BOX SCORE GAME HIGHLIGHTS

WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ (Nov. 10, 2012) – The Saint Francis University Football team picked up its fourth win of the season Saturday with an offensive outburst on the road, 45-31, against Monmouth.
 
John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) threw for 263 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the Red Flash (4-6, 3-4) to their first win ever against the Hawks (4-5, 3-3) in West Long Branch. Dane Domonkos (Windber, Pa./Bishop McCort) highlighted the day with a 97-yard kickoff return for touchdown as SFU racked up 38 first-half points and held on in the second half to claim the win. Anthony Abeid (Youngstown, Ohio/Youngstown Christian) led the SFU ground attack with 119 rushing yards and a touchdown, as the Flash set the program record for wins at the Division I level.
 
The Flash stared the game with ball and used a hard nose drive that featured just two passes to take the early advantage. Abeid highlighted the drive with a 39-yard run that ended as he was pushed out of bounds at the Hawks' one-yard line. Keion Wade (East Orange, N.J./East Orange) finished off the drive with a one-yard scoring run to give SFU the early lead. Monmouth answered back with a quick soring drive. After a couple of short runs and passes, K.B. Asante broke a 37-run off the right side to tie the game at seven. On the ensuing kickoff Domonkos went down the right side line 97-yards for SFU's first kickoff return for touchdown since 2010.
 
Following the kickoff return, the Saint Francis coaching staff gambled and on-side kicked. Senior Josh Thiel (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) knocked it forward 10-yards and then fell on the ball giving SFU possession right back. SFU drove 32-yards but then stalled and had to settle for a 39-yard Thiel field goal but the kick gave the Flash a 17-7 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
 
Domonkos made a huge play with a 36-yard catch on SFU's first drive of the second quarter after Eric Spillane missed a 39-yard Monmouth field goal attempt. Wade used a bruising rush to go 20-yards on the next play and the Flash offense was once against on the move. SFU got down inside the five and used a play-action fake on third down to free up Dan Conley (Burgettstown, Pa./Burgettstown) for his first touchdown catch of the season. The score made it 24-7 in favor of the Red Flash with 11:27 left until halftime. Monmouth went three and out on its next drive and then fireworks erupted.
 
After a couple of couple of rushes by Wade, a pushing match erupted between SFU and Monmouth and a player from each team was ejected. It was a tough loss for SFU as they lost Wade to ejection. The loss of Wade left Abeid to carry the load at running back. SFU continued to drive and Abeid pushed the lead to 24, as the freshman went up the middle for a 27-yard scoring run. Monmouth responded with a scoring drive of its own capped by a two-yard touchdown run by Julian Hayes.
 
The Flash looked content to go to halftime with a 31-14 advantage but Monmouth tried to use its timeouts to get the ball back and SFU took advantage. On a play action fake, Kelly connected with AJ Alexander for a 60-yard completion to put SFU in scoring position. One play later, Kelly and Alexander hooked up again for a 16-yard scoring strike to give SFU a 38-14 advantage. Monmouth added a field before the intermission and SFU took at 38-17 lead into the locker room.
 
Monmouth started the second half with a touchdown drive to make the score 38-24 but then both defense stepped up. After the Hawks touchdown, the two teams combined for just three first downs the rest of the quarter. Mike Denis stopped a Monmouth drive with an excellent interception along the SFU sideline but SFU could not turn that into points as Thiel missed from 41-yards out.
 
The Flash started the fourth quarter with an 11-yard touchdown run to cap a drive started in the third. Kelly ran behind great blocking on the right side of the line into the end zone untouched. Monmouth responded with a strong drive but stalled at the SFU 26 and had to go for it on fourth down. After a timeout by SFU, the Flash generated excellent pressure and Dylan Bear (Mars, Pa./Mars Area) came up with a sack for SFU to end the Hawk drive. After a pair of first downs, SFU had to put but Monmouth made a big play and blocked the punt attempt and returned it 27-yards for the touchdown. The score made it 45-31 with 6:42 remaining.
 
Monmouth attempted the on-side kick and recovered it on the ensuing kickoff and again started down the field. On the key third down the SFU defense made a huge play, as Frazier attempt a pass down the SFU sideline Ter'Shaudney Phillips (Deland, Fla./Deland) collided with another SFU player and tipped the ball in the air. Bishop Neal (Clairton, Pa./Clairton) then camped under the deflected ball and made the interception. The pick ended Monmouth's comeback attempt and allowed SFU to run out the clock.
 
Saint Francis will play its final game of the season next Saturday at DeGol Field as the Flash welcome Sacred Heart for a noon kickoff. The game will also be senior day for SFU.
 
GAME NOTES
- The road conference win for SFU is its first since 2007 and the four wins sets a new program standard at the Division I level.
 
- The win is the first for the Flash against Monmouth in West Long Branch.
 
- The kickoff return for touchdown is the first for SFU since Kyle Harbridge (Easton, Pa./Easton Area) pulled it off against Morehead State in 2010.
 
- The 263-yards passing for John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) are a season high.
 
- The missed field goal for Thiel in the third quarter ended a streak of eight consecutive makes for the senior from Leesburg, Va.
 
- The onside kick for SFU is its second successful one of the season and its third in the last two seasons. All of SFU successful onside kicks in the last two years have come against NEC opponents.