HAMILTON, N.Y.- Monmouth University remained unbeaten on the season with a 17-12 win at Colgate Saturday in Hamilton, N.Y.

"I'm very happy with the way our guys played today," said head coach Kevin Callahan. "Our team played hard and gave the extra effort you need to have to win games of this magnitude. I am happy for our team and what they accomplished."

The Hawks were led by running back David Sinisi (Ceder Grove, N.J./Ceder Grove) who tallied two touchdowns on the day, as the Hawks moved to a perfect 4-0 for just the second time in school history on Saturday. Monmouth held a 14 point lead late in the game but Colgate scored two touchdowns in a span of four minutes to put a scare into the Hawks.

Brian Robinson (East Brunswick, N.J./East Brunswick) took opening kickoff to the 40, with the MU offense picking up a first down but the drive stalled with two incompletes forcing MU to punt.

The MU defense held on the Colgate possession when Adam San Miguel (North Bergen, N.J./St. Peter's Prep) muffed the Raider punt but recovered the live ball on the MU nine yard line. Facing a third and eight on their own 11, Brian Boland (Brick Memorial, N.J./Brick Memorial) took a quarterback draw for 27 yards to the Monmouth 38 yard line for a first down. The senior signal caller then hit San Miguel over the middle for MU's second consecutive third-down conversion. The Raider defense held, forcing MU to punt but a poor snap caused senior Sean Dennis (Westampton, N.J./Holy Cross) to run the ball, picking up a first down on the left side of the field. An 11-yard Pat Codd (Holmdel, N.J./Holmdel) reception on third and short set the Hawks up inside the Colgate 20 yardline. After a pair of Leonard Brice(Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) runs set up a third and eight, Boland hit Sinisi on a screen pass that set up first and goal from the three. On the next play Sinisi carried the ball into the endzone to cap the 17 play, 91 yard drive, putting MU up 7-0.

On the first play from scrimmage, Hawk Matt Hill (Hopatcong, N.J./Hopatcong) intercepted Mike Saraceno's pass, but the play was negated because of a roughing the passer call that gave the Raiders a first down on their own 38 yard line. Colgate drove to MU 36 but the Hawks forced a fourth and three, with Jordan Scott getting the call on a run to the right. Seniors Mike Castellano (Freehold, N.J./Freehold) and Jamaal McClintock (Plainfield, N.J./Plainfield) combined to stop the pre-season All-American giving Monmouth the ball.

The Raider defense held on the next possession forcing a Dennis punt. On the first play of the drive Saraceno hit a wide open David Morgan for a 35 yard reception. The Hawks defense answered the call again, forcing a fourth and 17 and a Colgate punt. Taking over from their own three, two Brice carries including a 13 yard bust up the middle, gave the Hawks a first down on their own 18. The Hawk drive would stall there, forcing another Dennis punt.

Starting at their own 40, the Raiders drove down to the MU 34 yard line, facing a third and three. Colgate called a Scott toss to the right, giving him the option to pass but the play was snuffed out for a two yard loss by linebacker T.J. Cerezo (Stanhope, N.J./Lenape Valley Regional). On fourth and four Saraceno hit wideout Erik Burke for a first down on the Monmouth 20 with just under five minutes left in the half.

Saraceno's next pass went through the hands of Kenny Parker and was intercepted by Jiles, his second of the season and returned to the 38 yard line. The Hawks were stopped on that drive when San Miguel dropped his second pass of the half. On the next play, Callahan called a fake punt that found Sinisi scampering for a touchdown but that play was called back due to holding.

After two runs, the Raiders found themselves with a second and five at midfield and 39 seconds to work with when Saraceno hit Scott for a first down on the MU 40. Two plays later Mu was hit with a pass interference call giving the Raiders the ball on the 10 yard line. An incomplete pass set up a second and goal with seven seconds remaining in the half. Saraceno took off on a run for what appeared to be a touchdown but the play was called back because of a clip. On the final play of the half Saraceno hit Scott on a pass but the Hawk defense stopped him short of the endzone, holding the Raiders scoreless.

