Funny how things work out when it comes to scheduling. Last year Hanover cost the Lady Dragons a shot at the Patriot League title, and this year Duxbury has a chance for payback. By beating Middleboro on the road Monday afternoon, the Dragons set up a potential championship-clinching opportunity for the Coach Pam Manley’s squad on Wednesday night in Duxbury. A win over the Indians preserves its three-point lead with one game remaining. A loss requires the Lady Dragons to beat Scituate on Friday.

Getting on a role last week by winning three straight games and moving their record to 10-1-1, the Lady Dragons appear ready to capture the title, but they know it won’t be easy.

Just three weeks ago the Lady Dragons outplayed the Indians in Hanover, yet came away with a 0-0 tie, unable to dent a tough Indian defense that kept them in the game.

Last week Duxbury had a couple of breathers in a 4-0 win over Scituate and a 7-0 blowout of Pembroke.

Senior captain Mimi Smith’s two goals led Duxbury in the win over the Sailors, while sophomore Grace Nissi and senior Lila Haffey each scored a pair of goals in the win over Pembroke.

Duxbury had a commanding 5-0 halftime lead in the win over the Titans, as Haffey (2), Smith, and Nissi all scored in a 12-minute span in the middle of the first half. With Coach Manley able to go to her bench early, sophomore Molly Zaverucha scored with 5:38 left in the half.

Nissi would get her second of the game with 14:20 remaining for a 6-0 lead, and junior Sara Varano would close out the scoring when she netted a goal with 8:39 left on the clock.

The two wins were a good warm-up for a return match with Hingham; a 2-0 victim earlier in the season.

Nissi’s first-half goal at the 21:37 mark was all the Lady Dragons needed in their 1-0 win on Friday in Duxbury, as they peppered Hingham goalie Julia Todd with 10 shots on net.

A tough Duxbury defense led by junior midfielder Siobhan McCarthy and goaltender Sophie Fitzpatrick held Hingham to just one corner, while Fitzpatrick was forced to make just three saves.

“Hingham played great defense today,” said Manley. “For the amount of time we had the ball in their end we didn’t get much to show for it. They picked up the pace in the second half, but it became a battle of defenses after that.”