"After the Brown game, I couldn't open my eyes," Gunderson said. "I had chemical burns on my head and face. I had to be led to the pool by hand for the UMass game."

Gunderson played through the pain. But two players--junior Sonali Das and captain Kit Hodge--had to sit out the UMass contest.

Harvard tried to use coffee creamers and mineral oil to coat their eyes and remedy the situation. The result was clouded vision.

"We just wanted to get the game over with," Gunderson said. "But we managed to maintain a level of decorum through the madness."

UMass had not played a game Sunday morning and was considerably fresher than the badly-stung Harvard team.

But, despite the injuries, Harvard started out ahead. Although they eventually fell 12-5, the Crimson was encouraged by its performance.

"Our team played really well all weekend, "Handt said. "Leslie Bennett, Jesse Gunderson, and Natasha Magnuson all had particularly strong performances against UMass."

Harvard now focuses on Easterns, which will be held at Blodgett Pool next weekend. To qualify for Nationals, Harvard must finish in the top three.

The four main obstacles in its way are Maryland, Princeton, UMass and Villanova. With the exception of Villanova, Harvard has lost to each of those teams. However, with the team's progress this season, an upset is very possible.

"I am very confident that we can finish in the top three," Handt said. "In fact, I think we have the ability to finish second, especially with the team morale right now."

The Crimson can only hope that Blodgett's chlorine level will be much more tolerable.