The Whale Cup

• Two local men's soccer teams enjoying successful seasons collide at Connecticut College this afternoon. Game time is 4 p.m.

Coast Guard Academy enters the Whale Cup game with a sparkling 7-0 record, representing the program's best start.

Conn College (3-2) has faced some stiff competition, losing to 13th-ranked Amherst 1-0 and New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) power Middlebury 2-0.

In last year's cross-town rivalry game, the Camels earned a hardfought 2-0 victory.

The Bears have specialized in comebacks this season, rallying for victories last week against SUNY Maritime 2-1 and Babson 2-1 in double overtime, the fourth-ranked team in New England.

Senior John Tarzian earned New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference men's soccer player of the week honors after scoring the game-winning goal in the second overtime against Babson.

A stingy defense has anchored the Bears, who haven't allowed more than one goal in any game. Senior goalie Richie Burns has a 0.55 goals-against average and three shutouts.

Junior Matt Bitchell and sophomore Pat Devlin are the top two scorers for the Camels, each chipping in two goals and an assist. Sophomore Austin DaCunha has allowed one goal per game.

• The Whale Cup game for women's soccer will be held Wednesday night at Coast Guard. Game time is at 7 p.m.

Both programs are off to great starts.

The Bears split two games last week to fall to 4-2-1. Senior goalie Holly Moore anchors the defense, posting a goals-against average of 0.97 and three shutouts. She needs one more shutout to tie the school record for most in a season. Caroline Eastman has a team-high four goals.

The Camels (5-0) are ranked sixth in New England. They've allowed only two goals and won three straight games by shutout. Goalie Bryanna Montalvo has a stingy 0.20 goals against average. Astrid Kempainen powers a potent attack that averages 4.2 goals per game, contributing three goals and four assists. Alex Tribelli has three goals.

Tracking the Bears

• Junior Ashley Dumont, who helped Coast Guard shock defending NEWMAC champion Springfield last week, was named the conference women's volleyball player of the week. She had 18 kills and one error in a 3-2 upset of the top ranked team in New England and added 13 kills in a 3-2 win over Clark University.

The Bears are riding a three-game winning streak.

Camel highlights

• Conn College sophomore Ashley Curran was honored as the NESCAC women's cross country runner of the week following her second-place finish in a 38-team field at the UMass-Dartmouth 5K Invitational. Curran posted a time of 17:52, the second-fastest 5K time in program history after Maura Danahy, a three-time All-American and a member of the Class of 2002.

Around the region

• Jaclyn Greenman, a sophomore midfielder from Waterford, scored the only goal for the Rhode Island College women's soccer team in a 3-1 loss to Bridgewater State last week. Her goal came off a free kick from 30 yards out.

• Niantic's Jon Trudel, a Ledyard High School graduate, scored the game-winning touchdown on a 2-yard run in the second overtime for the Massachusetts Maritime football team in a 26-20 win over Maine Maritime on Saturday. Trudel, a starting quarterback, also threw a 14-yard touchdown pass that tied the game at 20-all late in the third quarter and added a six-yard TD run. He completed 29 of 51 passes for 376 yards and also had four interceptions.

• Senior defensive specialist Megan Donahue of East Lyme helped the Wheaton College volleyball team sweep Gordon College and WPI last weekend.

• After sitting out last season due to an injury, Eastern Connecticut State University senior Lee Cattanach of New London is rounding back into top form. He placed second out of a field of 255 runners at the UMass Cross Country Invitational last weekend. He finished the 5-mile course in 24 minutes, 57 seconds, a pace of 4:59 per mile.

• Wentworth Institute of Technology senior Olivia Moore of Salem converted a penalty kick in a 3-1 win over Curry College in women's soccer action on Saturday. Moore has two goals and two assists so far this season.

• Gavin Neuendorf of Norwich assisted on Eastern Connecticut's first goal in a 2-1 men's soccer win over Western Connecticut State University on Saturday.

• St. Michael's College senior Hannah Benoit, a St. Bernard graduate, won her 42nd career singles match in a 9-0 win over Bentley College in women's tennis. She is tied for third in program history in career singles wins.

• Wheelock College sophomore Courtney Scherer of Pawcatuck earned New England Collegiate Conference field hockey rookie of the week honors after assisting on her team's only goal last week in a 5-1 loss to Mount Ida.

g.keefe@theday.com

Twitter: @GavinKeefe