The University of New Haven football team found different ways to win with each passing week during a truly remarkable season.

Perhaps it was the defense coming up with a timely turnover or key stops, a blocked punt or two on special times, physical yards piled up by a deep ground of running backs or a big play or two in the passing game. However, in Saturday's season-ending 10-7 loss at Kutztown in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs, the magic finally ran out.

"We were able to move the ball a little bit but weren't able to finish any drives in the first half and get into the end zone," New Haven quarterback Connor Degenhardt (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) said. "We found success at the end of the game but we weren't able to pull it out today."

The defensive line came up with timely sacks and tackles in the backfield to keep the game scoreless in the first half.

A 24-yard punt by Luke Silvia (Newton, Mass./Newton) midway through the third quarter gave Kutztown the ball at New Haven 47. Safety Shawn Tafe (Bronx, N.Y./Fort Hamilton) almost came down with a drive-ending interception in the end zone. Darryl Davis-McNeil converted the first down on 3rd and 7. The Chargers defense still forced Kutztown to settle for Nick Coppolino's 22-yard field goal 1:38 to go in the third quarter.

The Bears only needed to drive 44 yards for their only touchdown of the game. Kutztown quarterback Eric Nickel hooked up for a 33-yard gain to the New Haven 1. Jeremiah Nelson ran it into the end zone on the next play to push the lead to 10-0 with 9:34 remaining.

"Field position battles, it is just the way football goes sometimes," New Haven defensive lineman Jason Dooling (Sunrise, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) said. "You keep playing and do what you can but sometimes they get one, there is not much you can do about it."

New Haven struggled to get the running game going with just 59 yards on 26 carries. More than half of the Chargers' 97 passing yards came on their lone scoring drive.

Degenhardt was 9 of 12 for 57 yards on that drive that was capped with a Jake Conlan (West Haven, Conn./Trinity-Pawling) 8-yard touchdown run with 3:10 to go. However, the drive took 6:18 and put the Chargers in a position of needing one more defensive stop to give the ball back to the offense.

On a 3rd-and-5 play, Jordan Davis eluded two New Haven would-be tacklers and the Bears (11-1) were able to run out the clock.

"We let up a big kickoff return and just couldn't get off the field on that last drive," New Haven coach Chris Pincince said.

Huber and Holmes led the Chargers with four catches each and they had two of New Haven's three double-digit yardage plays

Khalim Cisse (Willingboro, N.J./Willingboro) led New Haven (10-2) had 10 tackles. Ryan Hodgins (Flanders, N.J./Mount Olive) had eight tackles and Khyon Fitzpatrick (Union, N.J./Paramus Catholic) had seven stops. Cisse and Dooling each had two sacks and Hunter Addison (Baltimore, Md./Lansdowne) added one.

There will be some holes to fill especially on the offense and defensive lines but there will be enough returning talent for the Chargers to be one of the favorites to win the Northeast-10 title.

"This is the most fun I've had playing football," Dooling said. "I am super close to these guys, Cisse, Calvo [Michael Montecalvo (Green Brook, N.J./Watchung Hills Regional)), Fiz {Affiz Din-Gabisi (Somerset, N.J./Franklin)], all my D-linemen, I love those guys to death, I love the whole defense. It was a great year. We accomplished the goal that we set out to accomplish with the NE10 championship. I think this program is in a really good spot and we are going on the way up.

"Younger D lineman are going to step up. I think the only people we are losing are D linemen, they are all amazing players. The younger guys are going to step up. I am going to lead the younger guys and we are going to be picking up the slack wherever it falls off and we are going to be the same exact defense that we were this year."

The offense will have to rebuild the interior of the offensive line. Receiver Brett Huber (Milford, Conn./Foran) and leading rusher Zach Mauro (Woodbury, Conn./Nonnewaug) are other key players not returning for the Chargers but there are plenty of pieces for New Haven to be one of the NE10's best offenses in 2022.

"It has been a great run and I feel like it is ending sooner than it should of," Degenhardt said. "I am just really appreciative of all the seniors that led the way for us this year and came back. I am sad it is my last time playing with them but it was an honor to play with the guys like Brett, Zuke [center Mike Zecchin (Thiells, N.Y./North Rockland)], [offensive guard Michael] Wilson and Capp [guard Michael Cappuccilli (Walkill, N.Y./Wallkill)], Zach Mauro (Woodbury, Conn./Nonnewaug), it is sad that the run is coming to an end and I am not going to be able to play with those guys again next season."

The defense kept the Chargers in the game holding Kutztown to 230 yards although they were unable to get a turnover for the first time in the last eight games

"They were great the entire day," Pincince said. "They stepped up whether it was a field-position game that they were helping us with or big fourth-down plays a couple of times, the defense did exactly what they were supposed to do. I commend them on not just that but the entire year."

The Chargers were so close to advancing to the Division II quarterfinals so this will sting for a while but Pincince is hoping for a return to the postseason next season.

"Our only two losses are to teams playing in the playoffs today," Pincince said. "I thought as a group, we accomplished some of our goals I am excited for the future as long as some of these guys are coming back."