The only school in the region that is ranked is No. 6 UMass, which Harvard lost to 7-5 in a February scrimmage. In the fourth quarter of that match, the Crimson scored three unanswered goals.

"It's tough, because we don't get enough competition to impress people," said Gahan, who is one of the five coaches on the poll committee. "I think we're right behind UMass, maybe around No. 10 to 12 in the country."

It was hard to pick a most valuable player for Harvard this weekend because everyone scored--literally. Even junior Carine Williams, the backup goalie, was inserted into the field against B.U. so that she could score.

Nevertheless, some individuals stood out. Sophomore Natasha Magnuson and sophomore Jesse Gunderson both dominated. Magnuson scored 17 goals and had 15 assists for the weekend, while Gunderson scored 21 goals.

Freshman Dorothy Johnston made an impact as well. A high school All-American, Johnston was the freshman picked by the seniors to play every minute of every game this weekend. The "ironwoman" got stronger each game, according to Gahan, and her weekend climaxed in a seven-goal, six-assist, six-steal performance against B.C.

Despite the domination exhibited this weekend, Gahan said that Harvard's match with UMass on Mar. 26 is more important as a measuring stick.

Gahan, who was on the 1989 Harvard team that was the most successful in school history, said that this year's team is the most talented she has seen in her years of involvement with the program.

Although the 1989 team finished second at Easterns and fifth at Nationals, women's water polo has grown explosively since then.