Football Hosts Saint Anselm for Final Regular Season Home Game

THE FIRST LOOK New Haven will make its final regular season appearance at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium when they host the Hawks. Prior to the game, the Chargers will honor nine players who have been an integral part of the Blue and Gold over their careers; C.J. Fitzpatrick (Pearl River, N.Y./Saint Joseph Regional), Francis Palmer (Brewster, N.Y./Trinity-Pawling), Dan Iannone (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee), Jordan Francklin (Queens, N.Y./Holy Cross), Keiran Ryan (Kingston, N.Y./Kingston) and captains Jonathan Badyna (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian), Miles Pease(Sicklerville, N.J./Saint Joseph / Milford Academy), Ajee Patterson (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) and Mark Clements(Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest / Worcester Academy). Overall, New Haven looks to remain one of two undefeated teams in the Northeast-10, potentially setting up a showdown of those squads in the final regular season game next week at LIU Post.

INSIDE THE SERIES

New Haven and Saint Anselm meet for the 10th time in a series that dates back to the Chargers first season in the Northeast-10, 2009.
Overall, the Chargers lead the Hawks 7-2 in the-all-time series.
New Haven has won the last three meetings, outscoring Saint Anselm by an average of 23 points over that stretch.
In the last meeting at DellaCamera Stadium, New Haven posted a 52-21 victory, the third time in the all-time series New Haven has scored 50 or more points against the Hawks.
Both of Saint Anselm's wins over New Haven have come at DellaCamera Stadium; 2010 and 2014.

A WIN OVER SAINT ANSELM WOULD...

extend New Haven's current streak to eight straight, all since opening NE10 play.
be the fourth-straight victory against Saint Anselm.
keep New Haven undefeated in NE10 play with one other team currently unbeaten in the league; LIU Post plays at Southern Connecticut this week
be the 247th overall victory in the 40-year history of Charger Football.
be the 217th victory since the Chargers began playing at the Division II level - first DII season was 1982.

GAME DAY FORECAST The forecast for the regular season finale at DellaCamera Stadium calls for rain showers early with skies clearing to allow some sunshine later in the day. Temperatures on Saturday are predicted for a high of 58 degrees with a low of 42 while the chance for rain stands at 60 percent. Winds will come from the west at 11 miles per hour, while the humidity level is 78 percent.

NEXT ON TAP New Haven will close out the regular season on Saturday, November 10 when they travel to LIU Post for a date with the Pioneers. Entering this week, the Chargers and Pioneers are the only two remaining undefeated teams in NE10 play. Overall, LIU Post holds a 7-2 record in the all-time series with New Haven looking for its first win over the Pioneers since a 63-16 rout during the 2015 campaign. Kick off at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.

SCOUTING THE CHARGERS Looking to remain perfect at Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium, New Haven is coming off its seventh-straight victory heading into game nine. Averaging 12 points more than their opponents, the Chargers are led by senior quarterback Ajee Patterson (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) who is completing 64 percent of his passes for 1,791 yards and 21 touchdowns, including a trio of four-touchdown performances against Merrimack, American International and Assumption. Patterson's primary target has been transfer receiver Ju'an Williams (Springfield, Mass./Springfield Central) (92.6 receiving yards per game). Williams has completed 41 catches on the year for 741 total yards, 380 shy of the single season record, while he has scored nine touchdowns. All but one of his nine TD's have gone for 25 or more yards. Overall, Patterson has relied on 14 targets including AJ Greene (Middle Island, N.Y./Newfield) who boasts 23 catches for 348 yards and the season's longest TD catch at 47 yards. On the ground, New Haven has increased its output each week, averaging 165.6 yards per game. Junior Ryan McCarthy (Montclair, N.J./Bergen Catholic) and senior Chris Liggio (Mount Laurel, N.J./Holy Cross) have done the bulk of the work in the running game, entering week 10 with 635 and 457 total yards, respectively. Defensively, New Haven's Jordan Francklin (Queens, N.Y./Holy Cross) (68 tackles), Mcprecia Remy (Brooklyn, N.Y./Millwood)(51 tackles), CJ Fitzpatrick (47 tackles) and Scott Lavelle (West Milford, N.J./DePaul Catholic) (45 tackles) lead a unit that has forced at least one turnover in seven of the eight games this year, totaling 13 on the season (nine interceptions and four fumbles).

