WEST HAVEN — Anthony Tillman knows this is his chance.
With a backfield loaded with returning stars on one of the best offenses in the region, Tillman, a freshman running back, hopes he can catch the coaches’ eyes in Saturday’s spring game.

Tillman will get a ton of touches as New Haven, fresh off an 8-2 season and a share of the Northeast-10 Conference title, caps its spring practice session with its annual intrasquad game at DellaCamera Stadium at 11 a.m.
“This is important for me because it’s the last stage where I really get to show my stuff,” Tillman said. “I’ve had a good spring and I want to show them what I’ve got in a game.”
Tillman saw limited action last season but with starting tailback Victor Jones still recovering from a knee injury, he has assumed his valuable spot.
“He’s done well,” New Haven coach Peter Rossomando said. “He’s playing like we thought he would when we recruited him. He catches balls out of the backfield ... and that will give (quarterback Ryan Osiecki) another option.”
Tillman scored a dozen touchdowns in his final year of high school at Piscataway (N.J).
“I caught the ball a lot in high school, and in this offense that could be valuable,” Tillman said.
While Tillman hopes to earn some playing time with his performance on Saturday, linebacker Charlie Hatchett is using the game to fine-tune some things. Hatchett is the top linebacker on a team that has set its sights on reaching the NCAA playoffs this year. Last year a loss to Saint Anselm in the final game of the regular season ended the Chargers’ postseason hopes.
“To me, I feel it was a heck of a season, but it left a bitter taste in my mouth,” Hatchett said. “We wanted to get to the next level. We played real hard. That last game, they were just a little better than us.”
Hatchett, a 5-foot-11, 240-pounder out of Stratford High, feels New Haven is the favorite to win the conference this season.
“We definitely should win the whole thing. We got all our starters coming back. We’ve got our whole defense back. Our offense is more mature. Everybody got a lot stronger and definitely a lot faster.
“We’re comprehending what we should do and we’re more enthusiastic. We cant wait to get back out there and make another run for the national tournament.”
Hatchett said the schedule will be tough. The Chargers open the season with West Chester and play Football Championship Subdivision member William & Mary later in the season.
“It’s going to get us ready for the conference,” Hatchett said. “We know they’re tough teams but we’ve gotten a lot better from last year. I see so much improvement already.”
Hatchett made 83 tackles and picked off one pass last season. He’s looking to make a bigger impact this year.
“I know we’ve got more depth coming in this year, but I’m not looking to get any plays off,” he said. “This is my last year and I want to play them all.”
UNH marrow drive
Nearly 275 people turned out for the football team’s marrow donor registry drive titled “Get in the Game. Save a Life.” on Wednesday at Bartels Hall.
The Chargers joined thousands of college football players and student-athletes from across the country participating in a program aimed at boosting the ranks of potential marrow donors on the Be The Match Registry.
The “Get in the Game. Save a Life.” program is the first step for individuals to become potential marrow donors.
It expands on the efforts of Villanova coach Andy Talley, who began encouraging his team members to sign up as potential donors 15 years ago. Since then, he’s enlisted the help of other football teams to help grow the Be The Match Registry, the world’s largest registry of potential marrow donors and donated cord blood units.