The leaves are starting to change and the games in the NE-10 have more meaning each week. As we close out the month, several teams have positioned themselves for the next phase of the season.

American International (2-1, 2-0 NE-10) @ Southern Connecticut (1-2, 1-1 NE-10)

When: September 27th, 12:00 PM

All-Time Series: Southern Connecticut leads the series, 31-23-3

My Thoughts: This rivalry is still one of the better ones in the league.

American International used their defense to find the end zone in their 33-5 victory over Stonehill. The defense scored four times and helped an offense that struggled most of the afternoon. Daquan Holmes had two interceptions that he took to the house including a 100 yard return in the second quarter. The offense only managed 177 yard of total offense against a solid Stonehill defense. Kevin Arduino was back under center after injuring his knee in the opening game. For the Yellow Jackets to win on the road, they will need to move the ball on offense better than last week. The defense will need to continue their hard hitting ways and make some plays.

Southern Connecticut grabbed the first win of the Tom Godek era with a 32-10 victory at Pace. Special teams played a big part of the victory as they had a punt return by Jon Balcacer for a touchdown and a blocked punt that was taken back for a score. Ray Catapano was solid as quarterback in his first start as he helped the Owls rack up 421 yards of total offense. For Southern Connecticut to win the game, they will need to limit turnovers and not allow AIC to push them around the field. The offense will need to move the ball on the ground and punch the ball into the end zone when given the chance.

AIC is the bigger and strong team right now. They will wear down the Southern Connecticut front lines and pull away with the victory in the fourth quarter.

Prediction: AIC 27 Southern Connecticut 14


Pace (0-3, 0-2 NE-10) @ St. Anselm (3-0, 2-0 NE-10)

When: September 27th, 1:00 PM

All-Time Series: St. Anselm leads the series, 10-6-0

My Thoughts: This match up used to give one of the teams their lone league victory.

Pace dropped their third game of the season to Southern Connecticut last Saturday by the score of 32-10. The Setters were in the game for three quarters before allowing 19 points in the final 15 minutes. Brandon Tobin started as quarterback and had a respectable day as he completed nearly half of his passes while racking up 185 yards through the air. For Pace to win on the road, they will need to make plays on the defensive side of the ball and not let St. Anselm dictate time of possession. The offense will also need to play mistake free.

St. Anselm defeated Bentley for the first time in school history and is now 3-0 on the season. The Hawks rallied from a 10 point deficit in the fourth quarter to pull off the victory, 38-34. Yianni Gavalas had a solid day with 386 yards passing and two scores. Elad Covaliu had the winning touchdown for the second week in a row and St. Anselm is the talk of the NE-10 right now. They are taking it one game at a time and it is showing in their record. For the Hawks to win the game, they will need to control the ball and tire out the Pace defense. Their own defense will need to get stops and get off the field on third down.

This has all of the makings of a trap game for St. Anselm. They are coming off a huge win and can't afford to look ahead. They will take control of the game in the second half to win the match up.

Prediction: St. Anselm 31 Pace 13


LIU Post (1-2, 1-1 NE-10) @ Assumption (1-2, 1-1 NE-10)

When: September 27th, 1:00 PM

All-Time Series: Post leads the series, 8-2-0

My Thoughts: Both teams need to win to keep pace in the league.

LIU Post had their chances but were not able to come away with a win at Merrimack last weekend. The Pioneers allowed a late touchdown and lost the game 19-17. The defense kept the usually high powered Warrior offense in check but too many turnovers cost them the game. It was the third close game in a row for Post and could easily be 3-0 right now. For the Pioneers to win on the road, they will need to limit mistakes and play solid defense. Steve Laurino will need to continue his stellar play and put Post in position to win the game late.

Assumption grabbed their first win of the season over New Haven 24-20. The Greyhounds led the entire game and played a very impressive game. Trevor Vasey passed for over 300 yards and the ground game grinded out over 200 yards including a 44 yard run by Alex Shain to seal the game. Jarrod Casey and Erik Abramson paced the defense with double digit tackles and kept the New Haven offense in check most of the afternoon. For Assumption to win the game, they will need to move the ball and not turn it over. The defense will need to contain Laurino and not allow him to make any big plays.

This game will be close and come down to the final minutes. Post will take a lead late in the game but Assumption will put together a drive to win the game.

Prediction: Assumption 31 Post 30


New Haven (0-3, 0-2 NE-10) @ Bentley (1-2, 0-2 NE-10)

When: September 27th, 2:00 PM

All-Time Series: New Haven leads the series, 4-1-0

My Thoughts: The loser of this game will be 0-3 in the league.

New Haven lost another close game last Saturday, this time to Assumption 24-20. The Chargers have been close in all of their games but again were on the wrong side of the final score. The offense had over 400 yards of offense but the defense yielded over 500 yards in the loss. Joey Bradley had a decent game as he completed passes to 10 different receivers. Ty Headen hauled in 10 passes for 114 yards and a score. Andre Anderson had over 100 rushing yards. For the Chargers to win on the road, they will need to play better defense. They need to get stops and not allow Bentley to control the flow of the game.

Bentley lost to St. Anselm 38-34 for the first time in school history. The Falcons had a 10 point lead disappear in the fourth quarter to drop their second consecutive game. Danny Guadagnoli had a respectable game with 247 yards of passing and two scores. But the Bentley defense allowed 499 yards of total offense and two touchdowns in the final seven minutes. For the Falcons to win the game, they will need to find their consistent offensive rhythm. Guadagnoli will need to move the offense up and down the field with both his arm and the ground game. The defense will also need to make some timely plays.

The loser of this game will be eliminated from the championship game race. That is a tough pill to swallow for either team as they both had high hopes and it is only Week 4. This game will feature a lot of points and will see the home team escape with the victory.

Prediction: Bentley 38 New Haven 35


Merrimack (2-1, 2-0 NE-10) @ Stonehill (1-2, 1-1 NE-10)

When: September 27th, 6:00 PM

All-Time Series: Merrimack leads the series, 11-7-0

My Thoughts: Top offense versus top defense.

Merrimack pulled out a 19-17 victory over LIU Post last Saturday. The Warriors scored the winning points with just under two minutes to go and their defense held strong the rest of the way. Armond McRae was the offensive star for Merrimack as he had 119 yards on the ground and a 26 yard touch reception to win the game. The Warrior defense had six turnovers on the day as they split evenly between fumble recoveries and interceptions. For Merrimack to win on the road, they will need to move the ball against the Stonehill defense and not turn it over themselves. Joe Capobianco will need to play beyond his years and continue to spread the ball around to his playmakers.

Stonehill suffered a very tough 33-5 loss to AIC last weekend. The Skyhawks' defense limited AIC to just 177 yards in the game but turned the ball over four times that led to defensive touchdowns. Two interceptions returned for touchdowns in the first half and then two fumble recoveries for touchdown in the second half. Colin Markus was the lone bright spot for the Stonehill offense as he had 177 yards on the ground. The defense continued their stellar play in holding the AIC to just 177 yards and seven points. They also blocked two PATs and returned one of them for a two point conversion. For Stonehill to win the game, they will need to slow down the Merrimack offense and not allow them to move the ball with ease. The offense will also need to hold onto the ball and not commit any turnovers.

These team have traditionally played very close competitive games and this one will not be any different. The Stonehill defense will frustrate Merrimack and allow their offense to find a way to win the game.

Prediction: Stonehill 23 Merrimack 20