It took the Harvard women's water polo team three years to earn varsity status. And in their first varsity game last night, it took them all of 15 seconds to prove that they had earned it.

Just after the opening spring, sophomore Annie Wilson took a pass from Allison Greis and gunned the ball past the Boston College goalie to give the Crimson a one-point advantage and a lead that it never relinquised enroute to a 22-0 pasting of the Eagles.

It was the kind of opening night found more often in fairy tales than in Blodgett Pool. It was all Harvard all night as the aquawomen showed the first fruits of the five-a-week practices and the new found dedication of varsity status.

"It wasn't bad," Harvard Coach Steve Pike said after his team had finished obliterating his alma mater. "I was pleased that they were more prepared for the first game this year than they were for any game last year.

No Stage Fright

And despite the fact that Pike pulled his starters early and often, the aquawomen were too excited about opening night to slow down the play to the lethargic pace favored by the Eagles.

"They're not all going to be like that," said Co-Captain Martha Wood, who celebrated after leading the battle for varsity status by scoring six goals. "I play hole, usually the hole is played a lot tighter. If someone were covering me properly I would have been fouled."

As it was, Wood was controlling the hole (the area right in front of the goal) and the Eagle defense was such a non-factor that she was able to pivot and fire the ball in at short range.

Friday at 4.30 p.m. at Blodgett, the aquawomen have their first real showdown of the year with their archrivals from Brown, and the going will be a whole lot rougher for Wood. She will take on the premier female water polo player the Crimson faces this year in Susie Janzen.

"It'll be much faster and rougher, definitely in the hole," Wood said. "I won't get anything."

Wood and her teammates got everything and anything last night Freshman Kelly Withy had three goals and showed the skills she developed playing boy's water polo in California Kristan Johnson, Cathy Yarael, Angela Nahl, Co-Captain Sarah Spence and Tanya Humphreys all had two scores apiece. In goal, Co-Captain Sally Glimp performed well and shared a shutout with Kathy Toth.

"The team can't count on them shutting out every opponent," Pike said. "We have very good depth in our field players, several good setters and sprinters and a lot of outside shooters."

All evening the Crimson beat B.C. to the ball and showed its great speed in counter attacks.

Played with five swimmers and a goalie on each side, water polo combines much of basketball and soccer in the water. Although it appears to be mayhem to the uninitiated, the game is a series of carefully planned plays, defenses and counter-attacks. Often, when playing a less talented and organized team like B.C., a superior team will get off its game and start to play down to the opponent's level of skill.

But despite the fact that the Eagles, who had only 10 members dressed, played only a couple of players with much discernible talent, the Crimson remained sharp and organized throughout the game.