BOX SCORE GAME HIGHLIGHTS - POSTGAME INTERVIEWS

LORETTO, Pa. (Nov. 17, 2012) – The Saint Francis University football team finished the 2012 regular season on a high note Saturday with a, 44-24, victory against Sacred Heart at DeGol Field.
 
The Red Flash (5-6, 4-4) finished off the 2012 regular season with a dominate rushing attack against the Pioneers (2-9, 1-7). John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) finished his college career with a career-best 187 rushing yards and racked up four total touchdowns. Saint Francis raced out to a 27-3 advantage and never looked back in front of a home crowd of 1,507. Dane Domonkos (Windber, Pa./Bishop McCort), the reigning Northeast Conference Special Teams Player of the Week, posted 118 kickoff return yards. Anthony Abeid (Youngstown, Ohio/Youngstown Christian), the NEC's current Freshman of the Week, posted 100 all-purpose yards including 69 yards on the ground with a score.
 
Saint Francis started the game by forcing a fumble on the opening Sacred Heart drive. The Flash were held out of the end zone by a tough defensive stand by the Pioneers but Josh Thiel (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) connected on a 21-yard field goal to SFU the early advantage. The Pioneers stayed in the game with some tough defense and picked up a 33-yard field goal from Connor Frizzell to even the game at three with 1:04 remaining in the first quarter.
 
Saint Francis took command of the game in the second quarter, using one of its gadget plays. After a penalty put SFU in a long yardage situation, Kelly converted a third-and-eight with a 14 yard rush down the SFU sideline to keep the drive alive. On the next play from scrimmage, Kelly brought Anthony Abied in motion and then gave it to the freshman, who then pitched it to the senior wide out AJ Alexander. The Altoona native took reverse 28-yards and set the Flash up inside the Sacred Heart 10-yard line. One play later, Kelly used a play action fake and rolled out to his left. The senior quarterback then found his senior tight end Kevin Parker (Monessen, Pa./Monessen) for an eight-yard score.
 
After a missed field goal by SHU on its next possession, Saint Francis moved down the field using nothing but the rush game. Abeid broke the big play of the drive with a 35-yard run over the right side of the SFU offensive line for a score. The touchdown scamper by the freshman made it a 17-3 advantage for SFU. After the two teams traded possession the Flash got the ball with 1:45 remaining in the first half and looked to extend their advantage prior to the intermission. Kelly started the drive with a 29 yard run over the left side of the SFU offense line. William Ingram (Linden, N.J./Linden) got the Flash into the red zone with a series of strong interior runs. Kelly finished off the drive as the senior rushed 10 yards for the score, to move the SFU lead to 24-3 at the half.
 
Domonkos started the second half with a 47-yard kickoff return to give SFU excellent starting field position. The Flash got into the red zone by way of a pass interference penalty but had to settle for a 23-yard Thiel field goal to extend the SFU lead to 27-3. Sacred Heart responded with a 13-play 75-yard touchdown drive to cut the Flash advantage to 27-10 with 7:05 remaining in the third. Domonkos took the ensuing kickoff 47-yards to give SFU excellent field position again. This time SFU capitalized on the good field position as Kelly found Domonkos for an eight-yard scoring strike. The play was designed as a fake run with as Kelly starting to run up the middle then stopped and throwing to a wide open Domonkos, who was left unchecked as most of the secondary bit on the fake.
 
Keshaudas Spence broke a 48-yard rush for a touchdown on the third play of the fourth quarter to bring SHU within 17 at 34-17. SFU eliminated any hopes of a SHU comeback with hard nose drive to respond to the Pioneer touchdown. Ingram rushed on seven consecutive players to get the ball down to the Sacred Heart eight-yard line. SFU capped the drive with a play action fake to Ingram with Kelly tossing to a wide open Dan Conley (Burgettstown, Pa./Burgettstown) for an eight-yard score to extend SFU advantage to 41-17. Thiel capped SFU's scoring with a field goal with 2:25 remaining.
 
Zack Gula (Clinton, Pa./Hopewell) jumped off the stat sheet with a team leading 11 tackles. The freshman earned the start at middle linebacker with both Ryan Revtai (Oakdale, Pa./West Allegheny) and Max Ma'afala-Maiava (Pearl City, Hawaii/Aiea ) injured. Jakob DeMedal posted big numbers for the defense as well with eight tackles, two forced fumbles and two tackles for loss. Bishop Neal (Clairton, Pa./Clairton) posted several big hits for the Flash and racked up seven tackles, two fumble recoveries, two pass break ups and a force fumble.
   
GAME NOTES
- The four wins in conference action are the most for SFU since joining the Northeast Conference.
 
- The 187-yard rushing for John Kelly (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) were a career high. Kelly also threw three touchdowns in the season finale for the second consecutive season. Kelly also finishes his career ranked fifth in SFU history in rushing touchdowns.  The senior quarterback missed the 1,000-plateu by 82 yards.
 
- Josh Thiel (Leesburg, Va./Heritage) set career school records for field goals made, PATs made and career points on Saturday.  
 
- Saturday's game was senior day for the Red Flash.
 
- Kelly completed six passes Saturday with three going for touchdown.
 
- Dane Domonkos (Windber, Pa./Bishop McCort) posted two second half kickoff returns of 47 yards.
 
- Cody Reimers (Wilson, N.Y./Wilson Central) posted the first interception of his college career in the fourth quarter.
 
- THANKS TO ALL OUR FANS AND WE HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT SEASON