'Cliffe Water Polo Triumphs, Ends Season With 4-5 Record

The Radcliffe water polo team split its last two games this weekend, clobbering Tufts by a 14-3 score and then losing to Wellesly, 9-4, to close out the season with a 4-5 record.

The Crimson team completely outplayed Tufts' year-old team, racking up four goals in the first few minutes, and scoring more points than in any previous game off their inexperienced opposition.

Freshman Sharon Beckman contributed a formidable six points to the team's total, allowing her teammates to relax during the last minutes of the game. "The more you score, the more you want to score," Beck-man said.

Best Game

Although Wellesley robbed Radcliffe of a winning season's record, the Wellesley game was Radcliffe's best of the year, Steven Baird, the team's coach said yesterday.

Karen Bromberg, co-captain of the team, said Radcliffe had played better than Wellesley as a team by keeping good control of the ball, but fell before the onslaught of Wellesley's star player Kim Cole, who scored eight of her team's nine goals.

"Cole totally dominated the game--there was just no stopping her," Bromberg said.

Baird said the Radcliffe team reached the peak of its strength at the season's end. "Too bad we have to stop, we would win the next three games," he said.

Baird has dramatically improved the team's strategy. by setting up plays in advance, Beckman said. Previously the team strategy was simply to throw the ball in the direction of the goal, she added.

Moving Up

The women's water polo team, now a club, hopes to make varsity status next year. This would entitle it to a full-time coach and more pool time for practice, Bromberg said. Baird, who is also assistant coach for the men's water polo team only began to coach the women two months ago.

Baird, however, was uncertain about the team's future. He said the new men's water polo coach is an advocate of the sport, and the new pool being built will permit an expanded women's program. But if there are any problems with the budget next year, "water polo will be the first to go," he said.