PHOTO GALLERY
The first home football at night in the history of DellaCamera Field ended not with a celebration worthy of a memorable night, but with members of the University of New Haven left standing on the field after a heartbreaking overtime defeat.
A pair of 10-point leads disappeared as costly mistakes resulted in a 27-24 loss to visiting Frostburg State on Thursday.
Frostburg State missed the potential game-winning field goal on the final play of the fourth quarter. However Sanye Koontz converted a short field goal in overtime to give the Bobcats the three-point lead.
New Haven had a chance to win the game with a touchdown. A key dropped pass on second down would have likely gotten the Chargers within the shadow of the end zone if it didn't result in the game-winning score.
After Daelan Menard's next pass was tipped at the line and fell incomplete, the Chargers kept the offense out there rather than attempt a long field goal.
Aided by an offsides penalty by Frostburg State, the Chargers had 4th-and-2 at the 17. Menard hit running back Christopher Ais (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton) with a pass near the New Haven sideline. Ais extended the ball toward the line to gain, but the officials ruled that he was short of the first down.
"We were one play away on offense, defense and special teams from winning the football game and we have to make that play," New Haven coach Chris Pincince said.
Dev Holmes' (Troy, N.Y./Troy) second TD catch of the game put New Haven up 24-14 with 5:08 to play in the third quarter.
Four completions by Frostburg State quarterback Graham Walker helped set up Sean Aaron's 2-yard scoring run on the next drive.
A key pass breakup on third down by Giye Jenkins (West Orange, N.J./Seton Hall Prep) appeared to be enough to give the ball back to New Haven midway through the fourth quarter.
However, Aaron got the ball on a fake punt and raced for a first down.
Jack Quander (Gainsville, Va./Patriot) and Tahlee Bailey (Somerset, N.J./Rahway) made huge stops on a goal-line stand that resulted in a game-tying field goal with 2:30 left rather than the go-ahead touchdown.
While his teammates congratulated Jenkins for making the play.
However, he believed it was a play where he should have come up with an interception.
"It was a pick," Jenkins said. "The play that happened next was the fake punt. If I make that play, the offense is right there and they are probably going right in to score. It is just a game of inches. When you miss opportunities like that, it sticks with you."
Faced with a fourth down on the 41, Pincince went for the first down knowing not much time was left. However, the Bobcats got into position for a 45-yard field goal that was no good, setting up overtime.
"The first game of the season, we knew it was not going to be perfect," Holmes said. "We are going to face adversity. You can't get too low on the lows and too high on the highs, but other than that I said 24-hour rule. Look at the film, come out of it and move onto Bentley."
A 52-yard kickoff return by Kha'lil Eason (Norwalk, Conn./Brunswick School) set up the Chargers in outstanding field position on the first possession of the game. On the fourth offensive play, Menard hit Holmes for what would have been a first down. Holmes eluded a tackle at the 15 and trotted in for the 25-yard TD.
The seven-point lead stood up until the first play of the second quarter when Max Davis hauled in a pass from Walker for the 39-yard TD.
The Chargers responded with a drive into the red zone. Vincent DeSimone's 30-yard field goal gave the Chargers the lead back.
Frostburg stopped a promising New Haven drive when Colby Street came down with a pass that was tipped at the line of scrimmage.
However, on the next play, Jenkins jumped a route and returned the interception for the TD.
"They lined up in trips and the last couple of first downs they ran the bubble. I saw [Jamil Bishop] set up for a block and he was shuffling out and went I saw him shuffling out, I cut in front of him."
The Chargers had a chance to head into halftime with a 10-point lead but the Chargers failed to corral Walker on third and short. A roughing the passer penalty got Frostburg inside the 10 to set up Sean Aaron's 4-yard TD run.
A crowd of 3124 came out for the first home night game.
"The students came out to make the place electric," Holmes said. It was a great environment."
When it got dark, it gave a different look at the blue turf.
"I thought it was pretty cool seeing the Blue like that," Jenkins said. "It was a great experience and one that I will never forget."
With a game at Bentley, there is no time to let the disappointment linger after Thursday's loss.
"For the guys who haven't been here, they will probably end up beating each other up pretty bad," Jenkins said. "The guys who have been here, as long as we can control what we can control going into next week, taking it one week at a time."
