PHOTO GALLERY

WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven football team (3-2, 3-1 NE-10) secured its seventh straight Elm City Cup on Saturday afternoon leading crosstown rival Southern Connecticut State University end-to-end in a 38-20 victory. Leading the Chargers was New Haven native Andre Anderson (New Haven, Conn./James Hillhouse), the Charger Nation Player of the Game, who finished with a season-high 151 yards and two touchdowns against the Owls.

Senior Ajee Patterson (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) also put up impressive numbers in his second start against Southern Connecticut, collecting his third straight game with 250 or more yards as he finished with 257 total against the Owls. He closed out the game completing 15 of his 20 pass attempts and matched his season-high with three touchdown passes.

Patterson's primary target among seven wide receivers was senior Ty Headen (Newark, N.J./American History) who completed his career against Southern Connecticut State with at least one touchdown in all four of his games against the rival. He finished this season's game with a pair of touchdowns, while collecting 109 total yards on five catches.

Tight end Jonathan Badyna (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) had the longest touchdown of the day when he hauled in a 35-yard pass from Patterson who has now thrown a touchdown of 35 yards or more in all five games in 2016. The over the shoulder catch from Badyna was the U.S. Army ROTC Play of the Game.

Defensively, the Chargers were led by senior Stefano Bicknese (Somers, N.Y./Somers / USMAPS) who finished his third game of the season with double digit tackles, racking up 11 total. Nigel Davis (Williamsville, N.Y./Saint Joseph's Collegiate Institute) also had an impressive day as he made four total stops but more importantly blocked a pair of Southern Connecticut kicks, one on a 29-yard field goal attempt and the other on a point after attempt.

SCORING

·         7:28 1st – UNH Headen 2-yd pass from Patterson (Stock kick)  – Drive: 13 plays, 89 yards, 6:03 – Score: 7-0

·         5:09 1st – UNH Badyna 35-yd pass from Patterson (Stock kick) – Drive: 3 plays, 70 yards, 0:54 – Score: 14-0

·         0:50 1st – SCSU Hall 2-yd pass from Catapano (McNally kick) – Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:11 – Score: 14-7

·         1:23 2nd – UNH Headen 15-yd pass from Patterson (Stock kick) – Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:14 – Score: 21-7

·         0:04 2nd – SCSU Catapano 4-yd run (McNally kick) – Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 1:19 – Score: 21-14

·         12:16 3rd – UNH – Anderson 6-yd run (Stock kick) – Drive: 5 plays, 45 yards, 2:34 – Score: 28-14

·         6:16 3rd – SCSU Jenkins 8-yd pass from Catapano (McNally kick blocked) – Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 5:59 – Score: 28-20

·         14:32 4th – UNH Stock 28-yd field goal – Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 4:10 – Score: 31-20

·         5:32 4th – UNH Anderson 12-yd run (Stock kick) – Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 4:08 – Score: 38-20

STATISTICAL LEADERS

·         Senior running back Andre Anderson (New Haven, Conn./James Hillhouse), the Charger Nation Player of the Game, led the UNH offense with 151 net yards and a pair of touchdowns. The 151 yards for Anderson was a season high for the New Haven native, while the two TD's move him into third place all-time in rushing scores.

·         Senior quarterback Ajee Patterson (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) capped off his day with 257 yards, his third straight game with 250 or more yards in the air, while also throwing three touchdowns. Overall, Patterson finished with 15 completions among his 20 total attempts, while he also ran for 10 yards.

·         Senior wide receiver Ty Headen (Newark, N.J./American History) led a receiving corps that totaled seven players with 109 yards on five catches and a pair of touchdowns. The two TD's for Headen match his career-high set earlier this season against Slippery Rock.

·         Joining Headen and Anderson (44 yards)  in leading the receivers was tight end Jonathan Badyna (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) who finished with 36 yards on two catches including a game-long 35-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

·         Junior kicker Danny Stock (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge / Buffalo State) closed out his day perfect with a 28-yard field goal and hitting all five of his point after attempts.

