Sophomore quarterback Logan Meyer completed 15-of-20 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns on Saturday. (PHOTO BY Bert Lane) |
Osiecki tosses five touchdown passes as Chargers rack up 507 yards of offense
WEST HAVEN, Conn. (October 1, 2011) – The University of New Haven, ranked 23rd in this week's American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II poll, racked up 507 yards of total offense and broke the game open with three third quarter touchdowns to claim a 52-23 victory over Stonehill College in Northeast-10 Conference football action at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium this afternoon.
Junior quarterback Ryan Osiecki (Seymour, Conn./Seymour) engineered the New Haven offense which finished with 507 yards as he completed 15-of-20 passes for 252 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions on the afternoon as the Chargers finished with no turnovers, with Stonehill committing just one. He also carried the ball five times for 12 yards. Junior Ronnie Nelson (Stuart, Fla./South Fork) also added a scoring pass, while also rushing the ball seven times for 45 yards.
Sophomore running back Mike DeCaro (Weston, Fla./Cypress Bay) paced the UNH ground attack that finished with 225 yards as he carried the ball 19 times for 139 yards and a score. DeCaro posted 237 all-purpose yards on the day as he also returned four kickoffs for 98 yards.
Junior Jason Thompson (Stuart, Fla./South Fork) caught three passes for 56 yards and two touchdowns, while classmate Josh Smart (New Haven, Conn./Hamden) had six receptions for 63 yards. Five different New Haven receivers caught touchdown passes from Osiecki.
Senior linebacker Charlie Hatchet (Bridgeport, Conn./Stratford) paced the New Haven defense with ten tackles (six solo), including 0.5 for a loss, and a pass breakup. Junior Scott Lowery (Elmwood Park, N.J./Paramus Catholic) posted eight stops (one solo), including 0.5 for a loss, while senior Raheem Stanley (Hartford, Conn./Weaver) registered six tackles (three solo), including 1.5 for a loss of six yards.
Sophomore quarterback Logan Meyer (Ventura, Calif./Saint Bonaventure) led a Stonehill offense which finished with 346 yards of total offense as he completed 24-of-38 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns, getting intercepted once. Eight passes went to junior John Gomes (Hyannis, Mass./Barnstable) for 90 yards, as he finished with a team-high 138 all-purpose yards by adding three kickoff returns for 48 yards.
Sophomore Jamal Johnson posted 129 all-purpose yards, contributing a touchdown catch on the afternoon. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr) |
Sophomore running back Jamal Johnson (Brockton, Mass./Brockton) posted 129 all-purpose yards as he rushed the ball 11 times for 47 yards, while returning two kickoffs for 52 yards and catching two passes for 30 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Zaire Reiph (Norwalk, Conn./Saint Luke's School) added five receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown, while junior Daniel Oakes (North Haven, Conn./North Haven) also collected a touchdown pass.
Freshman Michael Hogan (Westborough, Mass./St. John's of Shrewsbury) led the Stonehill defense with a season-high ten tackles (four solo), while junior Jareed Gaines (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley) added nine stops (three solo). Senior Matthew Iannucci (Oakland, N.J./Indian Hills) contributed eight tackles (two solo), including 0.5 sacks for a loss of four yards.
After scoring just once on its first four possessions, New Haven took control by scoring on seven straight drives before running the clock out on its final trip with the ball in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to take control of the game. Stonehill led 9-7 after freshman Ryan Handy (Howell, N.J./Howell) drilled a season-best 40 yard field goal with 13:30 to play in the second quarter.
New Haven regained the lead three possessions later as Osiecki capped a five play 68 yard drive with a 25 yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Kameel Lashley (Boston, Mass./BCLA) with 1:49 left before halftime. DeCaro set up the scoring with four rushes for 43 yards. The Chargers got the ball back just over a minute later at their own 37 and Osiecki guided them to the Stonehill 30 before junior Chris Scifo (Coral Springs, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) drilled a 47 yard field goal for a 17-9 lead heading into halftime.
Stonehill moved the ball into New Haven territory on the first possession of the second half, aided by a UNH personal foul, but the drive stalled and senior punter Chris Rooney (Quincy, Mass./Catholic Memorial) put the Chargers on their own 13. New Haven responded with an eight play 82 yard drive, capped by a 19 yard touchdown pass by Osiecki to Thompson with 9:11 left in the third quarter.
Freshman Michael Hogan had a season-best ten tackles (four solo). PHOTO BY Kevin Walsh) |
New Haven took over at midfield on its next possession and expanded its lead to 31-9 three plays later on a 51 yard touchdown pass by Osiecki to senior Nick Music (West Milford, N.J./West Milford) with 6:03 left in the third. Meyer was intercepted on second and eight two plays later and the Chargers took advantage with Nelson's 30 yard scoring pass to senior Demetrius Washington-Ellison (Rahway, N.J./Rahway) on their first play from scrimmage for a 38-9 lead with 5:16 left in the quarter.
Stonehill followed with a nice 13 play, 78 yard drive, that consumed 4:20, capped by a three yard touchdown pass by Meyer to Reiph with 49-seconds left in the frame. Meyer completed passes of 26 yards to Gomes and 31 yards to sophomore Paul Piccirillo (Shelton, Conn./Shelton) on the drive, while Johnson caught a nine yard pass from Meyer on fourth and eight from the New Haven 26 to keep the drive going.
New Haven answered again with an eight play, 63 yard drive to regain a 45-16 advantage after a one yard rush by DeCaro with 12:13 remaining. Stonehill scored on its next drive with Meyer hitting Johnson for a 21 yard catch and run with 10:21 remaining. The Chargers followed that up with their final score of the afternoon as Osiecki completed a 39 yard touchdown pass to senior Chris Ruffin (New York, N.Y./Phillip Randolph) with 6:33 to play.
New Haven drove to the Stonehill 29 on the opening drive of the game, but Stonehill held strong with Iannucci and sophomore Patrick Rooney (Salem, N.H./Central Catholic) sacking Osiecki on third and three for a loss of nine to force a punt.
Stonehill marched down the field and Meyer capped a 12 play, 74 yard drive that consumed 3:45 with a 16 yard touchdown pass to Oakes on third and seven for the first score of the day. The Skyhawks converted first downs three times on third down on the drive and Meyer completed six of eight passes for 58 yards on the drive.
New Haven blocked the extra point and marched right down on its next drive to take its first lead after a 32 yards pass from Osiecki to Thompson to cap a five play, 62 yard scoring drive over 2:33.
Handy's go ahead field goal capped an 11 play, 45 yard drive, which chewed up 3:35. Meyer opened the drive with a 20 yard pass to Gomes to move into New Haven territory.
Stonehill (1-4, 0-3 NE-10) is back on the road next weekend when it visits NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) affiliate and former Northeast-10 member Bryant University at 1 p.m. The Skyhawks return home on Saturday, October 15, to host Pace University as part of Family Weekend at the College at 1 p.m. New Haven (4-1, 2-0 NE-10) visits cross town rival Southern Connecticut State University on Friday at 7 p.m.