WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - Craig Peterson (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) and Tristan Roberts (Ansonia, Conn./Ansonia [Lackawanna]) connected for three touchdowns, but the Monmouth University football team was defeated by Wagner, 44-29, on Senior Day Saturday at Kessler Field. With the loss, the Hawks conclude the season at 5-6 (4-4 NEC), while the Seahawks finish at 4-7 (4-4 NEC). 

Roberts finished with a career-high 165 yards on 12 receptions, while Peterson completed 26-of-44 passes for 313 yards and four touchdowns. Robert's 12 receptions tied Anthony Galella's 1998 single-game record. Julian Hayes (Middletown, Conn./Xavier/The Hun School) ran for a team-high 73 yards, while Bilal Sloan El (Pennsauken, N.J./Roman Catholic [Pa.]) finished with 52 yards on the ground. Neal Sterling (Belmar, N.J./Manasquan) also had a strong afternoon with six catches for 69 yards and a touchdown. Ian Simon (Windsor, N.J./W. Windsor Plainsboro [Howard]) had a game-high 5.5 tackles for loss, including three sacks. Austin Kugler (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) also added two sacks.  

Dominique Williams led Wagner with 116 rushing yards to go along with a 28-yard touchdown pass. Quarterback Nick Doscher threw for 67 yards and a touchdown. The Seahawks' special teams and defense each accounted for a touchdown. 

"We knew going into the game that Wagner was a very opportunistic team, they have a knack for scoring points and creating turnovers with their defense," said MU Head Coach Kevin Callahan.

The Hawks were successful on three consecutive third-down conversions on their opening drive, the third of which resulted in a 31-yard touchdown reception by Roberts less than four minutes into the first quarter. Wagner immediately responded, needing just four plays to go 55 yards. The Seahawks scored on a trick play, as Williams rushed to the right before throwing deep to Justin Matthews for the 28-yard touchdown connection. 

Williams made his presence felt again late in the first quarter, breaking off a 76-yard touchdown run to give the Seahawks their first lead of the game at 14-7. 

Roberts matched Williams with his second touchdown of the game at the 13:26 mark of the second quarter. Roberts made a double move down the right sideline, was interfered with, yet still managed to reel in the 29-yard touchdown reception to tie the game at 14-14. 

With 6:46 left in the first half, Wagner's Julian Stanford blocked a Monmouth punt, before Jeremiah Brown ran it in from 25 yards out to put Wagner on top, 21-14. The Seahawks never trailed again. 
Following a Torian Phillips interception in Monmouth territory, Mark Mangion put a 44-yard field-goal attempt through the uprights to push the Wagner cushion to 24-14, with 4:20 left in the third quarter. The Hawks looked poised to cut the deficit to three points when Peterson ran for a first down to the one yard line, but was hit by Sal Gigante and fumbled. Quintin Anderson picked up the ball and rumbled 68 yards the other way to set up Nick Doscher's 20-yard touchdown pass to Joe
Sidaras, moving the Wagner advantage to 31-14 with 9:11 left in the fourth quarter. 

The Hawks moved quickly on their next drive, scoring just 1:26 later on a 20-yard pass from Peterson to Sterling. But Williams scored his second rushing touchdown of the afternoon three minutes later to move to score to 38-21. Stanford's 37-yard interception return further cushioned Wagner's lead with less than four minutes remaining. Jose Gumbs (Queens, N.Y./Hebron Academy) blocked the extra point and Kugler returned the ball the length of the field for two points, leaving the Monmouth deficit at 44-23. 

The Hawks made one last scoring push before the final horn, as Peterson found Roberts for the third time on the day with six seconds remaining in the game. The PAT was blocked, resulting in the final score, 44-29.    

MU Notes:
-Monmouth finishes winless at home for the second time in school history (1999).  The Hawks were undefeated on the road.- Peterson's four touchdown passes were the most since Kyle Frazier's 4 TD effort against Sacred Heart in 2009.  It was also his second 300-yard passing day, which ties him for second most all-time.-Simon finished with career-highs in sacks and tackles for a loss.  The senior finished the season with nine sacks, which is the most for a Monmouth player in a single season since the 2003 season.-Tristan Roberts became the first Hawk to record three or more receiving TDs in a game since Miles Austin caught four in a 2005 game against Sacred Heart.  Roberts' is the third MU player to record a 100+ yard receiving effort this season, while his 165 yards receiving ties Austin for the fifth most in a single game. His 12 receptions tied Anthony Galella's 1998 single-game record-Monmouth yielded 40+ points for the third straight game, a first for the program.