There is a sense of excitement in the air with Harvard Men's Water Polo.

Last night's 16-8 win over MIT was more than just a victory. The Crimson, which usually faces MIT in the familiar surroundings of Harvard, faced off against an anxious MIT team in a relatively unfriendly arena.

"MIT draws quite a lot of fans and it usually gets very noisy," Head Coach Don Benson said. "They enjoy quite a big home pool advantage."

From the start of the game, it was quite apparent that MIT came to the pool fully equipped to play a competitive game. MIT quickly got off to a 3-0 lead before the feisty Crimson came roaring back.

"We came out a little slow," freshman goalie Ed Chen said. "MIT was extremely fired up. They got out to a 3-0 lead, but by the end of the half, it was 6-6 and after that we dominated. Everyone played well."

Impressive play by Chen, who had six blocks and gave up only three goals, helped elevate the Crimson. Harvard was also aided by the experienced play of a trio of juniors: Alex Kim scored four goals and co-captain Chip Hellar and Julian Alexander each chipped in with two goals apiece.

The next challenge for the Crimson will come this weekend as they play in the Northern Division tournament.

This tournament is the stepping-stone to the prestigious Eastern championships--the 12 teams in the Northern division play in three tournaments which determine the seeding for the Northern Division championships.

The top four teams in the Northern Division will advance to the Eastern Championships.

This weekend's event includes Harvard, tournament-host Fordham, St. Francis and the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

"This tournament will help to establish what will happen for the rest of the season," Benson said. "I don't make any predictions, but I expect a very successful weekend."

The Crimson's biggest challenge will most likely be St. Francis. With the addition of a freshman star from Russia, the Red Flash could provide some trouble.

Yet the Crimson have numbers on their side. With a deep team of players, all of whom have shown the ability to play in any given situation, the atmosphere remains optimistic.

"We have really high expectations," Chen said. "The team is starting the come together. If everything goes according to plan, we should have some easy games."

Benson's goals for the team are to do well enough in this weekend's Northern Division tournament that the Crimson will be assured of being the second or third seed in the Northern Division Championships. With a team working together with great attitudes, a top four finish seems possible.

"We need to believe in ourselves," Chen said. "If we can do that and come out strong, we should do well."