West Haven, Conn., September 9, 2009—After a five-year absence, the University of New Haven (UNH) football team returns to the gridiron on September 19, 2009 as a member of the Northeast-10 Conference, and the entire West Haven community is invited to the new Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium to join the celebration. Food, festivities and football will precede the first home game, with the Chargers taking on Bentley University.
Beginning at 10 a.m., the Chargers will offer food and entertainment for all ages, including free bounce houses, cotton candy, face painting and tailgating. At 11:30 a.m., West Haven residents can sample and vote for the town’s “best pizza” during the West Haven Pizza Challenge, featuring entries from five area pizzerias – Casa Bianca, Full Circle Pizza, Marc Anthony, Michelangelo’s Italian Imports and Pizza Di Roma – with West Haven Mayor John M. Picard announcing the winner. Each $1 suggested donation for the Pizza Challenge will benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation.
The UNH Football Alumni Reunion is slated for 11:00 a.m., with VIP seating, barbeque, and half-time and post-game receptions. At 12:30 p.m., the University of New Haven Marching band will parade from the main campus to DellaCamera Stadium, leading fans to their seats in time for kick off. Tickets for the game are $1 for children 12 and under, $4 for seniors and $7 for adults.
DellaCamera Stadium offers a state-of-the-art blue and gold artificial turf field featuring the UNH Chargers logo, made possible by a generous gift from alumnus Ralph F. DellaCamera, Jr. ’85.
The 2009 University of New Haven football games will feature two sports-broadcasting veterans this season, UNH alumni Craig Mortali ’84, and Pat Ryan '80. The pair will broadcast the complete football schedule live on WNHU 88.7 FM, the University’s radio station. Mortali and Ryan are the longest running play-by-play team in WNHU sports history, having announced Charger football together from 1980 to 1984.
Tune in live on WNHU 88.7 FM or live online via www.wnhu.net starting at 12:45 p.m. For tailgating information go to: http://www.newhaven.edu/athletics/teams/football/33201/
A leader in experiential education, the University of New Haven is experiencing a historic and nationally recognized surge in enrollment. Founded in 1920, the University provides its students with a unique combination of solid liberal arts and real-world, hands-on professional training. UNH is a private university with an 80-acre main campus. The University has an enrollment of more than 5,200; approximately 1,700 graduate students and more than 3,500 undergraduates, 70 percent of whom reside in University housing. The University offers more than 80 undergraduate degrees and more than 25 graduate degrees through its five colleges, in fields such as sports management, nutrition, forensic science, music and sound recording, engineering, computer science and criminal justice. University College at UNH develops programs and courses to meet the emerging educational and training needs of educators, businesses and public and social agencies, focusing on academic excellence, convenience and flexibility. University of New Haven students study abroad through a variety of distinctive programs.
