WEST HAVEN, Conn. –The American International College football team was outscored 24-10 in the second half as it dropped a 34-20 Northeast-10 contest at 18th-ranked University of New Haven Saturday afternoon.

The Chargers improved to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the Northeast-10 with the win, while the loss dropped the Yellow Jackets to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in conference play.

AIC jumped out to an early 3-0 lead as sophomore linebacker Joel Bowen (Brooklyn, N.Y.) picked off UNH junior quarterback Ryan Osiecki (Seymour, Conn.) and returned to 12 yards to the Charger 32-yard line and freshman place kicker Cesar Vaca-Hurtado (Naples, Fla.) converted a 23-yard field goal.

Osiecki made up for that mistake on the ensuing drive as he drove New Haven down the field and capped the nine-play, 62-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Jason Thompson (Stuart, Fla.) to give the Chargers a 7-3 lead with 6:23 left in the opening frame.

The Yellow Jackets took a 10-7 lead following a nine-yard touchdown run from sophomore running back Terrell Williams (Hempstead, N.Y.) midway through the second quarter, and New Haven countered with a 34-yard field goal from junior kicker Chris Scifo (Coral Springs, Fla.) four minutes later to tie the game at 10. Vaca-Hurtado then closed the second half with a 34-yard field goal of his own to give AIC a 13-10 lead at intermission.

The Charters took the lead for good on the opening play from scrimmage in the second half. Senior defensive end Robert Hill (Suffield, Conn.) stripped Williams in the backfield and junior defensive back Bernard Risco (Philadelphia, Pa.) recovered the ball and ran 12 yards for a score, giving New Haven a 17-13 lead.

Sophomore running back Mike DeCaro (Weston, Fla.) scored on a three-yard run with 1:55 left in the third quarter and Scifo converted a 35-yard field goal to open the fourth, extending the Chargers lead to 27-13.

The Yellow Jackets then went 60 yards on just five plays for a score to pull back within a touchdown following a one-yard plunge from junior fullback Anthony Enderle (Gloucester, Mass.) four minutes into the final period, but New Haven answered with a seven-play, 71-yard drive that was capped off by a 22-yard scoring pass from junior quarterback Ronnie Nelson (Stuart, Fla.) to Thompson with 7:27 left in the game for the 34-20 final.

AIC failed to score twice in the second half as New Haven blocked a 39-yard field goal attempt four minutes into the third quarter and picked off redshirt freshman quarterback Kevin Arduino (Cornwall, N.Y.) on first and goal from the UNH eight-yard line with 4:32 left in the game.

Arduino finished the game 17-of-27 passing for 203 yards with an interception and ran 10 times for 50 yards. Williams had 22 carries for 85 yards and a score and caught four passes for 52 yards.

Osiecki was 12-for22 for 124 yards and a touchdown, while Nelson was 4-for-4 for 64 yards a TD. Thompson caught four passes for 62 yards and pulled in two scores, while senior wide receiver Chris Ruffin (New York, N.Y.) had five catches for 80 yards.

Sophomore linebacker Jaquawne Simpkins (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) had 10 tackles (five solo) for AIC, while Bowen finished the game with seven tackles and an interception. Junior defensive back Markell Rice (New Rochelle, N.Y.) also had seven tackles in the game.

Risco had 10 tackles (three solo) to lead the Chargers' defense. Senior linebacker Mike Gomes (Brockton, Mass.), senior linebacker Charlie Hatchet (Bridgeport, Conn.) and senior defensive lineman Raheem Stanley (Hartford, Conn.) had seven tackles each.

AIC will next host Southern Connecticut State University October 22 at 1 p.m. at Ronald J. Abdow Field.