·         Defensively, Stefano Bicknese (Somers, N.Y./Somers / USMAPS) led the Chargers with 11 tackles, his third game of the season in double figures. Following Bicknese was Tyler Condit (Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) who chipped in seven tackles. Among Bicknese's 11 tackles were six solo stops which matches the team-high also achieved by Mark Clements (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest / Worcester Academy) who had all six of his stops come as solo tackles.

·         New Haven also blocked a pair of kick attempts for the Owls with Nigel Davis (Williamsville, N.Y./Saint Joseph's Collegiate Institute) coming off the end to deny a 29-yard field goal attempt and a point after attempt.

HIGHLIGHTS

·         After forcing the Owls to punt on the opening drive of the game, New Haven ate up over six minutes en route to an 89-yard drive that was capped off by a two yard pass from Patterson to Headen for the Chargers first of five touchdowns. The majority of the drive for UNH came on the ground where Anderson ran for 28 yards and Lemar Thomas (Hackensack, N.J./Hackensack) went for 13. In addition to the TD catch for Headen, Patterson also targeted him for a 27-yard pick up earlier in the drive.

·         The Chargers would strike again in the opening quarter, this time needing less than a minute to complete a 70-yard drive. Facing a second and two, Patterson went to the air down the SCSU sideline where Badyna made an over-the-shoulder grab in what was the U.S. Army ROTC Play of the Game. Badyna's TD catch amounted to 35-total yards and is now the seventh TD pass of the season from Patterson that has been at least 35 yards or more.

·         After holding the Owls without a score following a drive that lasted 7:44 and traveled 78 yards, the Chargers answered by adding seven more point to the score board as Patterson and Headen connected for the second time on the day. This time, Headen hauled in a 15-yard catch that capped off the Blue and Gold's second 80-yard drive of the day and resulted in a 21-7 lead.

·         Having deferred to receive in the second half, the Chargers made good on the opening drive as Anderson collected his first touchdown of the day, capping of a five play, 45-yard drive with a six-yard run, pushing the UNH led to 28-14.

·         After the Chargers added to their lead with Stock's sixth field goal of the season, the defense came up big again on the ensuing Southern Connecticut drive when Davis came around the corner on a 29-yard field goal attempt blocking his second Owls kick of the day.

·         The Chargers fed off of the defensive stop by marching 70 yards on the next drive with Anderson crossing the end zone for the second time, this time from 12-yards out. That touchdown for the senior running back gave him sole possession of third place all-time in rushing touchdowns.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

·         The win over SCSU secured the Chargers seventh straight Elm City Championship, having not dropped a contest against Southern Conn. since 2009.

·         Anderson continued to climb in the program's rushing records. His two touchdowns pushed him into third all-time at UNH with 32 career rushing touchdowns, passing Mike DeCaro (2009-13). He also jumped two positions in career rushing attempts, now tied for eighth place with Tony Major (1979-80). Finally, Anderson's season-high 151 yards puts him three yards shy of moving into fourth all-time in career rushing yards with 2,328 total.

·         Headen also jumped into the record books following his performance against the Owls, taking over 10th all-time in receiving touchdowns with 18 and receiving yards with 1,888. He now needs 116 yards to jump three positions and move into seventh all-time.

·         Kicker Danny Stock (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge / Buffalo State) also climbed the record books against SCSU, moving up two positions in career point after attempts made with 61 total, while he also moved into a tie for sixth in career field goals with 13, matching Pete Dodosh (2000-01).

·         The two touchdowns scored by Headen against the Owls means he will now close out his career with at least one touchdown in each of the four time he has faced the crosstown rival.

·         This victory for New Haven was also the 200th win since the Chargers joined the Division II ranks in 1982.

NEXT ON TAP
The Chargers will play their next two games away from West Haven with stops at Merrimack and Stonehill next on the docket. The first of those road games comes in North Andover, Mass. on Saturday, Oct. 8, with the Chargers and Warriors set to kick off at 1:00 p.m. from Martone-Mejail Field. The following week, the Blue and Gold will make a national appearance on ESPN3 when they travel to Stonehill for a 6:00 p.m. kick off.