By NoontimeSports.com | @NoontimeSports
Nine weeks of New England D-III Football is officially in the books. And today, the start of the tenth week, we find a new number one team in Western New England, which needs just one more win to clinch the Commonwealth Coast Football (CCC) title.
With a big win this past Saturday against third-ranked Endicott College, the Golden Bears moved into the top spot in our weekly poll with some serious momentum heading into the final two weeks of the season.
WPI, which was our unanimous number one team for the past few weeks, dropped one spot following a heart-breaking defeat to eighth-ranked MIT, which beat the Engineers of Worcester for the first time since 1900. MIT, WPI, and Springfield College (sixth-ranked) are currently in a three-way tie for first place in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC).
Framingham State remains the fifth-best team in New England – they scored a hard-fought 16-6 win over Massachusetts Maritime Academy this past weekend. The Rams host Bridgwater State on Saturday with the outcome most likely determining who will represent the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) in the upcoming NCAA D-III Tournament later this month.
Finally, fourth-ranked Middlebury College matched its 1972 squad with its eighth-consecutive victory by beating Hamilton College, 14-7, in the “Rocking Chair Classic.” Middlebury can clinch the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) crown this Saturday with a win against Tufts University. A loss to the Jumbos and a Wesleyan University victory over Trinity College would result in both programs sharing the 2019 title.
As usual, make sure to stay connected with our New England football coverage on Twitter by following @Noontime_FB today!
New England D-III Football Week 10 Poll| November 4th, 2019
| 1. Western New England | 7-1, 5-0 CCC | Last Week: No. 3 |
| 2. WPI | 7-1, 4-1 NEWMAC | Last Week: No. 1 |
| 3. Endicott College | 6-2, 4-1 CCC | Last Week: No. 2 |
| 4. Middlebury College | 8-0, 8-0 NESCAC | Last Week: No. 4 |
| 5. Framingham State | 6-2, 6-0 MASCAC | Last Week: No. 5 |
| 6. Springfield College | 5-3, 4-1 NEWMAC | Last Week: No. 6 |
| 7. Bridgewater State | 5-3, 5-1 MASCAC | Last Week: No. 8 |
| 8. MIT | 5-2, 4-1 NEWMAC | Last Week: No. 10 |
| 9. UMass Dartmouth | 6-2, 4-2 MASCAC | Last Week: No. 11 |
| 10. Williams College | 6-2, 6-2 NESCAC | Last Week: No. 9 |
| 11. Western Connecticut | 6-2, 4-2 MASCAC | Last Week: No. 7 |
| 12. Trinity College | 5-3, 5-3 NESCAC | Last Week: No. 13 |
| 13. Wesleyan University | 7-1, 7-1 NESCAC | Last Week: No. 16 |
| 14. Amherst College | 4-4, 4-4 NESCAC | Last Week: No. 12 |
| 15. Norwich University | 5-3, 2-3 NEWMAC | Last Week: No. 14 |
| 16. Coast Guard Academy | 5-3, 2-3 NEWMAC | Last Week: No. 17 |
| 17. Nichols College | 5-3, 3-2 CCC | Last Week: No. 15 |
| 18. Plymouth State | 6-3, 4-3 MASCAC | Last Week: No. 18 |
| 19. Mass. Maritime Acad. | 5-3, 3-3 MASCAC | Last Week: No. 19 |
| 20. Dean College | 4-4, 4-0 ECFC | Last Week: Not Ranked |
On the Rise: Husson University, Salve Regina University, and Tufts University
New England D-III Top 20 Polls: Preseason Poll | Week One Poll |Week Two Poll| Week Three Poll |Week Four Poll| Week Five Poll|Week Six|Week Seven |Week Eight |Week Nine
As usual, make sure to stay connected with our New England football coverage on Twitter by following @Noontime_FB today!