SCOUTING THE HAWKS Saint Anselm enters the month of November looking to break a four-game skid with its only NE10 victory against American International (29-21) on September 22. For the season, the Hawks are being outscored by an average of 19 points per game, while they are struggling to convert late in a series, currently only converting at a 30 percent rate on third or fourth down attempts. The majority of Saint Anselm's offense has come in the passing game where they average 240.6 yards per game, while converting 12 touchdown passes. Eric Fairweather has taken the majority of the snaps under center, amassing 1,589 yards, completing half of his 345 attempts. His primary target among 16 total receivers has been senior Kyle Hill who has completed 41 receptions for 437 yards total. Among the 16 total receivers used, 10 have converted a touchdown pass with Hill and rookie Andrew Duval leading the way with two each. On the ground, Saint Anselm is averaging just over 100 yards per game, led by their quarterback, Fairweather, who on 66 attempts has a net of 289 yards. Leading the backs is freshman Christian Matthews-Byrd who has taken 64 attempts for 264 yards.

A WINDOW INTO THE REGION Week two of the regional rankings for football have been released and New Haven picked up one spot to No. 2 in NCAA Super Region One. The Chargers are currently 7-1 overall with a 7-0 record in the region. Following LIU Post defeating Assumption for the Greyhounds second straight loss, two NE10 teams are now represented in the top-10 in Super Region One with LIU Post right behind New Haven in third. Notre Dame (OH) (9-0), who represents the Mountain East Conference, holds the top spot for the second straight week. West Chester (8-0) and Tiffin (9-0) round out the top-five for week two. Overall, seven teams will earn a bid to the NCAA Championship from Super Region One.

RECORD WATCH Quarterback Ajee Patterson (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) continues his quest for the top of the career record book in three all-time categories. Heading into week 10, Patterson stands at 9,041 career passing yards, second most in program history. With at least two games remaining on the season, he needs 532 yards to pass Ryan Osiecki (2009-12) who holds the school record with 9,572 yards. Patterson also stands second in program history in career completions with 682 total, 72 shy of matching Osiecki's record of 754. Finally, Patterson is currently second all-time in career passing touchdowns with 72, while Osiecki holds the top spot with 91 passing touchdowns.

HONOR ROLL Following the Chargers NE10 opening victory over Pace, a pair of players were honored by the league office on Monday when quarterback Ajee Patterson (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) was named Player of the Week and Jordan Francklin (Queens, N.Y./Holy Cross) was tabbed Defensive Player of the Week. The accolades are the first of the season for the Blue and Gold. Patterson amassed 305 yards and threw a pair of touchdown passes while running in for a third against the Setters. Overall for the game, Patterson completed 78.6 percent of his pass attempts and collected 16 yards on the ground. Francklin led New Haven's defense for the second-straight week when he collected 10 tackles, recovered a fumble and picked off a Dan Anarella pass returning it 43 yards to set up a New Haven scoring drive. For the season, Francklin leads the Chargers with 18 tackles, including 2.5 for loss.

HONOR ROLL PART TWO Following a 13 point game, the most points by a single Charger in the tenure of head coach Chris Pincince, New Haven's Michael Stalenyj (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway) secure his first collegiate honor when he was tabbed the NE10 Special Teams Player of the Week. Stalenyj drilled his three field goal attempts straight down the middle from distances of 26, 27 and 30 yards, which is the longest of the season for the Blue and Gold. In addition, he finished a perfect 4-of-4 in point after attempts.

HONOR ROLL TAKE THREE Following a career night at Merrimack, transfer wide receiver Ju'an Williams (Springfield, Mass./Springfield Central) hauled in his first NE10 honor as a Charger when he was named the Offensive Player of the Week on September 24. Williams is the second New Haven player to pick up the award following Ajee Patterson (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) in week two, while kicker Michael Stalenyj (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway) earned Special Teams Player of the Week honors following week three. Against Merrimack, Williams racked up a career-high 175 yard on nine catches, which included three touchdowns. All three of his touchdown catches went for 35 yards or more. Among them were back-to-back 36-yard touchdowns which came on the first and second play of their respective drives.

