There are no certainties in the New England Wide conference, and last weekend’s 10-10 tie between the top two teams tightens an already tense race. With three weekends of league play remaining, the top four Tier I teams are separated by only seven standings points (view here).

The conference will send two teams to the DII fall Round of 32, and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (4-0-1) is a likely representative. Last weekend, the Cadets revisited that post-season intensity against the University of Vermont (3-1-1), which advanced to the 2014 fall Round of 16 and expects to return to the national tournament again this fall.

UVM controlled the first half, forcing a forwards-oriented game that contrasted with the Coast Guard’s preferred style of play. Forwards captain Kira Kelley led the battery in tight, hoping to tire the Coast Guard pack before exploring space out wide, where captain Amber Lampiris-Tremba and her backs awaited. The strategy worked, and rookie wing Audrey Zizza scored the first 40's only try. Senior scrumhalf Sarah Weiss slotted the extras and added a penalty for a 10-0 lead at half.

“They came out stronger than us, and we had to spend the whole game trying to compensate for that,” reported USCGA backs captain Kimberlee Capp. “It was a matter of our patience on both offense and defense, as we held them up in the try zone multiple times before we were able to make it down to the other half of the pitch.”

Both teams pride themselves on their stamina, but the Cadets’ overall team speed became a difference-maker late in the match.

“The girls also have a tendency to be a second-half team … usually coming out a little harder and a little stronger in the second half,” Capp confessed. “In the end, though, it was all of those morning workouts and fitness days at practice that kept us moving while the other team started to slow down. One of our advantages on the pitch is our speed, both within our pack and in the back line, so once we were able to use that advantage in the second half, the game swung in our favor.”

Captain/prop Jade Schroeder and hooker Sheila Bertrand consolidated the forward effort, while Capp and sophomore flyhalf Ashley Palmieri moved the backs into space. The Cadets needed nearly 80 minutes to match UVM’s converted try and penalty, but the perseverance resulted in 10 points and the tie, preserving the academy's undefeated record.

Both UVM and Coast Guard have two matches remaining. Those games are against bottom-half teams, so while they're not guaranteed wins, the pair are favored in each respective match. But UVM is vulnerable in terms of post-season advancement and must bank bonus-point wins. The University of New Hampshire trails UVM by three standings points, but has three games to make up the difference. UNH served Vermont its only loss of the season in a two-point decision on Oct. 11.

What does it all mean? The conference might have to wait until November 7 - the weekend before the Round of 32 - to know which teams are advancing and where they're playing. In the meantime, check out the seeds and brackets for the first round of fall championships.