By Saturday, some field hockey teams will have finished their regular season, and will then have to wait a week and a half before their playoff games. That's another issue altogether, so before we get to that in the coming weeks, let's look at some of the best matchups in the area this week.

MONDAY

Winthrop at Hall-Dale: These two big rivals met early in the season, with Winthrop posting a 2-0 victory. The Ramblers swept the season series last year, so Hall-Dale will be looking to prove something in this game.

TUESDAY

Leavitt at Maranacook: After losing to Winslow on Tuesday, Leavitt came back strong with back-to-back wins against Waterville and Mt. View, two of the toughest teams in Eastern B. Now the Hornets will face a Maranacook team which has won nine straight, including a 2-1 victory over Leavitt earlier this season. Worth watching in this game is Delaney Evans, a standout back for the Black Bears.

Gardiner at Cony: When coaches in Eastern A lament playing some opoonents only once a year, this is the kind of game they're talking about. Gardiner will come in undefeated, while Cony will enter on an eight-game winning streak. Both teams have a ton of players who can score. Gardiner has Brittany Chadbourne, Kristyn Seymour, Katie Schide and Lauren Gorham. Cony has Christina Wing, Kayla Belanger, Brittany Ford and Kristen Felt. Add it up, and this is a great matchup across the board.

Messalonskee at Skowhegan: While not as natural a rivalry as Cony-Gardiner, this is still always a well-played game. It's no secret that Messalonskee goalie Beth Ridley will need to come up big for the Eagles to win this game. One of the few goalies around who can take over a game, Ridley did that on Tuesday in an overtime loss to Gardiner. Skowhegan's two goalies, Sam Gray and Megan Hancock, are nowhere near as heralded, but the Indians have still allowed just two goals all season, and entered the week having outscored their opponents 45-1 since a loss to Mt. Blue.

Nokomis at Mt. View: This is part of a brutal stretch for the Mustangs, who had an upset loss to Nokomis earlier this season. The Warriors have had a string of close losses to strong teams, but hardly anyone has been able to dominate them.

THURSDAY

Maranacook at Waterville: This is big for both teams, as Waterville has not been shut out since a season-opening 2-0 setback to the Black Bears. The Purple Panthers have shown since then that they can play with anybody in the KVAC B. Maranacook will need to make sure it is still sharp after its battle with Leavitt on Tuesday.

Mt. View at Camden Hills: In football, they'd call this a gut check for Mt. View. A game against one of the best teams in Eastern B, on the road, at the end of a tough stretch. When these two teams met in Thorndike earlier this year, Camden pulled out a 1-0 victory in double overtime.

Mt. Blue at Messalonskee: Mt. Blue was rolling along but hit a bump with a surprising 1-1 tie against Bangor. The Cougars have had their troubles finishing this season, so a goal or two against a top-notch goalie like Messalonskee's Beth Ridley would be a big boost of confidence. Defensively, Mt. Blue can play with anybody, but will get a test from a potent Messalonskee offense which features sophomore MacKenzie Labbe.

SATURDAY

Waterville at Camden Hills: It's odd that these two fine teams meet once all year, and that in one of the final games of the season. Each of them has its supporters as the top team in Eastern B, a league where no one has been unbeatable. Waterville's three losses entering the week were by a total of four goals.

Skowhegan at Gardiner: This might be the regular season game of the year in Maine. Until Mt. Blue pulled the trick this year, Gardiner was the only team to beat Skowhegan in recent years. If Gardiner can knock off Cony on Tuesday, the Tigers will have Skowhegan and Mt. Blue standing between them and an undefeated season. Gardiner's defense will need to be in top form against a high-powered Skowhegan offense led by Sam Gifford and Caitlyn Lancaster, while Gardiner's offense may be the toughest Skowhegan has seen this fall. The field could be a factor here; Skowhegan has an exceptionally well kept field with true bounces, and the Indians will need to adjust quickly to a Gardiner field that has its bumpy spots.