Finishing with the most wins in a single season would be an impressive feat. Adding having the record set for goals in a season by a rookie and the winningest senior class in program, and the recipe is primed for success.

Coach Ted Minnis had nothing but words of praise for his team before the CWPA Div I/II Championship Tournament, hosted at Blodgett Pool this weekend, was even over.

“This is the best team that Harvard women’s water polo has ever had,” Minnis said.

The No. 18 Crimson (24-10) can now add a sixth-place finish at the year-end tournament to its 2016 resume.

Harvard opened the tournament with a loss to No. 17 Princeton (19-7) before defeating Connecticut College (15-9) and George Washington (8-19). With a fifth-place finish on the line, however, the injury-plagued Crimson fell in its season-finale to No. 20 Bucknell (18-5), by four goals, to settle for a sixth-place finish.

“We didn’t really have any extra field-player subs, [but] the team really stepped up and gave it our all,” sophomore attacker Sami Strutner said. “Even the though this weekend might not have turned out the way we wanted it to, it doesn’t define our season. We had a great season.”

BUCKNELL 11, HARVARD 7

Senior attacker Eleanor Marrs and sophomore utility Marta Considine led the Bison with a pair of hat tricks to down a depleted Crimson team, 11-7, to close out the season on Sunday morning.

“They do a great job,” Minnis said. “They’re well coached. They subbed early and later on in the game, they got some counter-goals and we just didn’t have any gas left to swim with them.”

Several of Harvard’s key players were unable to enter the pool, giving the Crimson only seven field players to work with at one point.

“I’m super proud of the way our team has been able to play this weekend, with the circumstances of so many people being out,” said captain Yoshi Andersen, playing her final game with Harvard. “Everybody who was able to play was playing with so much heart. People who weren’t able to play were so supportive.”

Freshman attacker Kristen Hong led the Crimson with a hat trick, while senior attacker Charlotte Hendrix tacked on a pair.

Hong’s 12-goal weekend upped her season total to 80 goals, setting a program record.

Hendrix, Andersen, and senior attacker Rachel Lobato leave Blodgett with 77 wins as a class, also a program record.

“I couldn’t ask for two better classmates to spend [my four years] with,” Andersen said. “Definitely, I’m leaving feeling very grateful for everything that’s happened since I’ve been here.”