooled by the bonnets, the Crimson aquamen are not crybabies.