There are no guarantees, but with three weeks left in the regular season, the University of Maine football team appears to be two victories away from earning a spot in the Division I-AA playoffs.

UMaine hasn’t qualified for postseason play since 1989.

All season, coach Jack Cosgrove and the Black Bears have avoided looking beyond their next opponent. It’s a philosophy designed to promote short-term focus, one that appears to be working.

UMaine, coming off Saturday’s 42-20 victory at Rhode Island, is off to its best start since 1989. The Bears, who moved up to 20th in both of the national Division I-AA polls, are 6-2 overall and 5-2 record in Atlantic 10 play.

That leaves UMaine occupying third place in the A-10 behind third-ranked Hofstra (8-1, 7-1 in the A-10) and No. 23 Villanova (6-2, 5-1). Rhode Island, which dropped to No. 16, is tied for third (7-2, 5-2).

UMaine, which has been in the Top 25 four straight weeks, has notched five league victories for the first time since ’96. The win at then-No. 9 Rhode Island was the first road victory over a ranked opponent since beating Delaware in 1998.

“It was a huge football game,” Cosgrove said of the win over Rhode Island. “Our guys responded. You’ve got a better chance when your team is so committed. These guys got it done.”

The Bears are gearing up for Saturday’s home game against Massachusetts, then end the regular season Oct. 17 at New Hampshire.

Many teams play their regular-season finales on Nov. 24. The Division I season was extended after many teams postponed or canceled games in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

A lot can happen in the next three weeks, but there are some basic postseason facts UMaine fans might want to know.

The Division I-AA playoff field consists of 16 teams, including eight automatic conference qualifiers and eight at-large selections. UMaine would have to go the at-large route.

The winner from the Atlantic 10, Southland, Southern, Big Sky, Mid-Eastern Athletic, Gateway, Ohio Valley and Patriot conferences each has an automatic bid. All 16 teams are seeded by the Division I-AA Football Committee and are split into four regions: East, South, Central and West.

The committee picks the at-large teams based on various criteria. There is no limit on the number of teams that may be chosen from a single conference, and the Atlantic 10 has sent as many as three teams to the playoffs in a single year.

The committee’s selections are based on a team’s won-lost record and a determination of its strength of schedule. However, more than three losses places a team in jeopardy of not being selected.

The committee may give more consideration to teams that have played all Division I opponents (including I-A foes). The committee will try to match teams within their regions, when possible, and teams from the same league won’t be paired for first-round games.

UMaine is ranked 67th in the most recent computer rankings compiled for USA Today by Jeff Sagarin. Only Hofstra, at No. 51, is ranked higher among Division I-AA schools.

Among all the country’s Division I football conferences, the Atlantic 10 is 12th overall and No. 1 among I-AA schools in the Sagarin ratings.

It isn’t known whether the selection committee considers those rankings in making its at-large picks.

Bears solid, but miss playoffs

The University of Maine women’s soccer team had a record-setting season as it continues its progression under third-year head coach Scott Atherley. The only thing that continues to elude the Bears is an America East playoff berth.

“Obviously, making the playoffs was one of our goals,” said Atherley. “But, in reality, it was a historical season for us. First and foremost, it was the first winning season in the program’s history at [7-6-3]. We also had our best conference record at 4-5-2. We had the lowest goals-against average in the conference [for all games, conference and non-conference] at 0.93. We had the fewest goals allowed, 16, and the most shutouts, 7. We didn’t allow more than two goals in any game.

“When you consider that we were 2-15 two years ago and last in almost every category and that we started nine freshmen and sophomores this season, it was an extremely satisfying year,” said Atherley whose 1999 team scored nine goals and allowed 38.

Atherley also pointed out that four-year starter Nancy Dillingham, a defensive central midfielder, played in just seven games due to a season-ending knee injury and leading scorer Annie Hamel missed the last five games with a broken bone in her leg.

Dillingham and starting right back Mary Miller will be the only starters lost to graduation.

Freshmen sweeper Linda Consolante and left back Allison Kelly are considered top candidates for the All-Rookie team by Atherley along with striker Rachel Kennedy. Kennedy had two goals and three assists; Consolante scored a pair of goals and Kelly had four assists.

“Linda and Allison were among the best players in the conference, not just freshmen players,” said Atherley.

Fullback Jen Buckley, who led the team in goals with five and tied Hamel (4 & 2) for the lead in points with 10; midfielder Katie Hodge (3 goals & 3 assists), midfielder Kim Walsh (1 & 3), goalie Naomi Welsh (0.93 goals-against average, .792 save percentage) and striker Emily Stevens (2 & 1) had outstanding seasons, according to Atherley and he said strikers Maija Kaldro (4 & 1) and Kate Crawford (2 & 1) also had productive campaigns.

Atherley has identified his recruiting needs.

“We need a legitimate finisher who will be good for a dozen goals a year; another goalkeeper and a defensive central midfielder who will be conservative, can win balls and get the ball to our frontrunners,” said Atherley who added that he and his players are excited about the future.