Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The University of New Haven football team defeated American International College 13-0 Saturday afternoon in Massachusetts. With the win the Chargers improve to 6-1 overall and 4-1 in the Northeast-10 Conference, while the Yellow Jackets fall to 3-4 overall and 3-2 in the NE-10.

With just under 13 minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Rob Hill intercepted a Rob Parent pass and returned it 10-yards for a touchdown, giving the Chargers the game-sealing points.

In a game dominated by wind gusts in excess of 30 miles per hour, neither team could muster a score in the opening quarter. With possession at the end of the first quarter, the Chargers used the wind in the opening drive of the second quarter and pushed the ball deep into the Yellow Jackets’ territory. With 10:34 left in the first half, Chris Scifo broke a 0-0 tie with a 25-yard field goal. The kick capped a 14-play 67-yard drive which would prove to be the only score the Chargers would need to win Saturday game.

For the remainder of the second quarter, both teams exchanged punts and fumbles before the Chargers regained possession with 1:40 left. The Chargers attempt to start a drive, with the wind to their advantage, in the waning minutes of the half fell short as time expired with the ball of the AIC 43-yard line.

Paced by a shout rushing attack from Victor Jones, New Haven amassed 168 yards in the first half, including 82 on the ground. Jones tallied 92 yards, while quarterback Ryan Osiecki was sacked twice for a loss of 10 yards. Osiecki went 9-of-14 for 86 yards in the first half.

AIC took the opening drive of the second half and brought it all the way the UNH 26-yard line. On first-and-10 the Chargers forced a fumble and recovered the ball at their own 30-yard line. American International answered on the Chargers next drive as they forced a fumble as well. The Yellow Jackets recovered at the AIC 37-yard line. The back-and-forth quarter continued on the next play as Desmond Anderson picked-off AIC quarterback Rob Parent to give New Haven the ball back on the AIC 42-yard line.

Scifo attempted a 41-yard field at the end of the Chargers 6-play, 18-yard drive, but the ball sailed left and the Chargers held onto a slim 3-0 lead with 6:17 left in the third quarter. The Yellow Jackets ensuing drive came to another halt as the Chargers forced a fumble on AIC’s fourth play. Desmond Anderson recovered the ball at AIC’s 46-yard line with 4:33 left in the third. With a short field, the Chargers went for it all on first down as Osiecki dropped back a launched a pass far down the field. The pass sailed long and intercepted by the Yellow Jackets, but a penalty prior to the pass gave the Chargers the ball back with the addition of 15-yards. Four plays later, Scifo connected on a 45-yard field goal, with the wind at his back.

The Chargers then forced AIC to go three-and-out and the Chargers regained possession with 1:19 left in third quarter. UNH marched down the field and held possession as the event-filled quarter came to an end.

The Chargers would take the ball all the way inside the redzone, to the Yellow Jackets 13-yard line, but on three consecutive plays the UNH offense was stalemated and the Yellow Jackets took over after the Chargers went for it on fourth-and-one. AIC took possession at its own 13-yard line with 12:51 left in the game, down 6-0. Parent dropped back to pass on the first play for the Yellow Jackets and was put under pressure by defensive lineman Ahmet Basci. Basci forced an errant throw and Hill stepped in front of the pass at the 10-yard line. With few men to beat, Hill scored his first career touchdown and put the Chargers ahead 12-0. Scifo’s extra point put the Chargers up 13-0.

Scifo missed another field goal in the closing minutes of the second half, but the Chargers defense hung around and shutdown AIC one last time in the final minutes. The Chargers would eventually regain possession with 5:02 remaining and ran the clock out behind the stellar running of Jones.

Jones finished the day as the Chargers only 200-yard rusher of the new era. He amassed 202 yards on an amazing 46 carries. Osiecki threw for 151 yards on the blustery day in western Mass. The junior connected on 16-of-24 passes, with a long of 18-yards. The running game would allow the Chargers to control the time of possession with over 41-minutes of ball control.

The Chargers defense, which shutout AIC for the first time since the opening game of the 2005 season, held the Yellow Jackets to 172 total yards on 43 plays. Anderson, Charlie Hatchett and Mike Gomes led the UNH defense, each with five tackles. Anderson had a fumble recovery and the interception, while Gomes recovered two fumbles. Hill also had a good day with four stops, an interception and 1.5 tackles-for-loss.

With a 4-1 conference record, the Chargers now stand alone at the top of the NE-10 standings. Merrimack remains the only other one-loss team in the conference with a 3-1 conference mark.

The Chargers play host to the Warriors on Saturday, October 23 at 1 p.m. at DellaCamera Stadium in their next game. The battle for the top spot in the NE-10 is also homecoming for the Chargers. Complete game coverage can be found at www.NewHavenChargers.com throughout the week.