All eyes will be on North Andover this weekend as the two of the top teams in the league square off for first place. The winner will be in the drivers' seat for the NE-10 title.

Week 9 Capsules

Assumption (3-4, 2-3 NE-10) at St. Anselm (1-6, 1-4 NE-10)

When: October 29th, 1:00 PM

All-Time Series: Assumption leads the series, 7-5-0

My thoughts: Both teams enter the game off of huge wins.

Assumption had the week off after they beat Merrimack 44-24 on October 14th. It was the performance that was weeks in the makings for the Greyhounds. The defense contained one of the better offensive units in the league and their own offensive attack pounded out a lot of yards on the ground. The front seven of Assumption will be the key as they will need to pressure St. Anselm and keep them from making big plays.

St. Anselm got their first win of the season at Pace last Saturday. They used the big play in putting their highest point on the scoreboard of the season. Michael Pierce used his arm and legs to help the Hawks move the ball up and down the field. Marc Wilson finally was able to break out including finding the end zone twice. St. Anselm will need to find some holes in the Assumption defense and not let them make quick decisions in the face of pressure. They will also need to find a way to slow down the running game of Assumption and not let them kill the clock with their ground game.

St. Anselm will have some early momentum but Assumption will clamp down as the game wears on. The Greyhounds will limit the big play ability of St. Anselm and punch the ball into the end zone when they need to.

Prediction: Assumption 34 St. Anselm 24

Bentley (4-4, 3-3 NE-10) at Pace (1-6, 0-5 NE-10)

When: October 29th, 1:00 PM

All-Time Series: Bentley leads the series, 9-3-0

My thoughts: Both teams are trying to break losing streaks.

Bentley is in the middle of a rare three game losing streak. They have been to the top three teams in the NE-10 but all three games were within reach for the Falcons. Bryant Johnson did everything he could last Saturday to break the losing streak. The defense has struggled in the second half for the past three games and it has cost Bentley. The offense will need to get the Falcons on the board early and the defense will need to find its touch again.

Pace was not able to slow down St. Anselm and fell for the fifth straight game. The Setters showed some life late in the game but they will need to play a more complete game if they are going to be competitive. Pace will need to find a way to pressure Bentley and force them into mistakes. The Pace offense will need to move the ball consistently and not make costly mistakes that stall out drives.

Bentley has struggled at Pace the past couple of times there but this game will be different. The Falcons will have a breakout game and end the frustration of their losing streak.

Prediction: Bentley 47 Pace 7

# 18 New Haven (7-1, 5-0 NE-10) at Merrimack (5-2, 4-1 NE-10)

When: October 29th, 1:00 PM

All-Time Series: Series tied at one

My thoughts: The winner will be one step closer to the NE-10 title.

New Haven is the only undefeated team in the league after beating Bentley 45-38 last Saturday. They were able to move the ball against a good Bentley defense but struggled to contain Bryant Johnson. They will face another major challenge this weekend against James Suozzo. They will need to force Suozzo into bad reads and bad throws and make Merrimack turn the ball over. The Chargers' offense will also need to play mistake free. Ryan Osiecki will need to spread the ball around to all of his weapons.

Merrimack took care of business last Saturday with their win over Stonehill. James Suozzo continued his solid play as he threw for a couple of touchdowns and ran the ball into the end zone three times. The Warrior defense was solid for three quarters before they allowed three touchdowns in the fourth. They will need to play four solid quarters if they are going to keep New Haven in check. If they are able to pressure Osiecki and not allow him to stretch the field with his deep threats, they will be in the game in the fourth quarter.

This is the game that you would expect a lot of points to be put up on the scoreboard. Both defenses have struggled at times in the past couple of weeks so you should see a lot of trips into the end zone. It will come down to the defense and New Haven has the better one.

Prediction: New Haven 45 Merrimack 40

Stonehill (2-6, 1-4 NE-10) at Southern Connecticut (6-2, 5-1 NE-10)

When: October 29th, 1:00 PM

All-Time Series: Southern Connecticut leads the series, 14-0-0

My thoughts: This is the classic David vs. Goliath match-up.

Stonehill fell behind early to Merrimack before rallying to make the final score respectable. The Skyhawks will need to play like they did in the fourth quarter for the entire game if they are going to pull off the upset on the road. Jessie Hunt has played well at quarterback since he stepped in a couple of weeks ago. He will face another challenge this weekend with the Southern Connecticut defense. He will need to spread the ball around and avoid mistakes. The Stonehill defense will also need to find a way to slow down the Owl offense that has been very explosive this year.

Southern Connecticut rallied last weekend at AIC in the final five minutes of the game. Kevin Lynch and Willie Epps were on the same page on the final two drives and Rashaad Slowley continues to visit the end zone with regularly. Southern Connecticut will need to continue to spread the ball around to all of their offensive playmakers. Their defense will also need to rebound from giving up 47 points last weekend. If the Owls are able to stymie the Stonehill running game, they will be in good position to win the game. Southern Connecticut is on the outside of the playoff picture right now and that should be motivation enough to play a complete game.

The size and speed of Southern Connecticut will be too much for Stonehill to overcome as the Owls have their eyes on the postseason.

Prediction: Southern Connecticut 45 Stonehill 17