THE FIRST LOOK
New Haven (4-1, 4-0 NE-10) travels to Merrimack (3-2, 2-2 NE-10) as it enters the second half of the 2013 season. At the midway point, the Chargers are winners of four-straight and the Warriors have won two-straight. New Haven defeated Assumption 21-18 last Friday night in Worcester, Mass., while Merrimack took a 26-21 decision at LIU Post on Saturday afternoon. Previously, the Chargers defeated LIU Post, Saint Anselm and Pace to open their NE-10 slate. The Warriors have a 42-41 victory over Division I FCS opponent Wagner to open the season and a 66-14 victory over Pace in week four. Merrimack's two losses came at American International (62-50) and Southern Connecticut State (40-34) in weeks two and three, respectively.

LAST MEETING
New Haven, ranked No. 13/16 in the nation, defeated Merrimack 45-18 at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium to open the 2012 season on Saturday, Sept. 1. In front of a standing room only crowd, UNH wide receiver Jason Thompson caught six passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns. UNH quarterback Ryan Osiecki amassed 312 yards and two touchdowns with one interception on 20-of-27 passing. His counterpart, Joe Clancy threw for 326 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions on 35-of-52 passing. His top receiver on the day, Isaiah Voegeli, recorded 14 catches for 128 yards, while nine others tallied a catch in the loss. The Warriors struck first with a Clancy touchdown pass, but the Chargers would score 21 unanswered points and take control of the game in the second quarter. UNH held a 24-12 lead at halftime and led 38-12 after three quarters. The Chargers went on to a 45-18 victory to open the 2012 season. New Haven out-gained Merrimack 441-420, including a 129-94 advantage in the run game. UNH went 6-for-6 in the red zone, while the Chargers' defense held Merrimack to two scores on four trips into the red zone.

ALL-TIME SERIES
New Haven and Merrimack have met four other times with the Chargers holding a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Warriors won the first meeting in 2009, but New Haven has won three-straight, including a 45-18 victory last season at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium. In 2009, Merrimack recorded a 48-20 in North Andover, Mass. followed by a narrow 27-25 victory by UNH in 2010. In New Haven's most recent visit to Merrimack, the Chargers pulled off a 44-35 victory over the Warriors on a windy, rainy afternoon at Martone-Mejail Field. Last year, New Haven opened the 2012 season with a 45-18 victory over Merrimack. The win was the first of 10-straight for the Chargers.
    2009: Merrimack - 48 | New Haven - 20 (North Andover, Mass.)
    2010: New Haven - 27 | Merrimack - 25 (West Haven, Conn.)
    2011: New Haven - 44 | Merrimack - 35 (North Andover, Mass.)
    2012: New Haven - 45 | Merrimack - 18 (West Haven, Conn.)

COMMON OPPONENTS
New Haven and Merrimack have two common opponents: Pace and LIU Post. Both the Chargers and Warriors have unblemished 2-0 records against the teams. New Haven holds an average margin of victory of 45 points (+90 total points), while Merrimack holds an average margin of victory of 28.5 points (+57 total points).
    New Haven            Common Opponent           Merrimack         
    W, 65-0 (9/14)                   Pace                          W, 66-14 (9/28)
    W, 48-23 (9/28)             LIU Post                       W, 26-21 (10/5)

SCOUTING THE CHARGERS
New Haven is winner of four-straight overall and 20-straight Northeast-10 Conference games as they head to Merrimack this Saturday. The Chargers won a narrow 21-18 game at Assumption last week and have their second-straight road game this week. Senior quarterback Ronnie Nelson leads the Chargers offense this season with 310.6 total offensive yards per game. He's thrown for 1,229 yards and run for 324 yards through the first five games. Senior Mike DeCaro is the team's top rusher with 76.8 yards per game and four touchdowns. Junior running back Trevor Officer has seen more carries in recent weeks and is third on the team with 45.2 yards per game and three touchdowns. He's also averaging 6.8 yards per carry. On the other side of the ball, senior inside linebacker Matthew Fallico leads the team with 36 total tackles. He's amassed 13 solo stops and 1.5 tackles-for-loss in five games. Rookie cornerback Najae Brown is second on the team with 33 total tackles and first with a team-high 23 solo tackles. Interior defensive lineman Sean Berglund leads the team with seven tackles-for-loss, while defensive end Kervin Edouard has a team-best 3.5 sacks this season.

