The No. 20 Harvard men's water polo team opened its Collegiate Water Polo Association season with two wins at MIT on Saturday, and sought to ride the Red Line back home to a 3-0 league start.

Unfortunately, No. 12 UMass was waiting at the other end. An eight-goal performance from junior Mike Foley derailed Harvard's plans of early-season perfection.

The Crimson (5-4, 2-1 CWPA) lost to UMass, 13-8, at Blodgett Pool in Saturday's nightcap. The loss, Harvard's third to UMass in this young season, completed a whirlwind three-game, two-venue day for Harvard.

"I'd say that the team was disappointed at the end of this one, but not at all disheartened," said junior Mike Crosby. "We played a stronger match against them than we did the other times, especially on defense."

Earlier, the Crimson breezed past Boston College, 18-5, and defeated host MIT, 17-13, at Alumni Pool.

UMass 13, Harvard 8

Harvard struck first against the Minutemen when sophomore Alex Fisher dumped a pass in to two-meter defenseman Sean Cheng to begin the scoring. The defense-dominated first few minutes boded well for the Crimson, as UMass had opened up with big first quarters in the teams' two previous meetings.

Two minutes later, however, UMass found the back of the net. In a sign of things to come, Foley flipped the ball behind his back and past junior netminder Gresham Bayne to tie the game at 1-1.