The Harvard men's water polo team ended its season yesterday with the gutsy fight that has characterized the team all year.

The Crimson (14-12, 11-6 CWPA) worked hard this weekend for a shot at the Eastern Division Championships but was thwarted by Brown, 6-2, ending its postseason hopes.

On Saturday morning, Harvard faced off against the Bears in the deciding game for the Northern Division Championship.

Both teams felt the pressure that the game signified. For the Crimson, the team's long history of losses to Brown put pressure on this year's squad to be the ones to turn it around. Brown, meanwhile, realized how important the game was for its path of the Eastern Division Championships, and ultimately the NCAA Championships.

Both teams played carefully early on, not wanting to show any weakness, and as a result the first half was a defensive battle.

"I had extreme trouble sleeping the night before," sophomore driver Mike Crosby said. "Brown was under similar circumstances. The score was 0-0 at the end of the second half and both teams were being cautious."

As the third period began, the momentum began to shift to the Bears as Harvard's play became sloppy against Brown's swarming defense.

"They ran a defense we had not seen all season," Crosby said. "They would have two guys guarding the 2-meter position. The 2-meter position is a crucial point in our offense. The ball always passes at that point."