New Haven Special Teams Key to the Game: The Chargers need to make big plays in the special teams this week. Big plays include wrapping up tackles, winning the field possession battle and converting on kick attempts.

New Haven Offensive Key to the Game: The Chargers must possess the ball and take care of the ball offensively this weekend. Holding possession is crucial in order to keep Merrimack's high-scoring offense off the field. Winning the turnover battle will also be critical for UNH to win Saturday's matchup.

New Haven Defensive Key to the Game: The defense must force turnovers this week. The Chargers, who hold a +0.8 turnover margin this season, will need to force turnovers and attempt to keep the Warriors off the field for a longer period of time.

SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
Picked to finish fifth in the Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, Merrimack is currently tied for fifth in the conference standings with a 2-2 record. The Warriors biggest win of the season came against Division I opponent Wagner in a non-conference meeting week one. Trailing with five minutes left, Merrimack marched the length of the field and scored the game-winning touchdown with 30-second remaining for a 42-41 upset of the reigning Northeast Conference Champions. In week two, Merrimack dropped its first conference game in one of the highest-scoring games of the season, 62-50, to American International. The Warriors traveled to Southern Connecticut State in week three and lost by six points, 40-34, to the Owls. Merrimack's two-game winning streak started two weeks ago against Pace with a 66-14 victory. Last week, the Warriors went to LIU Post and won 26-21. This week's matchup is the second of four home games for Merrimack this season.

The Merrimack Offense: The Warriors offense revolves around one person, senior quarterback Joe Clancy. His season passing numbers include 1,971 yards, 25 touchdowns and three interceptions on 179-of-283 passing. He leads all of Division II in three different statistical categories; completions per game (35.4), passing touchdowns (25) and points responsible for (156). He also leads the conference and ranks in the top 10 nationally in passing yards, passing yards per game and total offense. Clancy's favorite target is sophomore Jere Brown, who ranks first in Division II with nine receiving touchdowns this season. He also ranks eighth in receptions per game and 10th in receiving yards. In total, the team is averaging over 520 yards per game (nearly 400 passing and over 125 rushing) and 43.6 points per game.

The Merrimack Defense: Merrimack's 4-3 defensive front is allowing 481.2 yards and 35.6 points per game this season. Senior linebacker Jimmy Holland leads the team with 40 total tackles and five tackles-for-loss. Teammate Matt Tripicchio added 6.5 tackles-for-loss at 25 total tackles. The defense has intercepted six passes and helps lead the team to a conference-best +1.2 turnover margin.

FAST FACTS
Here a few fast facts from the 2013 season and recent victories...
1.) Prior to last week at Assumption, the last time the Chargers scored and allowed a two-point conversion in the same game was at Stonehill College on Oct. 18, 2012.
2.) Prior to last week at Assumption, the last time UNH rushed for a two-point conversion was at Knoxville College on Oct. 29, 1994 when Roger Graham punched in the two points for a 55-54 win.
3.) New Haven is the only team to have four different players complete passes this season and the only team with three players to have thrown a touchdown pass.
 
COMING OUT OF NOWHERE
Sophomore Courtney Moshood, in his first year of eligibility, has emerged as one of the Chargers' top offensive threats this season and for his efforts last week, he was named the Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Week. With the most yards per game of any wide receiver, Moshood has 300 yards and three touchdowns off eight catches. Of the 11 players in the Northeast-10 with more receiving yards than Moshood, only one has caught fewer than 23 passes and none have caught as few as him.
 
BLOCK PARTY
In each of the previous three meetings against the Warriors, New Haven has blocked a kick. Last season, Raheem Stanley blocked an extra point attempt in the second quarter, while Rob Hill blocked a 44-yard field goal attempt in 2011 at Martone-Mejail Field. Finally, in 2010 the Chargers blocked two extra point attempts by Merrimack at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium. In 2011, both UNH and Merrimack blocked kicks in the game. It marked the last time both teams recorded a block in the same game prior last week's meeting at Assumption.
 
