When a team has lost seven of its first 10 games, one weekend shouldn't turn around a season.

It's amazing what five wins can do.

The Harvard men's water polo team radically reversed its fortunes this weekend, jumping to a plus-.500 team by sweeping the Northern League Tournament. On Saturday the Crimson (8-7, 8-7 CWPA) defeated Lehman 10-3, Villanova 13-7, and blanked Fordham 10-0.

It then crushed Iona 18-9 and toppled US Merchant Marine Military Academy on Sunday to claim the weekend.

"This was a big weekend for us," said captain Robinson Jacobs. "We hope to keep riding this high into our upcoming competition."

The weekend concluded Harvard's league regular season schedule. The victories, in particular the Iona win, guaranteed Harvard the No. 5 seed for the Northern Division Championships, the first stage in the NCAA playoffs scheduled for Oct. 30-31.

The top four teams from that eight-team field advance to the next stage, making the first round actually the most important. Harvard's seeding will bring Brown as an opening round opponent.

"We wanted to play Brown," Jacobs said. "Although we lost to them, [12-10] earlier this year we are confident we can beat them in the playoffs."