The Chargers beat Southern Connecticut State University on Friday to win the Elm City Trophy for the 17th time in its history, dating all the way back to 1981. But what is the Elm City Trophy? Why does it exist? Well here are the answers:

The Elm City Trophy is what is up for grabs when UNH and SCSU see each other on the gridiron. The trophy exists because the two schools are separated by about four miles and they are heated rivals.

The trophy is given to the winner of the annual match up of these two teams from the New Haven Gridiron Club. The Chargers have dominated the Owls in the all-time series, leading the series 17 wins to just six wins by the Owls; with the two teams tying in the first ever match up in 1981. Even though New Haven holds the all-time lead, they didn’t always dominate the series, the first game, as mentioned before, was a tie, but in 1982, 1983, and 1984 the Owls won the game claiming the trophy as there own for the first time in the history of the rivalry.

That’s the most success they have ever had in the series since 1985 to present day, and they only won the game three more times. New Haven won the matchup in 2000, being the last matchup between the two for nine years as the New Haven football program was dissembled.

Then, in 2009 the New Haven squad was back on the field and the rivalry was back in place. That game was won 54-26 by SCSU, but since then, UNH has claimed the game.

Winning Friday makes it four strait wins over southern by a average score of 43 points per game, and only giving up 23 points per game. Even though the trophy is on the football field, the rivalry is within all sports. However, the biggest rivalry, and the biggest game in any sport for these two teams during the regular season, is when these two teams play each other for the Elm City Trophy.