RUNNING UP THE RECORDS BOOK
On his second carry and the team's third offensive play against Saint Anselm, Mike DeCaro became the fifth player in the storied history of New Haven football to rush for 2,000 career yards. Needing just 26 yards to cross the plateau against Saint Anselm, DeCaro not only crossed the mark, but moved into fourth all-time with his 205-yard career-best outing. His career numbers now include 2,250 rushing yards (4th), 25 rushing touchdowns (3rd) and 4,844 all-purpose yards. He 86 rushing yards out of third place all time and 156 all-purpose yards away from 5,000. His 2013 season totals include 76.8 rushing yards, 42.4 receiving yards and 69.2 all-purpose yards per game. He scored seven total touchdowns and is one of two NE-10 players with a rushing, receiving and return touchdown this season.
 
CALLING HIS NUMBER
Senior quarterback Ronnie Nelson has led the UNH offense throughout the 2013 season. He currently ranks sixth in Division II and first in the NE-10 with a 178.4 passing efficiency rating. Nelson's numbers include 1,229 yards, 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions on 76-of-120 passing. He put together one of the most impressive individual performances in Charger football history against Saint Anselm in week three. The Stuart, Fla. native set a record for total offensive yards in a game and was the first quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards and rush for more than 100 yards in a game. He threw for a career-best 364 yards on 18-of-25 in week four against LIU Post.  In eight games as the starting quarterback, Nelson is 128-for-195 for 2,000 yards (250 ypg) with 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions. His career numbers include 2,725 passing yards and 1,048 rushing yards, making him the first player in UNH football history to pass for 2,500 yards and rush for 1,000 yards.
 
PROGRAM FIRSTS
Two players will become the first players in program history to accomplish very elite numbers. Mike DeCaro is on pace to be the only Charger to cross the 2,000 yard rushing and 1,000 yard receiving plateaus. He needs just over 300 receiving yards to accomplish the feat this season. Quarterback Ronnie Nelson, who already is the only 2,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher, can put his marks nearly out of reach with 275 more passing yards to become the first-ever 3,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher.
 
SCORING SPREE
One of just four teams in NCAA Division II with two 65-plus point performances this season, New Haven scored 65-plus points in back-to-back games for the first time and tied the highest two-game scoring total in program history in weeks two and three. The 135 points scored against Pace and Saint Anselm tied a two-game stretch from 1992 against Virginia Union and Central Connecticut.
 
SPREAD OUT SCORING
Eleven different players have scored for UNH this season, including seven players with 18-or-more points and 10 players have scored touchdowns. During a three-week stretch from week two to week four, the Chargers had six different players score touchdowns in each of their three wins.
 
ICE-BERG ANCHORS D-LINE
Senior defensive tackle Sean Berglund posted a career-high seven total tackles in each of the first two games this season. He registered a career-best four tackles-for-loss and three sacks against Pace in week two, while also forcing a fumble and recovering another loose ball. At Assumption in week five, he blocked his first career field goal and in the meantime set up a Chargers' scoring drive. His season totals include 23 total tackles, 7.0 tackles-for-loss and three sacks.
 
A SPECIALIST
Junior place kicker and punter Anthony Greenfield has boasted impressive numbers throughout the first half of the 2013 season. He's converted 28-of-30 extra points, averaged 42.6 yards per punt and pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line six different times. In week three at Saint Anselm, Greenfield came one extra point short of tying New Haven's all-time record of 11 conversions. He connected on 10-of-10 attempts. In week two against Pace, Greenfield booted a 64-yard punt late in the fourth quarter to seal the late-game shutout for UNH. The punt was the longest of his career and the first punt over 60 yards since the Chargers returned to the gridiron in 2009. The last punt longer than 64 yards came in 2002 when Lars Anderson kicked a 65-yard punt on Sept. 21 at Indiana (Pa.). The Chargers' longest punt ever belongs to John Cerra, who booted a 75-yard punt against Southern Connecticut State in 1996.
 
IMMEDIATE IMPACT ROOKIES
One of the team's leading tacklers Najae Brown has made his presence known early in the 2013 season as a freshman corner back. He's second on the team with 33 total tackles and 23 solo stops. On the other side of the ball, tight end Michael Flacco leads all receivers with 14 catches for 59.2 yards per game and five touchdowns.
 
