NEW BRITAIN, Conn.- Junior kicker Lance Geesey (Harrisburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) hit a career-best five field goals to lead the Saint Francis football team to a key NEC win, 22-13, over Central Connecticut State on Saturday at Arute Field.  The Red Flash improved to 6-3 overall and 3-1 in the NEC, while the Blue Devils dropped to 4-6 overall and 3-2 in conference play.
 
Saint Francis earned its first road win ever at CCSU to reach six wins in a season for the first time since 1992.  With the victory over CCSU, SFU is guaranteed to finish with a winning record for the first time since 1992.  SFU has also reached three wins in conference play for the fourth straight year.
 
The Red Flash gained 324 yards, including 220 passing and 104 on the ground.  SFU held the Blue Devils to its second-lowest yardage total of the season, only allowing 214 yards, including only 83 passing yards.
 
Senior Khairi Dickson (Cleveland, Ohio/Cleveland Central Catholic) earned his fourth 100-yard game of the season and 14th of his career with 105 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.  Junior Zack Drayer (Hershey, Pa./Hershey ) completed 21-of-34 passes for 220 yards to establish a new career-high for a season.  Drayer now has 1,654 yards on the year.  Anthony Abeid (Youngstown, Ohio/Youngstown Christian) made seven catches for 74 yards, while Terell Smith (West Haverstraw, N.Y./North Rockland) had five receptions for 61 yards and Kameron Lewis added three catches for 32 yards.
 
Junior Solomon Leaeno (Kapolei, Hawaii/James Campbell) led the defense with 11 tackles, including seven solo, three for loss and half a sack.  Semo Sila (Honolulu, Hawaii /Farrington) contributed eight tackles, with five solo and half a sack, while Lorenzo Jerome (Sunrise, Fla./J.P. Taravella) recorded seven tackles, half a sack and a pass breakup.  Wesley Nagaseu (Waipahu, Hawaii/Waipahu) had 2.5 tackles for loss, including two sacks, while Erik Walker (Clairton, Pa. /Clairton) and Louie Gartner (Paramus, N.J./Paramus Catholic) each contributed a sack.  Delondo Boyd (Indian Head, Md./Henry E. Lackey) forced a fumble.
 
Geesey hit all five of his field goal attempts, including four in the first half.  The junior connected on attempts of 46, 46, 30, 21 and 35 yards.  He is now 16-for-17 on the year, including five-of-six from 40 yards or more. Geesey is the only kicker in the FCS to hit five field goals in a game this season.
 
The Red Flash got on the board on its opening drive, capped by a 46-yard make by Geesey, a season-long for the Harrisburg, Pa. native.  The drive was aided by a nine-yard reception by Dickson and a 17-yard catch by Smith.
 
After forcing the Blue Devils into a three-and-out, Geesey hit another 46-yard field goal to give the Red Flash a 6-0 lead with 6:12 left in the first quarter.  Abeid hauled in a 10-yard catch on the drive.
 
The ensuing drive, the Blue Devils went for it on fourth and seven at the SFU 27, but Wesley Nagaseu (Waipahu, Hawaii/Waipahu) busted through the line for a big sack.
 
Saint Francis took advantage, getting three more points on a 30-yard kick by Geesey.  Drayer completed a pass to Lewis for 16 yards and three passes to Abeid for 20 yards, while Dickson had a 10-yard run to aid the drive. 
 
The Red Flash went into the break with a 12-0 lead after Geesey hit a 21-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter.  Dickson gained 31 yards on three carries, while Drayer hit Smith for a 26-yard pass and Marcus Bagley (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) picked up 18 on a screen play.  With First and Goal at the CCSU 4 with eight seconds left, Drayer threw an incomplete pass to Lewis in the corner of the end zone, before settling for the Geesey kick.
 
At the half, Saint Francis had 171 yards, while holding the Blue Devils to 28.
 
The Blue Devils got their first points of the day on a 32-yard field goal by Ed Groth. 
 
However, the Red Flash answered with Geesey's fifth field goal of the day, a 35-yard make.  Dickson gained 37 yards on three carries, including a 27-yard run.
 
CCSU responded by returning the following kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.  Najae Brown initially dropped the kick, but picked the ball up and burst through the seam for the score to cut the Red Flash lead to 15-10 with 8:40 left in the third quarter.
 
The fourth quarter began with the Blue Devils' Cameron Nash gaining 63 yards on a run.  Nash looked like he was destined for the end zone, but Jerome caught him from behind at the SFU 4.  That proved to be a big play as the Red Flash were able to hold CCSU to another field goal.  On First and Goal, Leaeno and Nagaseu combined to stop Nash for a two-yard loss.  After two incomplete passes, Groth hit a 19-yard attempt.
 
Abeid returned the kickoff to the SFU 42, but a fumble on the play was recovered by SFU's Matt Camilletti (Bangor, Pa./Pius X) on the SFU 46.  The Red Flash drove the ball down to the CCSU 24 as Drayer completed three passes for 27 yards.  Drayer connected with Lewis, who took the ball 24 yards to the end zone, but the play was called back due to an offensive interference call.  With the ball at the CCSU 39, the Red Flash were forced to punt.  The kick bounced on the two yard line.  CCSU's Brown tried to pick up the punt, but dropped it.  The muff was recovered by SFU's Tyler Heisey (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) at the CCSU 2. 
 
One play later, Dickson scored on a run, his eighth touchdown of the year.  The score and Geesey's extra point gave SFU a 22-13 advantage with 8:36 left in the game.
 
The Red Flash defense forced CCSU into a third-and-out on the ensuing possession.  After SFU was forced to punt, they stopped the Blue Devils on a fourth down play to seal the game.
 
The Red Flash returns home next Saturday for Senior Day against Robert Morris.  Kickoff is at Noon at DeGol Field, with a live stream on NEC Front Row.