The Harvard men’s water polo team pulled through in a hard fought road battle last night to clinch its seventh straight win. The Crimson (10-8, 8-1 CWPA Northern) was triumphant for the second time this season against its cross-town rival MIT (6-10, 6-6 CWPA Northern) in a 10-7 victory at Alumni Pool.

The Harvard offense started the game off strong with four goals in both the first and second quarters. Once again, the team’s underclassmen were crucial to another Crimson victory.

Familiar faces attributed to Harvard’s offensive success. Sophomore Noah Harrison, the leading goal scorer for the Crimson this season with a total of 35 goals, led the team with three scores on the night. In addition to Harrison’s goals, five other Crimson players found the back of the net, including rookie teammate Joey Colton. Colton, ranked second in total assists for Harvard this season, chipped in two goals and totaled three assists.

Despite a strong start, the Crimson lost its large 8-2 lead early on in the second half of play.

“We came out looking really good,” sophomore Colin Woolway said. “After that, our offense settled down a little bit, and we lost a lot of momentum.”

The Engineers outscored Harvard in the third quarter, 3-1, and the Engineers held the Crimson offense to only two goals in the third and fourth periods.

Despite a poorer showing in the second half, senior captain Jimmy Field was pleased with the performance.

“It was a good game for us,” Field said. “As it got close, it forced us to dig deep and fight for the last two quarters. We can’t give up in the first place, and we need to work hard to protect the lead. [This game] showed we are capable of doing that.”

MIT underclassmen also played a huge role in the Engineers’ near-comeback. Sophomore Ory Tasman scored three goals for his team, while freshmen keepers Nolan Kruse and Ian Zune tended the net for the entirety of the game, together earning 13 blocks.

The defensive game has been and continued to be crucial for Harvard. In the six wins leading up to last night’s game, the Crimson allowed only 8.5 goals per contest. The team also recorded 75 total steals and 45 saves.

Despite a weaker offensive showing in the second half, the defense once again managed to play at a high level, contributing greatly to the win.

“It wasn’t a big deal that our offense wasn’t producing because our defense was keeping the lead. We were able to rely on that,” Woolway said.

The Crimson’s defense was able to keep the aggressive Engineers at bay; in the final quarter of play, MIT found the back of the net only once. Woolway was critical to the defensive game. The three-time CWPA Defensive Player of the Week winner tallied a total of nine saves in goal.

“We are working a lot harder on pressing hard…and making it harder for the other team to control the ball,” Woolway said. “We have a lot of long guys on the perimeter who are able to steal the ball.”

The strong back line, which ended the night with a total of six steals—two from Harrison and rookie Dan Stevens—was able to keep the Harvard lead to at least two goals for the majority of the game.

“We have been trying to increase our communication on defense,” Field said. “[This] showed in the game.”

With the team’s season nearly halfway over, the Crimson is ranked for the first time since 2002 thanks to numerous strong showings. Harvard currently sits at No. 17 in the water polo national rankings.

“We weren’t on the radar as much last year, so it definitely feels good to be in the national conversation,” Woolway said. “We have a bit of a target on our back now, but that was our goal.”

The team will be traveling to New Haven on Saturday to compete in the Ivy Championships, where its ranking will be put on the line.

“[Being ranked] feels good,” Field said. “It’s motivation because now we have something to protect. We go out in the water wanting to play every game without a slip-up. We have to continue working hard.”