DEFENSIVE STANDS
Since the return of Charger football in 2009, the New Haven defense has held its opponents scoreless on four different occasions. In week two's 65-0 shutout, UNH came one point shy of the largest margin of victory in program history and the set the record for the largest since 2009. Last season's 45-0 victory over Saint Anselm was the third shutout since 2009 and the first at home since week two of the 2010 season. That season, the Chargers managed two shutouts, blanking Lincoln (Pa.) and American International.
 
THE COACHES
The 2012 Liberty Mutual Division II Coach of the Year and three-time Northeast-10 Conference Coach of the Year, Peter Rossomando is in his fifth season as head coach for the Chargers, although he was hired in January of 2008 to start rebuilding the program. In four short years, Rossomando has brought the Charger football program back into the national spotlight as one of the premier programs in Division II. He previously spent seven seasons at the University at Albany and five seasons at UNH, as an assistant under current Oakland Raiders offensive line coach Tony Sparano. Dan Curran enters his first season as head football coach at Merrimack after being promoted from offensive coordinator on Feb. 22, 2013. Curran became the fifth head coach of the Merrimack football program after spending the last three seasons as the Warriors' offensive coordinator. Curran replaces John Perry, who resigned to take an offensive assistant position at Division I Delaware after five seasons as Merrimack's head coach.
 
THREE OF A KIND
Rossomando has gradually worked his way up the all-time wins list at the University of New Have over the last five seasons. With two more wins this season, the fifth-year head coach will become the third coach in program history to cross the 40-win plateau. Mark Whipple (1988-93) is the winningest coach with a 48-17 record in his six seasons. Tony Sparano (1994-98) is second on the list, and three ahead of Rossomando, with a 41-14 all-time record.
Coach                                Wins      Losses   Ties        Pct.        Years
Mark Whipple                     48           17           0              0.738     1988-93
Tony Sparano                    41           14           1              0.741     1994-98
Peter Rossomando         38           11           0              0.776     2009-Pres.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION
The Beyond Sports Network (BSN) recognized the New Haven offensive line and running back Mike DeCaro as national players of the week during week four. Punter Anthony Greenfield and defensive back Carlos Lozada were both named to the teams during week three. BSN recognizes national award winners for the top performances in the FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III, and NAIA. The Beyond Sports Network staff hands out awards for Offensive Line of the Week, Defense of the Week, Offensive Players of the Week, Defensive Players of the Week, and Special Teams Players of the Week.

FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
The University of New Haven football coaches will be selecting Players of the Week every week throughout the 2013 season. Head Coach Peter Rossomando and his assistants chose five student-athletes for the week four awards:
    Offensive Player of the Week: Courtney Moshood
    Defensive Player of the Week: Alex Dyer
    Special Teams Player of the Week: Sean Berglund
    Offensive Scout Player of the Week: Brandon Fowler
    Defensive Scout Player of the Week: Matt Rossi
 
GAMEDAY FORECAST
The forecast for Saturday in North Andover, Mass. is calling for partly cloudy skies with highs in the mid-60s. A slight chance of rain, 10-percent, and winds up to 10 mph are also forecast at Martone-Mejail Field.  Chance of rain grows throughout the day and humidity will be near 70-percent.
 
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets are only available for purchase at Martone-Mejail Field on Saturday prior to the game. Ticket prices are as follows:
    Adults - $10
   Youth/Student - $5

GAME COVERAGE
Saturday's  game will feature live audio available on NewHavenChargers.com and will be broadcast live on 88.7 FM WNHU with UNH alumni Craig Mortali and Pat Ryan calling the action live from North Andover, Mass. Merrimack will also offer live video for $8.95 on MerrimackAthletics.tv. Fans can also follow live statistics throughout the game. Find all the links for Saturday's game on NewHavenChargers.com throughout the week and on gameday.
 
UP NEXT
New Haven hosts Stonehill next Saturday, Oct. 19 for its 2013 homecoming game. It's the only home game during the month of October for UNH who plays three-of-four games on the road during the crucial month. The game will be broadcast live on CPTV Sports throughout the start of Connecticut and feature two of the hottest teams in the conference this season.
 
