WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. ? The Monmouth University football team fell 21-3 to Northeast Conference rival Albany on Saturday afternoon at Kessler Field. The Hawks led 3-0 at halftime before Albany outscored MU 21-0 after intermission.
The last time Monmouth failed to score at least a touchdown both in any game and at home was September 29, 2004, they fell to Stony Brook 27-0.
On Albany's first possession, Monmouth's Jon Stolarz (Andover, N.J./Hoptacong) forced a fumble by wide receiver Daniel Bocanegra and Joe Cella (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial) recovered for the Hawks at the Great Dane 41-yard line. Fred Weingert (New Egypt, N.J./New Egypt) booted a 31-yard field goal to cap the Hawks drive and Monmouth took a 3-0 lead with 7:28 left in the first quarter.
Vinny Fonti (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) sacked Albany's Vinny Esposito on first down on their following possession, and then on third down, MU's David Kennedy (Fort Lee, N.J./Paterson Catholic) and Cella combined for a sack to halt the Great Danes drive.
After Monmouth's ensuing drive stalled, Jack Daniels (Franklin Lakes, N.J./Don Bosco Prep) pinned Albany at their one-yard line on a 47-yard punt late in the first quarter. After the Hawks held Albany, Brett Burke (Wall, N.J./Wall) sparked MU's next drive with a zone-read quarterback keeper for 24 yards down to the 20-yard line. That set up a 39-yard Weingert field goal attempt, which floated wide right, keeping the score 3-0 with 12:53 left in the second quarter.
After the Hawks defense held Albany again, Burke connected with tight end John Nalbone (Lawrenceville, N.J./Lawrence) for a 20-yard gain into Great Danes territory, but the Hawks drive stalled and Daniels was forced to punt, pinning Albany at their 13-yard line.
Albany's Esposito then fumbled and Monmouth's Jeff Brady (East Aurora, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) recovered it at the Great Dane 43-yard line. MU couldn't move the ball much farther, and Daniels pinned Albany inside their five-yard line for the second time of the first half, setting them up at their three-yard line with around four minutes to go in the half.
The half ended with MU holding a 3-0 lead. David Sinisi (Cedar Grove, N.J./Cedar Grove) ran for 51 yards on 17 carries, while Burke completed 8-of-11 passes for 55 yards in the first half. Nalbone caught two passes for 24 yards, while Pierre LaFontant (Montgomery Village, Md./Gaitherburg) led the defense with five tackles before halftime.
Out of the halftime break, Burke's first pass of the second half was intercepted by L.B. McCloskey as he tried to hit Adam San Miguel (North Bergen, N.J./St. Peter's Prep) deep and he returned it to the MU 30-yard line, setting the Great Danes up in good field position with 10 minutes left in the third quarter. Albany moved the ball down to the MU five-yard line, where Jason Fralicker connected on a 22-yard field goal to tie the game with 6:26 left in the third quarter.
Albany's Chris Lynch pinned Monmouth at their own one-yard line after a 70 yard punt with less than a minute left in the third quarter. Sinisi then was tackled was Justin Brancaccio in the end zone for a safety, making the score 5-3 with 33 seconds left in the third quarter.
Monmouth linebacker Tyler Burnett (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern) then picked off Esposito at the Monmouth 40 yard line to end the Great Dave drive, his first career interception, early in the fourth quarter. Monmouth's drive halted, and on Daniels' ensuing punt, Albany's Mike Wall blocked the punt, and Aaron Scott recovered it deep in Hawks' territory. LaFontant knocked down Esposito's third down pass, forcing a Fralicker field goal from 40 yards out, giving the visitor's an 8-3 lead with just over 12 minutes left in the game.
On MU's next drive, Burke hit Steve Dowens (Red Bank, N.J./Middletown South) over the middle on a third down conversion with 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, but the Blue and White's drive stalled . On Albany's next possession, Kennedy sacked Esposito to force a third and 20, and a penalty on the next play made it third and 30 from their own 13 yard line, where Esposito hit Justin Gannon on a screen pass and he raced 87 yards for a touchdown, to make the game 14-3 with six minutes left in the game.
McCarty then put Albany up 21-3 with a 67-yard touchdown run on a third and four with four minutes left.
Sinisi finished with 59 yards on 24 carries, while back up quarterback Ryan Folsom (Somerdale, N.J./Triton Regional) added 35 yards on a pair of fourth-quarter scrambles. Burke finished 20-of-33 passing for 138 yards. San Miguel led MU with five grabs for 47 yards, while Troy Yudin (Stevenson Ranch, Calif./William Hart) caught five passes for 29 yards. Dowens caught three passes for 30 yards in the game as well.
Derek Bischoff (Succasunna , N.J./Roxbury) led the MU defense with 10 tackles, while Ayo Falae (Newark, N.J./Barringer) added eight stops and a pass break up. Cella logged eight tackles as well and LaFontant and Kennedy added six stops apiece.
McCarty rushed for 167 yards on 28 carries to lead Albany, while Esposito completed 8-of-16 passes for 143 yards.
In the game, Sinisi's consecutive games with a touchdown streak, which stood at 20, was snapped. The streak, which had covered every game the redshirt sophomore had played in his career, was the longest in the nation at any level.
Monmouth returns to action on Saturday, November 17 when they host Duquesne in the final game of the season at 1:00 p.m. at Kessler Field.