LAST TIME THEY MET New Haven's defense held Saint Anselm scoreless through the final three quarters, including forcing a goal line fumble as the Chargers picked up their first NE10 victory of the season over Saint Anselm 23-7. Leading the Blue and Gold was Devin Martin (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) who finished with a career-high 137 yards and two touchdowns. Overall, New Haven collected 400 total yards on offense with the passing game netting 307 yards asAjee Patterson (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) completed 19-of-29 passes, including three touchdowns. Martin's 137 yards led four targets for Patterson while Justin White (Holyoke, Mass./Holyoke) hauled in 116 yards for his third straight game with 100-plus. On the ground, the Chargers were led by Ryan McCarthy (Montclair, N.J./Bergen Catholic) who finished with 46 net yards on 12 carries. Defensively, New Haven held the Hawks to 247 total yards, including just 75 yards in the passing game. The Blue and Gold also forced a pair of fumbles, the first late in the second quarter and the final one at the goal line as New Haven turned that into a 12-play, 99-yard scoring drive. Overall, Stefano Bicknese (Somers, N.Y./Somers / USMAPS) led the Chargers offense on the day with 10 tackles, his first game of the season in double figures. Kevin Robinson (East Orange, N.J./Montclair) followed with nine tackles, while Nicholas Sutton (Pennsville, N.J./Pennsville Memorial) and Jeremiah McNear (Perth Amboy, N.J./Perth Amboy) finished with six and five, respectively.

LAST TIME OUT An early pick six by C.J. Fitzpatrick (Pearl River, N.Y./Saint Joseph Regional) set the tone for the New Haven football team as they picked up their seventh straight victory 12-7 in a driving rain over Stonehill. Overall, the majority of New Haven's offense came on the ground where they racked up 172 yards, while registering just 48 yards in the air, including an 11-yard touchdown reception by graduate receiver Joe Caico (Hopedale, Mass./Worcester). Leading New Haven's efforts on the ground was junior Ryan McCarthy (Montclair, N.J./Bergen Catholic) who registered 83 yards on 14 attempts while Chris Liggio (Mount Laurel, N.J./Holy Cross) picked up 50 yards and Ajee Patterson (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) ran for 42 yards. Overall, New Haven would be tackled for a loss on just one occasion, while McCarthy picked up the longest run of the day, scampering 44 yards on third-and-long during the Caico scoring drive. Defensively, New Haven was led by sophomore McPrecia Remy who collected a career-high 12 tackles, including a team-best three for loss. Jordan Francklin (Queens, N.Y./Holy Cross) joined him with double digit tackles, picking up 10 total, while Scott Lavelle (West Milford, N.J./DePaul Catholic) and Fitzpatrick closed out the afternoon with eight and seven, respectively. The interception by Fitzpatrick was the only turnover of the day for either team, despite three fumbles by the Skyhawks, all recovered by the home team. The interception for Fitzpatrick was his first of the season and the second of his career while New Haven has now returned three interceptions for a touchdown this season.

VERY WELL SEASONED Arguably the longest tenured Charger in program history, New Haven has the benefit of a quarterback who has started the last 35 games under center. Prior to taking over, He had the opportunity to learn from two great quarterbacks before he even entered the white lines. For his career, Patterson has completed nearly 60 percent of his attempts and stands second in program history in completions (611) and total yards (8,072). He has also thrown 59 touchdowns which enters the week third in Charger history. Patterson needs just 144 completions and 1,501 yards to take over the top spots in each category, while with 13 touchdowns he would move into second all-time.

RETURNING FOR MORE Graduate student tight end Jonathan Badyna (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) returns to complete his eligibility in 2018 after having his senior campaign cut very short when he suffered a season-ending injury in the opening game of the season. An NE10 Second Team honoree as a junior, Badyna Started all 33 games through the 2016 season. Including this year, Badyna has completed 41 catches for 311 yards and six touchdowns. At 6-3, 250 he also provides a big block in addition to a large O-Line.

LEADERSHIP IS EVERYTHING In a vote of all active football student-athletes, the Chargers named four Captains for the 2018 season, three of which return to that role for a second-straight year. Ajee Patterson (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) and Jonathan Badyna (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) will represent the offense while Miles Pease (Sicklerville, N.J./Saint Joseph / Milford Academy) and Mark Clements (Mays Landing, N.J./Oakcrest / Worcester Academy) make up the two defensive members of the leadership corps. Clements is the lone new face among the captains after taking the 2016 season away from the Blue and Gold turf.

