Senior safety Anthony Masucci led the Skyhawks with a season-high 11 tackles and a pass breakup. (PHOTO BY Lewis Glass/SportsPix) |
Chargers ride three first half touchdowns to key NE-10 win
WEST HAVEN, Conn. (October 17, 2015) – The University of New Haven jumped out to a 21 point lead in the first half and made it stand to record a 28-14 triumph over Stonehill College in Northeast-10 Conference football action at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium today.
New Haven scored the first 21 points of the game in the opening half, including a 14-point first quarter to take control. Junior quarterback Ajee Patterson (Neptune, New Jersey/Neptune) completed 24-of-36 passes for 263 yards and two touchdowns, without an interception, to lead the Chargers to the win. Senior Ty Headen (Newark, New Jersey/American History) caught nine of those passes for 106 yards and a touchdown, while junior Andre Anderson (New Haven, Connecticut/James Hillhouse) added two more touchdowns on the ground with 11 carries for 65 yards.
New Haven finished with 381 total yards on 263 yards passing and 118 rushing, while Stonehill posted 261 total yards with 179 through the air and another 82 on the ground. The Skyhawks posted 203 of their total yards in the second half after being limited to just 58 total yards in the opening half. Both Stonehill scores came in the fourth quarter, but the Chargers were able to answer the Skyhawks first scoring drive with a fourth quarter touchdown of their own to seal the win.
Senior linebacker Tyler Condit (Caldwell, New Jersey/James Caldwell) led the New Haven defense with a game-high 14 tackles (four solo), including 1.0 for a loss of a yard, while post grad Matt Zakrzewski (Traverse City, Michigan/Saint Francis) added 11 stops (six solo), including 2.0 for a loss of five yards. Grad student Willie Maxen (Southbury, Connecticut/Pomperaug) chipped in with 2.5 sacks for a loss of 17 yards for four tackles (two solo).
Sophomore quarterback Matt Foltz (Mount Joy, Pennsylvania/The Hill School) finished with 219 total yards as he completed 20-of-36 passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, while adding a team-high 40 yards on 16 carries on the ground. Freshman DJ Haskins (Bergenfield, New Jersey/Bergenfield) posted a team and season-high 59 yards on three receptions with a touchdown, while senior Gordon McLeod (Weymouth, Massachusetts/BC High) collected eight passes for another 58 yards.
Sophomore Matt Foltz posted 219 total yards, passing for two touchdowns today. (PHOTO BY Chuck Bittner) |
Senior safety Anthony Masucci (East Haven, Connecticut/Notre Dame-West Haven) paced the Stonehill defense with a season-high 11 tackles (seven solo) and a pass breakup. Junior Justin Kaffenberger (Monroe, New York/Monroe-Woodbury) added a career-high ten stops (four solo), while junior linebacker Ryan Doherty (Methuen, Massachusetts/Central Catholic) contributed seven tackles (three solo), with 1.0 sacks for a loss of ten yards.
New Haven took immediate control by marching 72 yards on six plays on the opening possession of the game for a five yard touchdown run from Anderson 2:05 into the contest. Patterson and Headen connected twice for 59 yards, including a 40 yard pass and catch, to set up the go ahead touchdown. The Chargers used the field position game to set up their second score as Patterson connected with freshman Tyler Hill (Buffalo, New York/St. Joseph Collegiate) for a two yard scoring toss with 2:02 remaining in the first quarter to cap a 12-play, 59 yard drive.
New Haven extended its lead to three touchdowns on its first possession of the second quarter when Patterson hit Headen for a three yard pass at the end of a ten play, 74-yard drive with 6:48 remaining in the half. Patterson and Headen connected three times for 28 yards on the drive, while Patterson also rushed for another 17 yards.
After a scoreless third quarter, Stonehill finally broke through with a 20 play, 94-yard scoring drive capped by a nine yard touchdown pass from Foltz to sophomore Kevin Dick (Tewksbury, Massachusetts/Tewksbury Memorial) with 12:50 remaining. While the touchdown pulled the Skyhawks back within two scores, it came at the cost of a valuable 8:32 of clock time. Stonehill converted five times on third down on the drive, including the scoring play, and once on fourth and six with an eight yard Foltz rush to the New Haven 26.
New Haven answered the touchdown with a scoring drive of its own as Anderson rushed the ball in from four yards out to cap a game clinching 66-yard drive over 12 plays, most importantly consuming five minutes off the clock.
Stonehill capped the scoring with a 16 yard touchdown pass from Foltz to Haskins with 1:45 remaining. Haskins' first career touchdown reception capped an 11 play, 93-yard scoring drive in which the Skyhawks converted three more times on third down and once on fourth and 13 with a 24-yard pass by Foltz to McLeod the play prior to the touchdown. Stonehill attempted an on-side kick, but New Haven recovered and was able to get a first down to run out the clock.
Stonehill (4-3, 3-3 NE-10) returns home where it will play its next two games starting with a Family Weekend matchup with rival Bentley University next Saturday at 1 p.m. New Haven (4-3, 4-2 NE-10) hosts LIU Post next Saturday at 1 p.m.
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