Women’s D-III weekend picks Nov. 30: A few key conference battles loom

Jane Morrisette of UMass-Boston (UMass-Boston Athletics)
Jane Morrisette and UMass-Boston look for consistency against Southern Maine. (UMass-Boston Athletics)

Friday, Nov. 30

Southern Maine vs. UMass-Boston
Southern Maine defeated UMass-Boston earlier in the year, and they have the potential to win this matchup again. UMass-Boston is having a shaky first half of the season. They beat some teams they had good potential to lose to, then turned around and lost to teams they should have beaten. UMass-Boston should win this game, but I like going with the underdogs in this case. Southern Maine 2-1

Friday-Saturday, Nov. 30-Dec. 1

No. 8 St. Thomas vs. Augsburg
Augsburg has had some good competition lately, and I think that will help them keep up with the No. 8 Tommies. However, St. Thomas is a stronger team, which is why I’ll be picking them to win the first game. Augsburg has proven to have some worth to them, and I think they could possibly squeak out a win or a tie in the second match. St. Thomas 4-2, Tie 2-2

Concordia vs. Northland
Both teams are very unpredictable when it comes to game time. The inconsistency that both teams have demonstrated will make it difficult to pick the outcome of this matchup. I would like to see Northland come out with a win; however, Concordia seems to be a stronger team this year. Concordia 3-1, 2-1

No. 5 Middlebury vs. Connecticut College
This is a great matchup for the NESCAC as both teams are seeking the lead in the conference standings. Middlebury got some exposure to top-tier teams last weekend during the Panther/Cardinal Classic. I’ll be picking Middlebury to win both games. Although, it would be fun to see Connecticut College take home a few points to make the NESCAC a tight race in the standings. Middlebury 2-1, 3-0

No. 2 Plattsburgh vs. Oswego
Oswego will need to gain a few points in this series to take the lead in the conference. Plattsburgh is coming off a strong victory last weekend against, at the time, No. 1 Elmira. I just can’t see the Cardinals taking a step back in their progress gained following their win over Elmira. Plattsburgh 4-1, 2-1

Saturday, Dec. 1

Wisconsin-Superior vs. Wisconsin-River Falls
Wisconsin-Superior seems to find a team to upset every year, and I don’t expect this season to be any different. Every game in the WIAC is a wild card. The conference is strong and brings some unpredictable games. Wisconsin-River Falls is falling in the rankings and in order for them to find a path back on top, they need to not only defeat Wisconsin-Superior, but by a large margin as well. Wisconsin-River Falls 5-1