Date:  Saturday, Nov. 10, 12:00 p.m.
Location: Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium | Brookville, N.Y.
Game Links:  Watch Live | Live Stats 
Twitter: @LIUPostPioneers | @LIUPFB
LIU Post Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats
New Haven Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats 
 
THE FIRST LOOK

It's the matchup that both squads have had circled on their calendars since August. The LIU Post Pioneers (9-0, 8-0 NE10) will host the University of New Haven (8-1, 8-0 NE10) inside Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 12:00 p.m. with the Northeast-10 Conference title on the line.

INSIDE THE SERIES
 
Saturday will be the 12th meeting between these two schools with LIU Post holding a 7-4 advantage in the all-time series. The Pioneers are 4-1 at home against New Haven and have not lost in Brookville since Nov. 2, 1957 when the Chargers earned an 18-6 victory.
 
The last time New Haven and LIU Post met, the 10th-ranked Pioneers held on for a 35-34 victory when Charger kicker Danny Stock missed a 27-yard attempt as time expired at DellaCamera Stadium.

SCOUTING REPORT

LIU Post

It's hard to look at LIU Post and find a weakness on the field. The Pioneers currently boast the NE10's second-best offense, scoring over 30 points and racking up over 400 yards of offense per game. The LIU Post defense is second-to-none, however, allowing a league-best 109 points, 64 points fewer than any other school in the conference.
 
That stellar defensive unit is led by graduate student defensive end, Kevin Petit-Frere. After missing last season due to injury, Petit-Frere is back with a vengeance, leading the league with 14.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks on the season. The fifth-year lineman is currently up for the coveted Gene Upshaw award as the top lineman in Division II this season.
 
In the secondary, it's been a constant highlight reel for sophomore defensive back Nazir Streater. Streater's incredible run in pass coverage began at Shippensburg when he hauled in one of the best interceptions in college football this year, making Sportscenter's Top 10 plays for the effort. The interception sparked a three-week span where he intercepted six passes to take the lead in the NE10. His presence in the passing game could severely slow down the Chargers offensive scheme Saturday.
 
On the offensive side of the ball, it will be a mano e mano battle between redshirt-senior wide receiver Michael Richardson and New Haven's Ju'an Williams. The two wide outs are tied for the league lead with nine receiving touchdowns this season. Though Richardson is one of the go to targets for graduate student quarterback Chris Laviano in the red zone, it has been the breakout season of redshirt-senior Deon Mash who ranks sixth in the NE10 with 557 receiving yards.
 
The dynamic offense does not stop at the wide receiver position. Laviano has spread the ball evenly across the offense, with seven receivers tallying 10 or more receptions on the year. Redshirt-senior running back Malik Pierre leads LIU Post with 635 rushing yards while also adding 271 receiving yards and 47 return yards. Pierre needs just 47 all-purpose yards to crack the 1,000 yard mark for the fourth-consecutive season.
 
New Haven
 
With an even 400.0 yards per game offensively, the Chargers are one of three NE10 teams to average over 400 yards this season. One of the keys to slowing down New Haven is to limit graduate student quarterback Ajee Patterson. Patterson leads the NE10 with 25 touchdown passes while completing 64-percent of his attempts. The New Jersey native needs 347 passing yards to set the New Haven program record for career passing yards (9,572), while also needing 58 completions to set a new program mark for a career (754) and also ranks second in program history with 58 career touchdown passes, though the program record will be difficult to attain as Patterson needs another 19 touchdown throws to reach the milestone.
 
New Haven has their own run stopping machine in Jordan Francklin who leads the team with 75 tackles. The Charger defense has forced at least one turnover in seven of their nine games this season and was the difference in a gritty 12-7 win at Stonehill College. CJ Fitzpatrick recorded a 38-yard interception return for a touchdown in what proved to be the difference against the Skyhawks during the first quarter.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets will be sold at the gate for all fans in attendance. Ticket prices for adults are $10 and tickets for senior citizens and children are $5. Large crowds are expected at Bethpage Federal Credit Union Stadium so be sure to arrive early to secure your seat!