Football

REPEAT CHAMPIONS! New Haven Football Claims NE10 Title

Chargers Win Sixth NE10 Championship in Program History

WEST HAVEN, Conn. - For the second-straight season and the sixth time in program history, New Haven football won the Northeast-10 Conference Championship on Saturday following its 41-14 victory over Pace in the regular season finale on the blue turf at DellaCamera Stadium. 

In need of a victory for a clear path to the NE10 title, the Chargers rose to the occasion on Senior Day - jumping out to a big lead over Pace that they never relinquished to secure the team's third conference championship in the past four seasons under head coach Chris Pincince. New Haven finished the season with a 7-1 record against NE10 opponents (8-2 overall) to become the first back-to-back football champions in the NE10 since New Haven accomplished the same feat in 2011 and 2012. 

It was a dynamic 98-yard opening kickoff return for a touchdown by New Haven's Kha'lil Eason that set the tone for the rest of the game on Saturday, putting the Chargers ahead on the first play. For Eason, it was the third time this season that he brought back a kick return for a touchdown. 

New Haven dominated the ground game against Pace, totaling 340 rushing yards - led by Christopher Ais, who tallied 136 yards on just 11 carries (12.4 yards per rush) with a touchdown. Ais shared rushing duties with Justin Felder, who had seven carries for 89 yards (12.7 per rush) with a touchdown. 

Equally as impressive was the New Haven defense, which racked up eight sacks and one turnover - led by a two-sack performance from Joe Vitale and an interception from Liam Godwin. 

New Haven, which was picked first in the NE10 Football Coaches' Poll back in August, will now focus its attention on the NCAA Division II Football Selection Show scheduled for Sunday night at 6 p.m. on ncaa.com. In the most recent rankings for Super Region One, the Chargers were seventh. 

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 11 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.

Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season.  The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast-10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.