EASTON, MASS. – The University of New Haven football team (4-3, 4-2 NE-10) dropped a 21-17 heartbreaker to the Stonehill Skyhawks under the lights of W.B. Mason Stadium on Saturday night. Leading the Chargers was senior wide receiver Ty Headen (Newark, N.J./American History) who collected a career-high 142 yards on seven catches, including a 14-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

After allowing a Stonehill touchdown on the opening drive of the game, New Haven scored 17 unanswered points to take a 17-7 lead into the halftime break. After neither team found the end zone in the third quarter, the Chargers allowed 14 points to the Skyhawks in the fourth quarter while being held scoreless over the final 30 minutes.

Headen's seven catches were part of 20 passes completed by quarterback Ajee Patterson (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) who finished with his fifth straight game with 250 or more yards, closing out the game with 267 and one touchdown. Overall, Patterson relied on nine different receivers in the game.

The Chargers running game was led by senior Andre Anderson (New Haven, Conn./James Hillhouse) who finished with 76 net yards on 17 carries, including a 14-yard touchdown, his 38th career score. Junior kicker Danny Stock (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge / Buffalo State) also finished with five points on the night as he was a perfect 2-for-2 in point after attempts while also drilling a season-long 40 yard field goal.

Defensively, New Haven was led by Leo Lorenzo (Miami, Fla./South Miami / Monroe College) who finished with 10 tackles. Finishing just behind Lorenzo was seniors Tyler Condit (Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) and Stefano Bicknese (Somers, N.Y./Somers / USMAPS) who finished with nine and eight tackles, respectively. The nine tackles for Condit push him over the 400 tackle plateau, just the second player in school history to reach that pinnacle.

SCORING

·         10:02 1st – STO Jamiel 25-yd pass from Foltz (Haite kick) – Drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 3:24 – Score: 0-7

·         6:45 1st – UNH Headen 14-yd pass from Patterson (Stock kick) – Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 3:14 – Score: 7-7

·         13:52 2nd – UNH Anderson 14-yd run (Stock kick) – Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 4:34 – Score: 14-7

·         9:43 2nd – UNH Stock 40-yd field goal – Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 1:54 – Score: 17-7

·         10:51 4th – STO Kearns 3-yd run (Haite kick) – Drive: 6 plays, 89 yards, 2:52 – Score: 17-14

·         1:26 4th – STO Jamiel 10-yd pass from Foltz – Drive: 12 plays, 86 yards, 5:14 – Score 17-21

STATISTICAL LEADERS

·         Ajee Patterson (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) threw for 250-plus yards for the fifth straight game completing 20-of-33 pass attempts for 267 total yards in the game. He also threw one touchdown.

·         Senior wide receiver Ty Headen (Newark, N.J./American History) finished his second straight game with seven catches, surpassing 100 yards for the third straight game with a career-high 142 and was the recipient of the only TD pass from Patterson, a 14-yard catch in the first quarter. Headen also completed the longest catch of the day, a 43-yard grab.

·         Overall, the Chargers used nine different receivers in the game with Rishawn Harris (Springfield, Mass./Putnam Vocational Technical Academy) second overall with 33 yards on two catches.

·         On the ground, New Haven was led by senior running back Andre Anderson (New Haven, Conn./James Hillhouse) who finished with 76 net yards on 17 carries, while also rushing for his 38th career touchdown. Anderson's longest run of the day when through the middle for 21 yards.

·         Defensively, the Chargers were led by senior Leo Lorenzo (Miami, Fla./South Miami / Monroe College) who collected 10 tackles, including seven solo stops. Seniors Tyler Condit (Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) and Stefano Bicknese (Somers, N.Y./Somers / USMAPS) finished just behind Lorenzo with nine and eight tackles, respectively.

·         The Chargers defense also picked off three Stonehill passes with Mark Clements (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest / Worcester Academy) stealing two, one in the end zone and one he returned for 17 yards. Nigel Davis (Williamsville, N.Y./Saint Joseph's Collegiate Institute) hauled in the final interception, returning his pick for four yards.