MR. POPULARITY With a host of connections to the NFL, junior wide receiver Damon Rodgers (Charlotte, N.C./Cheshire Academy)brings another level of attention to the Blue and Gold. The majority of that attention comes in the form of Instagram where he has more than 318,000 followers. Rodgers came to New Haven with a pair of immediate family members who are currently in the NFL, while his cousin Jairus Byrd is a DB with the Carolina Panthers. His connections to the Panthers goes deeper as his father, Richard, coaches the Carolina defensive backs. Additionally, his brother, Richard, is a tight end with the Philadelphia Eagles after playing the last four seasons with Green Bay. Finally, Rodgers uncle, Gil, played 10 years and was a Pro Bowl cornerback with the San Diego Chargers and is currently an assistant coach with Illinois.

TRANSFERS The Chargers roster in 2018 includes eight newcomers who enter with a significant amount of experience as all come to West Haven from other institutions. Among those eight, three are expected to start the season opener, however all eight will play a significant role. Included among the transfers for 2018 is a graduate wide receiver who spent the last four years at NE10 foe American International, Ju'an Williams (Springfield, Mass./Springfield Central). Three other transfers also played in the NE10, all of which come across town from rival Southern Connecticut State. Included in that trio is Osaro Emersole who is the projected starter at left tackle. Additionally, two of the transfers come from Division I institutions with Francis Palmer (Brewster, N.Y./Trinity-Pawling) making the trip south on I-91 from Central Connecticut State University. With the loss of kicker/punter Danny Stock(North Massapequa, N.Y./Plainedge / Buffalo State) from last season, Palmer will make an immediate impact with his boot.

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO Among nine players who were named to All-Conference teams in 2017, the Chargers return four, all of which on the defensive side of the ball. A trio of returning honorees come from the NE10 All-Conference Second Team with linebackers Jordan Francklin (Queens, N.Y./Holy Cross) and Scott Lavelle (West Milford, N.J./DePaul Catholic) and lineman Christian Sullivan (Staten Island, N.Y./Tottenville) all earning the distinction. Combined, the trio accounted for 152 total tackles last season, including 24 tackles for loss. Among those 24 tackles for loss were 9.5 sacks as well. Despite suffering a season-ending injury midway through the year, linebacker Mcprecia Remy(Brooklyn, N.Y./Millwood) scored All-Rookie accolades last season. IN just four games, Remy collected 20 tackles, including two for loss, while also picking off a pair of passes and forcing a fumble.

FAMILIAR FACES ON THE SIDELINES They may not be between the white lines in 2018, but a pair of All-Americans, Zach Voytek and Eliot Leubner(Rochester, N.Y./Rush Henrietta), will return to the sidelines for the Blue and Gold as members of the coaching staff. Voytek, who returns to New Haven after participating in camp with the Buffalo Bills in the fall of 2017, will work with the Chargers tight ends. Leubner, who completed his eligibility last fall as a key piece of the o-line, will serve as the Director of Football Operations.

WHAT D2FOOTBALL.COM IS PREDICTING FOR WEEK 10 (Paul Falewicz) St. Anselm lost to Bentley 20-16 on a late touchdown. It was a back and forth game the entire evening before a late turnover was the difference in the game. The Hawks will need to play a mistake free game and channel some of the past success they have had on the blue turf. New Haven escaped the elements with a 12-7 victory over Stonehill. They scored the first 12 points of the game and for the second week in a row, they held on for the victory. The defense got into the scoring column again to help jumpstart their seventh victory in a row. The Chargers will need to come out of the locker room fast and never look back. The defense will need to make tackles and the offense will need to make some big plays. New Haven is the better team and will win going away. Prediction: New Haven 38, St. Anselm 10

PRESEASON PROPS In a vote of head coaches, the New Haven football team was picked to finish fourth in the NE10 as announced by the league office. The Chargers, who finished 2017 with a 6-5 record under fourth year head coach Chris Pincince, totaled 57 points, six shy of the Bentley Falcons who were picked to finish third. Assumption and LIU Post who finished 2017 first and second in the standings were picked to finish in the same order garnering 77 and 76 points, respectively. The Greyhounds garnered six of the 10 possible first place votes with LIU Post earning the remaining four.

2018 Northeast-10 Football Coaches' Poll 1. Assumption – 77 (6) 2. LIU Post – 75 (4) 3. Bentley – 63 4. New Haven – 57 5. Southern Conn. – 44 6. Merrimack – 40 7. Stonehill – 36 8. Pace – 24 9. American Int'l – 20 10. Saint Anselm – 13 (#) indicates first-place votes

Football Hosts Saint Anselm for Final Regular Season Home Game

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