WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The Monmouth University men's soccer team's defense posted its seventh clean sheet of the season as the Hawks played Saint Francis (Pa.) to a scoreless tie, Sunday afternoon on The Great Lawn. With the tie, the Hawks move to 9-3-3 (4-1-2 NEC), while the Red Flash is now 5-6-4 (3-2-2 NEC).

The Hawks had the advantage in most statistical categories, taking a 15-8 edge in shots and an 8-2 advantage in corners. But the teams couldn't find the back of the net in 110 minutes. Alex Blackburn (Natick, Mass./Natick) made one save for the Hawks, while counterpart Daniel Valcicak made three saves for Saint Francis.

"I was really happy with the guys' effort today," said Monmouth Head Coach Robert McCourt. "I thought we did a lot of things really well. We outpossessed the team, we outshot them, we had more corner kicks and we created a bunch of chances. We just didn't put the ball in the net. Sometimes the soccer Gods don't smile on you and you don't always finish your chances, but I was pleased with the performance."

The Hawks return to NEC action on the road Friday, when they travel to St. Francis (N.Y.). Kickoff from the Aviator Sports & Recreation Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., is scheduled for 7 p.m.