Every Friday, the NE10 is going to highlight the biggest contests each weekend. It may be a big-time rivalry, matchup between two ranked teams or a battle for playoff-positioning. Fans can follow the action for every game by visiting our schedule page.
FOOTBALL
New Haven at Stonehill: Oct. 23 – 1:00 p.m. (Live Stats – Video)
Two of the top three football teams in the NE10 standings will collide on Saturday afternoon when New Haven visits Stonehill at W.B. Mason Stadium. The Chargers (5-1, 4-0 NE10) will look to remain unbeaten in conference play, while the Skyhawks (5-1, 3-1 NE10) aim to add another win onto its current three-game winning streak. With just four weeks remaining in the NE10 football season, Saturday's matchup could prove critical in terms of tiebreakers moving forward for both programs.
New Haven is coming off a 30-14 win over American International - its fourth-consecutive victory – and boast the league's top scoring defense, allowing just 14.2 points per game this season. The Chargers are surrendering only 85.3 rushing yards per game, the lowest total among NE10 teams. Stonehill, however, is racking up 207 rushing yards per contest – good for second in the NE10 – with a league-high 15 rushing touchdowns.
FIELD HOCKEY
No. 10 Bentley at New Haven: Oct. 23 – 1:00 p.m. (Live Stats – Video)
The Falcons (10-4, 8-2 NE10) are flying high, nationally ranked for the first time since 2014 on the strength of a five-game win streak, including wins over No. 9 Adelphi and No. 8 Stonehill. The Chargers (8-7, 8-3 NE10), meanwhile, are in the midst of their best season in program history with eight NE10 wins. A victory over Bentley would give them a chance to earn their first-ever home playoff game.
Bentley and New Haven aren't high scoring teams, averaging just 2.6 and 2.5 goals per game in conference play but have relied on impressive defenses. The Falcons are third in the NE10 in GAA (1.07) while the Chargers are fifth (1.24). Offensively, Ava Bevilaqua and Katie Thies lead Bentley with seven goals apiece. For New Haven, Abby Nixon leads the team with five goals and three assists while Reilly Bialko has four goals.
MEN'S SOCCER
Saint Anselm at Adelphi: Oct. 23 – 12:00 p.m. (Live Stats – Video)
The Panthers have won seven straight games, including four in overtime to run their record to 8-3-1 and 7-1 in the NE10. They recently escaped with a 4-3 OT victory over Bentley on Tuesday. The Hawks, meanwhile are 6-7 and 3-6 in the NE10 as they look to earn a bid into the NE10 Tournament. They've won two out of three, including a 1-0 overtime victory at Southern Conn. earlier this week.
Adelphi ranks third in the NE10 in scoring, averaging 2.9 goals per game while Saint Anslem is averaging just 1.2 goals per game, which is ranked 12th. Rodrigo Descalzo Rocca leads the Panthers and the NE10 with 11 goals while Paolo Marciano has seven goals and eight assists. Daniel De La Heras has started the last seven games in net, posting a 1.24 GAA with a .719 save percentage. Zach Elliot leads the Hawks with 15 points on five goals and five assists. In net, Brian Underhill has posted a 1.00 GAA with an .806 save percentage.
WOMEN'S SOCCER
No. 6 Southern New Hampshire at No.13 Saint Rose: Oct. 23 – 2:00 p.m. (Live Stats – Video)
To this point in the 2021 season, No. 6 Southern New Hampshire and No. 13 Saint Rose have combined for a record of 22-0-3 – an undefeated mark that includes a 17-0-2 record against NE10 opponents. These two nationally-ranked powerhouses will meet on Saturday afternoon at the Plumeri Sports Complex in a matchup that could potentially determine the NE10 regular season champion.
SNHU and Saint Rose have been ranked in the Top 15 of the United Soccer Coaches poll for the majority of the season, culminating in Saturday's match which will feature two of the best teams in all of Division II. The Golden Knights (10-0-2, 7-0-2 NE10) have the highest-scoring offense in the league (2.75 goals per game), while the Penmen (12-0-1, 10-0 NE10) are allowing the fewest goals per game (0.45 per game) to opponents this season.
VOLLEYBALL
Southern Connecticut at Franklin Pierce: Oct. 22 – 7:00 p.m. (Live Stats – Video)
Two teams vying for a spot in the NE10 Volleyball Championship will meet on Friday night when Franklin Pierce hosts Southern Connecticut. The Owls (17-7, 3-2 NE10) have won three of their past four matches, including a recent 3-0 sweep of Molloy. The Ravens (8-9, 2-4 NE10), however, have lost four-straight contests, with three of them coming against Stonehill, New Haven and American International – three of the top four teams in the NE10 standings.
SCSU is led by junior Gabriela Gaibur, who ranks second in the NE10 in kills (264) this season, and graduate student Abigail Epstein, who is second in hitting percentage (.344). Franklin Pierce sophomore Morgan Schmutzler continues to provide the Ravens with strong performances, as her 5.02 digs per set are third-best among NE10 players.
WOMEN'S TENNIS
TBA at TBA: Oct. 24 – 1:00 p.m.
The NE10 Women's Tennis Championship final is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., barring a time change due to inclement weather and the match being moved indoors. No. 1 Le Moyne is playing No. 4 Adelphi, while No. 2 Southern New Hampshire faces No. 3 Franklin Pierce in the NE10 Championship semifinals on Friday. The two winners will meet on Sunday with the NE10 title at stake.
For all details surrounding the NE10 Women's Tennis Championship, visit Championship Central by clicking HERE.
NE10 CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP
The NE10 Men's & Women's Cross Country Championship takes place on Sunday at Saint Anselm College. The women's race begins at 11:00 a.m. while the men race at 12:15 p.m. In the Women's Pre-Championship Poll, Stonehill was picked to win its 12th straight NE10 Title, while AIC was selected to repeat on the men's side. Click the links to read entire women's preview or the men's preview.
Don't forget to check out NE10NOW.tv, the streaming home of the Northeast-10 where you can find hundreds of live broadcasts throughout the year and rewatch some of the best games from the past year. Fans can also watch on our OTT app, available on Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV. Just search NE10 to find the app.