·         New Haven's special teams also came up big when senior Dan McCourt (Pembroke, Mass./Pembroke / Dean College) blocked what was a 40-yard field goal attempt by Stonehill's Matthew Haite. Stonehill would go 0-for-2 in field goal attempts on the day with Haite sending his second attempt wide.

·         The Chargers kicker, Danny Stock (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge / Buffalo State) finished the night going 2-for-2 in point after attempts while also converting a season-long 40-yard field goal as he banked it off the top of the upright and through.

HIGHLIGHTS

·         After going three-and-out on its opening drive, the Chargers scored on their next three possessions. The first of those came as the longest drive of the day for New Haven which traveled 78 yards and took seven plays before Ajee Patterson (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) found Ty Headen (Newark, N.J./American History) in the corner of the end zone for the pair's sixth touchdown of the season.

·         On the ensuing Stonehill possession, the Chargers defense came up with a huge play when Nigel Davis (Williamsville, N.Y./Saint Joseph's Collegiate Institute) picked off a Matt Foltz pass and returned it four yards to set New Haven up on its own 36 yard line.

·         The Blue and Gold would score seven points off of that interception with Andre Anderson (New Haven, Conn./James Hillhouse) closing it out by breaking through to score from 14 yards out.

·         After forcing Stonehill to a three-and-out on its next possession, New Haven would score on its third straight drive, this time relying on junior kicker Danny Stock (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge / Buffalo State) who drilled his eighth field goal of the season, in as many attempts, this one his longest of the year from 40 yards.

·         Following the opening drive touchdown for Stonehill, New Haven held the Skyhawks scoreless until the fourth quarter with the defense coming up with a pair of big plays during that stretch. With one minute remaining in the first half, Mark Clements (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest / Worcester Academy) picked off a deep pass in the back corner of the end zone to end what at the time was a 65 yard drive.

·         Clements would come up big again on the Skyhawks opening drive of the third quarter when he picked off a second Foltz pass, this time returning it 17 yards to the 27 yard line.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

·         The three interceptions for the New Haven defense is a season-high, while the two picks for Clements ties his career-best which he originally set against LIU Post in 2015.

·         The blocked field goal for senior Dan McCourt (Pembroke, Mass./Pembroke / Dean College) marks the second straight week New Haven has blocked a kick with Nigel Davis (Williamsville, N.Y./Saint Joseph's Collegiate Institute) denying a Merrimack field goal attempt last week.

·         Ajee Patterson (Neptune, N.J./Neptune)'s 267 yards is his fifth straight game with 250 or more yards as he connected on 20 of his 33 pass attempts. He also threw one touchdown.

·         Danny Stock (North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge / Buffalo State)'s 40-yard field goal is his longest of the season and only the second of his career from 40 yards or more. He remains unblemished at 8-of-8 on the season, while he moves into a tie for fourth place in the single season annals and improves to fourth in the career record book, matching the output of John Cerra (1994-98).

·         The career-high 142 yards for senior wide receiver Ty Headen (Newark, N.J./American History) pushes him into seventh all-time in career receiving yards with 2,141. He is the eighth player in school history to collect more than 2,000 yards and is now 40 yards shy of moving into sixth place. His one touchdown catch also moves him up one spot, now tied with Ketric Barnes (1996-2000) and Pierre Fils (1987-90) with 19 touchdown catches.

·         The nine tackles for senior linebacker Tyler Condit (Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) pushed him over the 400 career tackle mark, just the second player in school history to hit that plateau. Condit is now 22 tackles from taking over the all-time career tackles title at New Haven.  

NEXT ON TAP
The Chargers return to DellaCamera Stadium for the first time in three weeks when they host Community Day against reigning Northeast-10 Conference champion Assumption. Opening kickoff in the NE-10 battle is slated for 1:00 p.m.