WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Graduate student Bryant Johnson (Hopedale, Mass./Milford HS) turned in a brilliant performance, but his career-best 435 yards of total offense and four touchdowns weren't quite enough as the Bentley University Falcons dropped a 45-38 decision to nationally-ranked University of New Haven in Northeast-10 Conference football Saturday afternoon at DellaCamera Stadium.

The 2010 Northeast-10 MVP finished 27 of 41 through the air, for a career-high 391 yards and three scores (boosting his career total to 60), and also ran for a team-high 46 yards and one TD.

Unfortunately for Johnson and Bentley, New Haven also received an outstanding QB performance as it moved a step closer to capturing the conference championship. Junior Ryan Osiecki (Southington, Conn.) threw for three touchdowns, ran for two and amassed 296 yards of total offense to send his team off with a Homecoming Day victory.

Osiecki, with a nine-yard run for a score and a nine-yard pass for another during the first ten minutes of the fourth quarter, put Division II's 16th-ranked team up 45-31 after the two clubs entered the final stanza tied at 31. However, Johnson and the Falcons had comeback plans, and wasted no time getting back within seven, 45-38.

Johnson twice completed fourth-down passes to grad student Wade Critides (Wayland, Mass./ Wayland HS), the second moving the ball to the New Haven one, and took it in himself for a touchdown that cut the deficit in half, 45-38 with 3:36 left.

Bentley was unable to come up with the ensuing onside kick, but made the defensive stop and regained possession on its own 21 with 2:18 left.

After a deflection and sack on the first two plays, Johnson and Critides teamed up on a 19-yard pass completion for the first down.  The Falcons moved the chains on two of the next three plays as well, both times on keepers by Johnson. That moved the ball down to the Charger 32, but after a seven-yard Johnson run on first down, the offense stalled with three straight passes falling incomplete, including a second-down bullet to junior Bill Kiley (Quincy, Mass./Boston College HS) in the end zone that was broken up.

The wild game, which saw the two teams combine for 997 yards and no turnovers, began on a positive note for the Falcons. After the opening kickoff, a six-play, 86-yard drive was capped by a 36-yard pass from Johnson to grad student Will Spring (Concord, Mass./Lawrence Academy), Spring's first career TD.

New Haven more than answered, scoring on its first three possessions, to take a 21-6 lead about four minutes into the second quarter. Osiecki scored on a one-yard run, sophomore Anthony Tillman (Piscataway, N.J.) had an 18-yard spurt for a score, and senior Demetrius Washington-Ellison (Rahway, N.J.) was on the receiving end of a 36-yard TD strike from the UNH quarterback.

Two Johnson TD passes, an 18-yarder to junior Mike Sumrell (Dorchester, Mass./Belmont HS) and an 80-yard bomb to Kiley, brought Bentley back to within three, 24-21 with 3:05 left until intermission.

Following a defensive stop and a 40-yard trick pass from junior Sean Cross (Duxbury, Mass./ Duxbury HS) to Critides moved the ball into Charger territory, junior Will Lockwood (Menlo Park, Calif./ Sacred Heart Prep) send Bentley into the break even at 24 after nailing a Bentley varsity record 46-yard field goal on the final play before the break.

The momentum built from scoring 18 points in the final 8:04 of the first half didn't carry over for the Falcons as New Haven regained the lead on the opening possession of the second. Just three playoffs after the kickoff, Osiecki teamed up with senior tight end Kameel Lashley (Boston, Mass.) on a 20-yard TD play.

Bentley answered with a 12-play, 77-yard drive that was capped by sophomore Lorenzo Warren (Boston, Mass./Catholic Memorial HS) taking it in from the four for a game-tying touchdown.

Johnson delivered the ball to nine different players with Critides leading the receiving corps with 10 catches for a season-best 147 yards.  It was the fourth time in the last five games he's topped the century mark. Sumrell caught six for 79 yards, and Kiley had 98 receiving yards on three catches, and he also drew a pass interference penalties.

Osiecki finished 16 of 22 though the air for 264 yards, and also added 32 net rushing yards. He spread the ball around with five players having two or more receptions for the Chargers.

Sophomore Anthony Carter (Marlboro, Mass./Marlboro HS), who was shifted to strong safety, led Bentley with 12 tackles, and junior Jack Pizzotti (Melrose, Mass./Melrose HS), a converted running back making his first start at linebacker, was in on ten tackles and a sack.

Bentley outgained New Haven in total offense, 531-466, and the Chargers had 26 of the game's 51 first downs.

The loss was the third straight, by a total of 13 points, for Bentley, which fell to 4-4 overall and 3-3 NE-10.  New Haven, whose only loss was to FCS power William and Mary by three points, improved to 7-1 overall and remained unbeaten in the conference (5-0).

Bentley is also on the road next week, playing a 1 pm Saturday contest at Pace University.