The Massachusetts rowing team will stay home this weekend for two regattas. The first of which will take place Saturday against Amherst, while the second will be on Sunday against Vermont.

Both regattas will take place on the Connecticut River. The regatta against the Catamounts will be the last home regatta of the season.

UMass is coming off a second place finish at the Atlantic 10 Championships last weekend in New Jersey. Rival crew Rhode Island took first.

The team will also host its annual team banquet after the regatta on Saturday.

The weather for the regatta against the Lord Jeffs should be relatively calm as the temperature will top out at 70 degrees. There will be a slight wind, but nothing that will seriously affect the outcome of the regatta.

The Vermont regatta will face different weather conditions with expected rain showers and a top temperature of 60 degrees.

Sophomore Emily Boucher is providing a steady boost in production. At last weekend’s Atlantic 10 Championships she helped the second Varsity 8 earn a second place finish, just behind Rhode Island. She also won the single event at the Knecht Cup two weeks ago.

The Varsity 4 has been stepping up for the Minutewomen, earning first last week at A-10s with Jennifer Coyne, Meredith Kearney, Kathryn Kern, Jessica Stern and coxswain Molly Bogle.

On April 21, UMass was No. 10 for the fourth straight week in the Lightweight Varsity 8 in the USRowing Collegiate poll. The Minutewomen were also in the cMAX rankings, dropping five spots to No. 50.

Saint Joseph’s came in at 42 and Rhode Island at 26. Four other A-10 schools were included in the top 50.

 On tap for the weekend after next for the Minutewomen is the Double Duel regatta in Dartmouth on May 1 in Hanover, N.H.

UMass will look to improve upon what was been an already eventful season. This season’s training has been derailed due to flooding.

The Minutewomen also witnessed coach Jim Dietz getting inducted into the National Rowing Hall of fame on March 21. He is the only rowing coach in school history, winning 13 Atlantic 10 Championships and seven conference Coach of the Year awards.

Four members of the crew also earned all-conference honors.                       

Eric Mansfield can be reached at [email protected]