GAME DAY INFORMATION |
DATE: September 4, 2021
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LOCATION: Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium
West Haven, Conn. |
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GAME DAY LINKS |
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO |
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TODAY'S MATCHUP
For the first time in 657 days, the New Haven football team returns to the gridiron to open the 43rd season of Charger football with a visit from the newest member of the Northeast-10 Conference, Franklin Pierce who elevated their sprint football program to varsity status prior to the 2019 season.
SCOUTING THE NEW HAVEN CHARGERS
Following a long break from the field due to the CoVID-19 pandemic, New Haven boasts a plethora of new faces who look to continue the strong tradition of Charger football. The biggest change for the Blue and Gold comes at the quarterback position where seventh year head coach Chris Pincince will rely on a new face in Charger Nation. A pair of transfers will battle for the starting position today; Connor Degenhardt (Westford, Mass./Westford Academy) who comes to West Haven from Holy Cross and Zoltan Panyi (Old Orchard Beach, Maine/Scarborough) who transferred to New Haven from the University of Maine. Whoever is behind center for New Haven will have a familiar face in the backfield with the return of the 2019 NE10 Rookie of the Year Shamar Logan (Brooklyn, N.Y./Erasmus Hall High School) who closed out the 2019 season with 1,000 yards, seventh most in a single season in New Haven football history. Also among the leading returners are linebacker Ryan Hodgins (Flanders, N.J./Mount Olive) and defensive back Shawn Tafe (Bronx, N.Y./Fort Hamilton) who combined finished with 112 tackles and were among the top-four on the team in 2019.
SCOUTING THE FRANKLIN PIERCE RAVENS
With a seasoned quarterback returning, the top two rushers returning and over 20 months to prepare, the Ravens look to make major improvements from a 2019 season in which they finished 1-10. Leading the offense into the new season will be sophomore quarterback Drew Campanele who finished with 1,304 yards and six touchdown passes in the Raven inaugural season as an NCAA Division II football program. In addition to his arm, he will have the legs of two running backs who combined for 589 rushing yards and three touchdowns in 2019.
LEADERSHIP TRIO
Following the Chargers three-week preseason, head coach Chris Pincince announced a trio of players that will make up the leadership corps for 2021; defensive lineman Affiz Din-Gabisi (Somerset, N.J./Franklin), wide receiver Brett Huber (Milford, Conn./Foran) and offensive lineman Mike Zecchin (Thiells, N.Y./North Rockland). In addition to the three, a weekly game captain will be named, joining the trio for the on-field coin toss and other game-day responsibilities. All three returned to the Charger football program to extend their collegiate career after earning undergraduate degrees from the University and losing their 2020 seasons due to the CoVID-19 pandemic.
PRESEASON NUMBER ONE
In a poll of the league's nine head coach, the Chargers were selected as the preseason favorite to win the 2021 Northeast-10 title. Earning six of the nine possible first place votes, New Haven racked up a total of 66 points, finishing seven points ahead of the Bentley Falcons who garnered the final three first place votes. New Haven and Bentley finished the 2019 season with identical 6-2 records in conference play, however the Falcons were tabbed NE10 Champion having defeated the Chargers in the regular season. Rounding out the top three in the preseason poll was the Stonehill Skyhawks with 46 points.
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
If you haven't visited North Campus recently you haven't seen the construction taking place adjacent to Charger Gymnasium. The site is the future home of the Peterson Performance Center, a state of the art facility that will house strength and condition, sports medicine, a new football locker room and meetings space with the ability to be tailored for the many different needs of all 18 varsity Charger athletic teams. The entire facility will measure 7,000 square feet and house 20 Olympic style weightlifting racks and a 60-yard turf agility and conditioning area. To learn more visit ChargerAthleticsFund.com.
NEXT ON TAP
The Chargers will continue a three game season-opening homestand with their final test before opening Northeast-10 competition with a visit from the Bowie Bulldogs on Saturday, September 18. The game versus Bowie also serves as the second Harmony Classic hosted by New Haven. The Harmony Classic is an event that brings together the University of New Haven's initiatives for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the NAACP's mission to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons. Kickoff at DellaCamera Stadium is slated for 1:00 p.m.
