The field hockey picture became a little clearer this past week (for one thing, Edward Little was outscored 11-0 in its first two games after coming out as No. 1 in the Eastern A Heal points). This week starts off slow as far as intriguing matchups, but makes up for it near the end.

MONDAY

Waterville at Belfast: Is there such a thing as a reverse jinx? Since Waterville coach Amie Dubois said her team had trouble scoring, the Purple Panthers are 4-1 and are averaging three goals per game. They will definitely get tested against Belfast, which will not have a practice between Saturday's game with Maranacook and facing the Panthers.

TUESDAY

Messalonskee at Gardiner: If Messalonskee is anywhere near as strong as it looked in the first half against Lawrence on Thursday, this could be an interesting game. Messalonskee has lost twice, including once against an Edward Little team it probably should have beaten. Gardiner can make an argument for being the best team in the state, but the Tigers must avoid defensive breakdowns.

THURSDAY

Winslow at Oak Hill: While Oak Hill doesn't have a strong record, it has played quite well against teams like Belfast, Mt. View and Waterville. When Oak Hill wins, it's with defense, but Winslow also has a fine goalie in Emma Walters, so this should be a tight defensive battle.

Belfast at Mt. View: In the crazy world that is Eastern B, at least six different teams have a chance to win the regional title. These are two of them, and they'll be playing under the lights as part of Mt. View's homecoming. Those of you who have been to Thorndike know Mt. View doesn't have lighted fields, but the school will be renting lights for the week. Both of these teams could conceivably be the No. 1 seed at the end of the season, and this game could play a role in that.

Messalonskee at Cony: Within eight days, Messalonskee will play Gardiner, Cony and Skowhegan -- all on the road. Then they'll have to host a Mt. Blue team that went into the weekend with six consecutive shutouts. Cony has been able to play defense as well as just about anybody, shutting out all of the Rams' opponents except for Skowhegan in the first eight games.

Waterville at Leavitt: One reason Eastern B is so balanced is because two of the top teams in the KVAC B -- Maranacook and Leavitt -- are in Western B. Those two teams were 1-2 in last week's Heal points. That being the case, it's always a good opportunity for the Eastern B teams to get a lot of points and possibly secure a home-field playoff game or two.

FRIDAY

Lisbon at Winthrop: Through eight games, Winthrop had scored 21 goals, including two in a shutout win over Lisbon on opening day. Both teams have played well since that game, and both were 2-0 victims to a Telstar team that is probably in the top two teams in Class C. With Lisbon racking up wins, a victory for Winthrop would be a big benefit in playoff positioning.

SATURDAY

Cony at Lawrence: The Bulldogs are a much better team than their 5-1 loss to Messalonskee would suggest. Despite starting only one senior, that loss put Lawrence at 4-3 after finishing 6-9 last year. But their margin for error is smaller against a team like Cony, which beat Lawrence with a goal in the final minutes last year.