Football ranked No. 24 in national poll

Photo courtesy of Charlotte Bassett

The New Haven football team celebrates a touchdown against Assumption College. Oct. 30, West Haven.

Following a major 16-10 win over Assumption College in the rain, the New Haven football team has been ranked as the No. 24 team in the country.

This is the first time since the final poll of the 2018 season that New Haven is ranked, when they were slotted at No. 23 following their first round upset of No. 8 West Chester University in the NCAA playoffs. The Chargers are also sixth in the regional rankings.

New Haven has their biggest game of the season this Saturday as they welcome No. 9 Bentley University in a match of the Northeast-10’s (NE-10) unbeaten teams. With just two weeks left and no other schools close in the standings, this is a makeshift championship game for the conference.

This is also a chance for New Haven to make a statement to all of NCAA Division 2 football, as they have been snubbed of any national rankings in the past couple of weeks. With their only loss so far coming to nationally ranked Bowie State University, the Chargers can boost their resumè with a win over Bentley. They could also officially clinch a spot in the NCAA tournament.

The Chargers are searching for their fourth NE-10 title and their first since 2012. Bentley is looking to remain as champions after their win in 2019 and earn their sixth conference title overall.

The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium, with Senior Day festivities set to take place prior to kickoff. Live stats and streaming options can be found at NewHavenChargers.com.