GAME DAY INFORMATION |
DATE: November 9, 2024
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LOCATION: Grappone Stadium
Manchester, N.H. |
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GAME DAY LINKS |
LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO |
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THE FIRST LOOK
Following a bounce-back victory over Post last weekend, the New Haven football team once again finds itself playing a game that could ultimately decide the NE10 Championship with just two regular season games remaining. This weekend's match-up pits a pair of 5-1 NE10 teams against each other, with one holding first place in the league standings outright following the game. New Haven is also looking to avenge a loss one year ago against Saint Anselm, a defeat that came on the Chargers home turf.
INSIDE THE SERIES
·        New Haven and Saint Anselm meet for the 14th time in a series that dates back to the Chargers first season in the Northeast-10, 2009.
·        Overall, the Chargers lead the Hawks 10-4 in the-all-time series.
·        Saint Anselm broke up back-to-back wins for the Chargers last season with a 13-9 victory at DellaCamera Stadium.
·        In the seven games that have come at Grappone Stadium, New Haven holds a 6-1 record, the lone loss coming in 2019.
A WIN OVER SAINT ANSELM WOULD...
·        keep the Charger atop the NE10 standings with just one regular season game remaining in their quest for a repeat league title.
·        be the third win in the last four meetings against Saint Anselm.
·        keep the Blue and Gold in the discussion for a possible berth in the NCAA Super Region One bracket following the conclusion of the regular season.
·        be the 289th overall victory in the 45 plus year history of Charger Football.
·        be the 259th victory since the Chargers began playing at the Division II level - first DII season was 1982.
GAME DAY FORECAST
Following an unexpected stretch of warm weather, more seasonal conditions return as the Blue and Gold make their return to the gridiron this weekend in the Granite State. The forecasted high temperature at kickoff is 50 degrees under partly cloudy skies with a 23-percent, chance of precipitation. Additionally, winds will come out of the west-north-west at 12 miles per hour. Sunrise on Saturday is 6:40 a.m. with sunset coming soon after the conclusion of the game at 4:21 p.m.
SCOUTING THE CHARGERS
The Chargers look to stay in the win column and avenge a loss from last season on Saturday as they head to Manchester, N.H. to take on the Saint Anselm Hawks in a game that could determine the NE10 championship. The Blue and Gold will look to maintain their traditional defensive power which has held its last seven opponents to less than 100 rushing yards, including a season-low 29 rushing yards against SCSU, as the Chargers stand third in the nation in rushing defense, holding opponents to just 69.5 rushing yards pe game. Additionally, New Haven racked up a season-high eight sacks against the Owls, as they enter this weekend fifth in all of NCAA Division II in team sacks, averaging 3.75 per game. Leading the Chargers defense is Jalen Fisher (Pasadena, Calif./Chaminade College Prep) with 52 total tackles, while six different players all have two or more total sacks, led by Davon Colon (Cromwell, Conn./Xavier) and Jack Quander (Gainsville, Va./Patriot), each with six. Offensively, New Haven is averaging 35.8 points per game with much of its offensive success coming from its running game which heading into this week against Saint Anselm has galloped for 1,885 yards, averaging 235.6 yards per game. Leading the efforts is senior Christopher Ais (Stoughton, Mass./Stoughton) (841 total rushing yards) who had a career-high 227 yards at Bentley, marking the first time since the 2015 season a player has run for 200+ yards in a single game. Ais isn't the only back to watch out for as Zaon Laney (Hoboken, N.J./Rahway) is just behind him on the year with 616 rushing yards and combined the pair has 10 touchdowns (Ais 7, Laney 3). Under center, New Haven continues to rely on its returning starter, Daelen Menard (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Chaminade Madonna), who has 1,377 yards and 15 touchdowns on the year, completing 99-of-192 pass attempts. The other highlight for the Chargers has been in the return game where junior Kha'lil Eason (Norwalk, Conn./Brunswick School) is averaging 36.0 yards per return with three returns of 80+ yards including a pair he returned to the house for touchdowns.
SCOUTING THE HAWKS
With an overtime win over Assumption two weeks ago, the Hawks find themselves in position for a potential Northeast-10 Championship, however it would take wins over New Haven this weekend and Bentley next weekend. Heading into this weekend, Saint Anselm stands at 5-1 in the NE10 with their lone conference loss at the hands of Pace, the first of back-to-back OT games for the Hawks. For the season, Saint Anselm is averaging 26.1 points per game while surrendering 19.6 points to their opponents. Saint Anselm has seen the majority of its 357.4 total yards per game come in its passing game where Drew Forkner leads the way with 1,627 yards and 13 touchdowns, including a career-high five TDs last weekend against Franklin Pierce earning him NE10 Player of the Week accolades. On the ground, the Hawks are averaging 134.9 yards per game led by Jake Crose with 390 yards while Forkner follows, having scrambled for 248 yards. Defensively, Saint Anselm is led by Alejandro Santiago who has 53 total tackles on the season, while Aidan Noke follows him with 48 tackles including seven TFL. Austin Spille leads the team with nine tackles for loss, including a team-best 5.5 sacks for 36 yards.
NEXT ON TAP
New Haven will close out the regular season returning to the friendly confines of DellaCamera Stadium for a rematch with the Pace Setters on Saturday, November 16. New Haven won the first meeting between the two squads 47-17 back on September 13 in Pleasantville, N.Y. The Senior Day battle between the Chargers and Setters is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff with all of the action available on NE10 Now on Flo College.
