Lowell High School’s boys soccer team sits 10-0-0 midway through the fall season.

“Our key has been a strong goalie,” said Lowell coach Bill Bettencourt. “But also, we play as a whole team. We’re gelling together as a team. We’re playing well as a team, and we’re playing the best soccer that we can.”

Behind Ikaro Da Silva in net, the Red Raiders have surged to the top of the MIAA statewide power rankings, now second overall with a team rating of 3.4548. The junior keeper has registered six shutouts.

Meanwhile, Lowell has capitalized on its offensive opportunities, with contributors like Davi DeSouza (seven goals, five assists), Ilembo Kiza (seven goals, four assists), Paul Pace Jr. (five goals, two assists) and Alexander Garcia (four goals, two assists) leading the charge.

“I think the key to keeping this momentum going is to keep building off all the chemistry we have,” Garcia said. “To not get into our own heads. We have to be the team we have been all season.”

The Red Raiders have outscored foes 32-6, with wins over perennial powerhouses such as Westford Academy and Brockton.

Suddenly, a Div. 1 crown does not feel like it’s too far out of the realm of possibility.

“It would mean so much,” Garcia said. “To bring (a championship) to Lowell? I don’t know if that’s happened in (school) history, in any sport. It would be very enjoyable, a life-changing moment I’d think.”

Bettencourt is looking to keep his team grounded as he and his group chase the ultimate form of destiny.

“We need to compete as a team, the way we have been,” Bettencourt said. “We don’t want to get ourselves too excited, because we haven’t won anything yet. If we do that, we will be OK.”

When you play in a soccer division like the MVC, nothing is guaranteed. Lowell might have one of the more frightening league schedules to contend with as the final weeks unfold.

“Oh, we’re going to have a (lot to battle),” chuckled Bettencourt. “We’re going to have Central Catholic, North Andover, Chelmsford, Billerica, Peabody, Westford (Academy again). These are all tough teams. Don’t forget, we have Tewksbury too. We have a tough schedule now for the rest of the season.”

Scituate girls remain unbeaten

The Scituate Sailors have cruised through a very difficult Patriot League schedule to this point, still undefeated at 8-0-1, and second-year coach Matt Jones is looking to keep the newfound momentum rolling.

“I honestly wanted to find a way to impact my community,” Jones said. “Soccer is one of the things I have a big passion for. Hopefully, I could create an environment that was a positive environment, but a competitive one. I’ve used soccer as that vehicle to kind of do so.”

Certainly seems like it. Scituate reached the Div. 2 Round of 16 last fall, before faltering to eventual state champion Notre Dame (Hingham). The playoff run proved to be a key stepping stone. Led by a Catholic University commit in center midfielder Cici Griffin, Scituate has surged to the forefront of the state power rankings, now sixth overall with a rating of 4.4152.

“I think it was definitely  the fact that we just worked really hard this summer,” Griffin said. “I didn’t think we had any huge expectations going in, but we kind of clicked as a team. It was something where we just took it game-by-game, kept that mindset. It just kind of worked. We’ve been keeping that good attitude, and putting 100% in every game.”

The Sailors have surrendered just three goals all season. In a Sept. 26 game against fifth-ranked Duxbury, they posted a critical 2-0 victory, then knocked off two more Patriot League rivals the following week, with 1-0 wins over Hanover and Whitman-Hanson. The Sailors have had a strong presence in net with Molly Quirk.

“I think it’s about focusing on our team chemistry,” Griffin said. “Not what our opponent is. I think it’s about looking at how we can improve, what we can do, instead of what other teams are getting at points. Just taking it game-by-game.”

The path back to the Div. 2 tournament is littered with challenges, including a rematch of last season’s playoff bout with Notre Dame Oct. 11.

“Honestly, I’m not really sure (when we’ve had a start like this),” laughed Jones. “We’ve just had the motto to go game-by-game. Just worry about what we can control, and get better everyday. I think that’s what we’ve been focused at.”