After receiving the second half kickoff, it took the Raiders just two rushes to get to their own 42. The next play found a 58 yard touchdown pass from Saraceno called back due to a holding call. Parker caught his first pass of the game to give the Raiders a first down in MU territory. A screen to Scott put Colgate at the Monmouth 30 yard line and the Hawk defense dodge another bullet two plays later when Burke dropped a touchdown pass.

The Hawk defense held again, forcing Colgate to turn the ball over on downs. The two teams traded possessions, with the Hawks converting a third and long when San Miguel grabbed a pass down to the Colgate 35 yard line. Four runs later and Monmouth found themselves facing a third and nine from the 21 when Boland hit Chris Kiley (Point Pleasant, N.J./Point Borough) in the middle of the field who brought it down to the one. On the next play Sinisi picked up his second score of the game, going over the top to put Monmouth up 14-0 with 1:38 left in the third quarter.

On the ensuing kickoff, Colgate's Morgan took the ball to the 42, with the Raiders starting the drive at the 38 as five yards were added because the Hawks were offsides. Two plays later and the Raiders were looking at a first down on the MU 16 yard line. A Saraceno scamper put ?Gate with a first and goal at the three. After Scott picked up a yard, it took Raider fullback Eric Wanger two tries to get into the endzone, putting Colgate back 14-6 with 13:12 to play. On the PAT, Hawk Matt Hill got a hand on the ball, keeping an eight point margin for MU.

Robinson took the ensuing kickoff to the MU 45 yard line, with the Hawks moving into Colgate territory. After Boland connected with Kiley for a firstdown, Kiley fumbled the ball on the hit, with Geoff Beane scooping the ball up for the Raiders and returning it 72 yards for a touchdown. An unsportsmanlike conduct call pushed the two-point conversion back to the 17 yard line, with Chris Reed (Stewartstown, Pa./York Catholic) chasing down Saraceno to preserve the 14-12 lead.

The Hawks moved the ball over midfield to the Colgate 49 on a Boland carry that set up a third and one. Sinisi got the nessecary yardage for the first down on a carry, then bounced off tacklers and sprinted down to the Colgate 17. A touchdown screen pass to Rob Lutz (New Cumberland, Pa./Trinity) was called back on a holding call, bringing up a third and six from the 14. The Hawks were forced to settle for a 27 yard Fred Weingart (New Egypt, N.J./New Egypt) field goal, with the score resting at 17-12 with 5:17 left in the game.

With 5:05 on the clock the Raiders started their drive inside their own 20, using two plays to move to the 35, before senior Derek Bischoff (Succasunna, N.J./Roxbury) picked off his first career ball and returned it to the 20. The MU drive started at the 35 after an unsportsmanlike conduct call. With the Raiders holding on to three timeouts, the game was not over yet as the Hawks faced a third and five. The Colgate defense held strong on a designed Boland run and it was fourth and five with 2:13 to go. Lutz got the call on fourth down, powering his way to a first down and the win.

The Hawk defense held Scott, a Third Team All-America running back last season to 43 yards on 21 carries. Saraceno had 240 yards in the air, his best effort this season, with two interceptions on 16 of 30 passing.

The two teams combined for 12 penalties for 121 yards, with four touchdowns being called back (two on each side).

Boland was 14 of 24 for 124 yards, with San Miguel leading the Hawks in the air with five catches for 49 yards. Brice finished with 12 carries for 52 yards, Sinisi had nine carries for 43 yards.

Hill finished with nine tackles to lead the Hawks. Jiles finished with a pick and seven tackles including two for a loss. Jile's interception gives him 10 career picks, one behind MU's all-time leader.

The Hawks will return to Kessler Field next Saturday when they host Stony Brook in the NEC opener at 1 p.m.