At a critical point in last season's run of "The Sopranos," street boss Tony Soprano reflects on his ascent in the hierarchy of organized crime. After the departure of his conniving mother and the demise of an insubordinate underling, he sits back smugly and muses, "Finally, all my enemies are smoked."

This year, a Crimson men's water polo team that has improved in each of its first two years under Coach Jim Floerchinger returns to action with a hit list of its own. The list includes St. Francis College, Princeton and UMass, nationally ranked programs who once routinely had their way with Harvard.

"I feel that this year, there is not a team who can outplay us," Floerchinger said. "Every contest should be a 'game,' which is different from the past when some teams were honestly beyond our ability. That is no longer the case."

Evidence of the team's potential was seen last week during the No. 20 Crimson's season opener at Blodgett Pool, when one name was scratched off the list. Harvard whacked No. 19 Brown, 9-7, en route to a 3-1 weekend.

Harvard had not defeated the Bears in eight years.

"It was a long time coming," Floerchinger said. "And I think it's just the beginning."

Floerchinger has many reasons to be optimistic. Harvard returns virtually all of its starters from last year's youthful squad, which finished with a 14-11 record in 1999. Their maturity has been evident in the vigor with which they, led by captain Tom Elke, have adapted to Floerchinger's rigorous workout schedule.

"The team's intensity and two-a-day practice schedule show that we are shooting for the top," said senior driver Grant Garrigues.

Mike Crosby returns as the team's top junior, and Hungarian-born Istvan Zollei, a sophomore who scored three goals in the Crimson's 10-4 win over B.C., should play a key role in an offense that emphasizes balance and depth.

"Istvan's going to be an important player for us this year," Floerchinger said.

Junior Gresham Bayne and sophomore Paul Tselentis will handle the goalkeeping chores.

The Crimson has also added some new blood to help build on last year's successful season. Varsity swimmers Charlie Cromwell and Dan Bazylewicz have been added to the team to supply additional speed, and their adjustment to the sport has gone smoothly thus far.

"Charlie and Dan are doing better than I could have imagined," Floerchinger said. "They are new to the game, but such talented athletes that they have made their presence felt almost immediately. They could play strong roles in our success this year."

A large freshman class only enhances what was already a major strength for the Crimson: depth. The quality of Harvard's bench allows it to shuttle players in and out of the action more freely, keeping the team as a whole fresher and more mobile.

"We have such a deep team, we can probably go through our entire bench with little drop-off in ability, speed or strength," Floerchinger said. "That is a special position for us to find ourselves in."

The team's goal is to find itself in another special position in December: the NCAA Championships, hosted by Pepperdine University. Last year, the Crimson overcame a rocky 3-7 stretch in the first few weeks of the season and rode an eight-game win streak into the Collegiate Water Polo Association Northern Division Championships.

There, Harvard lost a game that would have brought it a berth in the Eastern Championships and a shot at the NCAAs. The loss was to Brown.

Having already beaten the Bears this year, the team's optimism seems justified. After Harvard's 12-4 loss to No. 14 UMass concluded the first match of the year, Floerchinger was still pleased.

"We're not losing to them by eight again this year," he said. "It just won't happen. It'll probably be a situation where we get a little closer each time we meet them, and I think we'll catch them before it's all done."