THREE TIMES AS GREAT
Against Pace in week two, Ronnie Nelson, Anthony Greenfield and Joey Bradley all threw touchdown passes in the Chargers' 65-0 victory - the first time three different players threw scoring strikes since Nov. 5, 2011. Ryan Osiecki, Ronnie Nelson and Brice DeRosa helped lead UNH to another 60-plus point performance and win over Pace. This season, four different players have thrown passes for the Chargers, including DeeJay White who tossed a 41-yard strike against LIU Post.
 
THE REMAINING SCHEDULE
New Haven plays its second-straight road game as it travels to North Andover, Mass. for a meeting with Merrimack College in week six. The Chargers hold a 3-1 record against the Warriors since first meeting in 2009. The Chargers will then host homecoming at DellaCamera Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19 against Stonehill College. New Haven has held the upper hand in the four year series with the Skyhawks, but last year's game in Easton, Mass. went down to the final seconds as UNH scored the go-ahead touchdown with six second on the clock. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. The Elm City Trophy will be awarded in week eight with the Chargers traveling to crosstown rival Southern Connecticut State University on Friday, Oct. 25. The third night game on the schedule will kickoff at 7 p.m. at Jess Dow Field. UNH and SCSU have a storied history dating back to 1981. New Haven holds a 16-6-1 record against the Owls, including three straight wins. The November schedule includes two NE-10 home games for the Chargers. American International travels to West Haven on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. The Chargers and Yellow Jackets have met 18 times since 1983 with UNH holding a 12-6 advantage in the series. Bentley University will round out the regular season for the Chargers on Saturday, Nov. 9 at DellaCamera Stadium. UNH and Bentley have also met every year since 2009 and the Chargers hold a 3-1 record against the Falcons. For the second straight season, the NE-10 Conference will host a championship weekend on Saturday, Nov. 16. The top seeded team will host the second seed in a true championship game format. The remaining teams will also play games in the final weekend of the regular season. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth seeded teams will host the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th seeded teams, respectively. The NCAA Division II Football Championship tournament begins on Saturday, Nov. 23 with the first round, while the Division II Champion will be crowded on Saturday, Dec. 21 at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala.
 
A WIN FOR THE AGES
In week three's 70-26 victory at Saint Anselm, the Chargers set one program record, but many more numbers were the most since 2009 when the Chargers' return to the gridiron. The win also ranked among the best in NCAA Division II this season, tying for fifth place in points scored, coming in second in total offense and third in rushing yards. Here's a complete list:
    Individual
      Most rushing yards - Mike DeCaro, 205
      Most total offensive yards gained - Ronnie Nelson, 483 (*all-time record)
      Most all-purpose yards - Mike DeCaro, 286
      Most extra point conversions - Anthony Greenfield, 10
    Team
      Most rushing yards - 509
      Most yards per rush (min. 20 attempts) - 9.6
      Most rushing touchdowns - 7
      Most total offensive yards - 821
      Most all-purpose yards - 907
      Most points scored - 70
      Most touchdowns - 10
 
NE-10 PRESEASON RESULTS
The No. 12 University of New Haven football team has been selected to finish second in the Northeast-10 Football Coaches' Preseason Poll, which was released today by the conference office. The nationally-ranked Chargers received three of 10 first-place votes. The three-time defending Northeast-10 Champion, New Haven garnered 73 total points on the preseason ledger. American International was tabbed as the favorite by the conference's 10 head coaches, collecting five first-place tallies to edge the Chargers with 75 total points. Bentley nabbed 61 points, LIU Post had 60 – including the two remaining first-place votes – and Merrimack rounds out the top half of the poll with 44 points. Southern Connecticut, Stonehill, Assumption, Saint Anselm and Pace rounded out the preseason poll.
2013 Northeast-10 Football Coaches Preseason Poll
    1. American International – 75 (5)
    2. New Haven – 73 (3)
    3. Bentley – 61
    4. LIU Post – 60 (2)
    5. Merrimack – 44
    6. Southern Connecticut – 42
    7. Stonehill – 41
    8. Assumption – 24
    9. Saint Anselm – 21
    10. Pace – 9
    * - first-place votes in parentheses

Read more in the week six game notes (PDF)