We have reached the heart of the Division 3 season and that means one thing more than anything else — conference rivalries.
In the Commonwealth Coast, two streaking teams — the University of New England and Salve Regina — play a home-and-home series this weekend with first place on the line.
The stakes are similarly high in the NESCAC, where pacesetter Trinity hosts the team closest to it in the standings — Tufts — in Hartford, Conn., on Friday night.
With just a month to go in the regular season, here is how our latest regional top 10 shakes out.
1. UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND
Record: 12-2-2 (6-1-2 CCC) | Previous ranking: No. 5
Next game: Friday vs. Salve Regina
Ryan Kuzmich (Norton, Mass.) has heated up and so have the Nor'easters. Tuesday's hard-fought 3-1 win over Bowdoin was their seventh straight and extended their unbeaten streak to 12 games, third-longest in program history. Kuzmich has at least one point in each of the last five games and is third on the team in scoring (5-7-12) behind big Juraj Elias and Anthony Sciucco (Winchester, Mass.).
2. TRINITY
Record: 11-2-1 (7-0-1 NESCAC) | Previous ranking: No. 2
Next game: Friday vs. Tufts
The Bantams have been lights-out defensively, allowing just 1.29 goals per game, best in the NESCAC and second-best in Division 3 behind only defending champion Hobart. Sophomore goalie Devon Bobak ranks fifth nationally with a 1.25 goals-against average and also boasts a .937 save percentage. Only two teams — UMass Boston and Curry — have scored more than twice against them in a game.
3. PLYMOUTH STATE
Record: 12-1-2 (9-0-2 MASCAC) | Previous ranking: No. 4
Next game: Thursday at Framingham State
Yes, the Panthers are scoring as much as just about any team in the country (4.87 goals per game), with sophomore Will Redick setting the national pace in goals (17) and points (32). But they're doing a great job of preventing them, too, allowing a total of 12 during this current eight-game win streak. Their remaining schedule consists of 10 MASCAC games and it wouldn't be a shock if they ran the table.
4. SALVE REGINA
Record: 12-3-1 (7-1-1 CCC) | Previous ranking: No. 6
Next game: Friday at the University of New England
After a 34-day layoff between games, coach Zech Klann said last week's return to action at Bowdoin almost felt like a season opener. But the Seahawks picked up right where they left off, getting goals from seven different players — leading scorer Matthew Fawcett (Lincoln, R.I.) had a goal and two assists — and blitzing the Polar Bears, 7-3. A great measuring-stick weekend for them against UNE is upcoming.
5. NORWICH
Record: 9-5-3 (6-2-3 NEHC) | Previous ranking: No. 3
Next game: Friday at Johnson & Wales
It's been a Jekyll and Hyde season for the Cadets, depending on whether they're at home (7-1-2) or on the road (1-4-1). A terrific weekend that saw them beat No. 2 Elmira (3-1) and tie No. 1 Hobart (1-1) at Kreitzberg Arena was followed by a flat trip to lowly Middlebury on Tuesday and a 3-0 loss.
6. ENDICOTT
Record: 8-4-4 (5-2-2 CCC) | Previous ranking: No. 1
Next game: Friday vs. Nichols
After losing just one home game all last season, the Gulls have dropped two of their last three contests at Bourque Arena, including last week's 2-1 overtime loss to Curry. The good news is the remaining schedule favors them greatly — eight of their last nine games are against teams in the bottom half of the CCC standings.
7. BABSON
Record: 9-6-2 (7-2-1 NEHC) | Previous ranking: No. 7
Next game: Friday at Hobart
The Beavers can thank senior defenseman Colby Bailey (Southborough, Mass.) for saving their bacon on Saturday against Southern Maine. He tied the game with a power-play goal with 2:36 left in regulation, then scored the game-winner a minute into overtime to close out a 4-3 win. Babson has put its 0-3-1 start behind it and is right in the mix for a top-four finish in the NEHC.
8. CURRY
Record: 11-4-1 (6-3-0 CCC) | Previous ranking: No. 8
Next game: Friday at Western New England
Even without top producer Timmy Kent, the Colonels are doing enough at both ends of the ice to build another solid season. Gage Dill has followed up his superb freshman campaign with a 6-9-15 line and is the team's leading scorer, and veteran Austan Bellefeuille of Framingham, Mass. (4-8-12) is enjoying his best season to date.
9. TUFTS
Record: 8-4-2 (5-2-1 NESCAC) | Previous ranking: NR
Next game: Friday at Trinity
Maybe no team in the region has played better since the calendar flipped than Tufts, which is poised for a top-four finish in the NESCAC for the first time in memory. An eight-game win streak ended with a respectable 3-3 tie at Hamilton on Saturday, with senior goalie Peyton Durand (Newport, R.I.) making 45 saves and the Jumbos coming within a pulled-goal equalizer of a ninth straight win.
10. BOWDOIN
Record: 9-4-2 (5-2-2 NESCAC) | Previous ranking: NR
Next game: Friday at Williams
Alex Kozic made 36 saves as the Polar Bears became the first NESCAC team to take something away from a game against Trinity with a 1-1 draw on Saturday. One year after winning the conference tournament as the No. 7 seed, Bowdoin is setting itself up for a top-four finish and playoff home ice.
