Four-Goal Third Quarter Lifts St. John’s Past Manhattan, 9-7

Saturday, March 5

Queens, N.Y. (DaSilva Memorial Field)

12:30 p.m.

St. John's University

1-4

Manhattan

2-3

Manhattan

St. John's

Photo by: Wendell Cruz

Four-Goal Third Quarter Lifts St. John’s Past Manhattan, 9-7

3/5/2022 4:21:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

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Huber nets four in Saturday’s victory at DaSilva Memorial Field

QUEENS, N.Y.- After trailing by a goal at halftime, the St. John's lacrosse team orchestrated a four-goal third period to lift the Red Storm past Manhattan, 9-7.

Jonathan Huber registered a game-high four goals to lead the Johnnies (1-4). The redshirt senior fired in the tying and go-ahead goals just 25 seconds apart early in the third quarter. Caleb Zuhoski scored two goals while Jack Lutfi, Brian Kelly and Mackenzie Iacocca all added one apiece. Kelly and Patrick Ednie each tallied a pair of helpers in the winning effort.

St. John's controlled possession courtesy of a career day from face-off specialist Jake Oemcke. The sophomore set new career-highs in face-off wins (17) and groundballs (13) and added one assist. The Farmingdale, N.Y., native notched the most face-off wins by a St. John's player since 2020, when Jonathan Dugenio collected 25 wins at the "X" at Rutgers.

Between the pipes, freshman goaltender Kaden Quirk had the best performance of his young St. John's career, allowing a season-low seven goals and logging 10 saves. The Nahant, Mass., native played a crucial role in the clear game, as the Red Storm went a perfect 19-for-19 in that category.

After allowing five goals in the first 32 minutes of the game, Quirk and the Red Storm defense surrendered just two Manhattan tallies in the closing 28 minutes, allowing the Johnnies to erase a two-goal deficit.

The Red Storm jumped out to a 2-0 advantage in the first five minutes of the game. Zuhoski started off the scoring on a feed from Kelly. After a Jaspers penalty, Iacocca netted his first goal of 2022, utilizing the extra-man advantage.

The two teams went back-and-forth as Manhattan scored the next two goals to tie it, 2-2, late in the first quarter.

Early in the second period, Huber tallied his first of four goals on the day. The Jaspers added two before the break to take a 4-3 lead into halftime.

After a Manhattan goal extended its lead to two less than two minutes into the half, the Red Storm responded with a game-altering run. The St. John's offense engineered three goals in just 1:11 to retake the lead. The run started with a hustle-play from Lutfi, as the sophomore tracked down a groundball in traffic and shoveled it past the Jaspers goalie, Brendan Krebs. Two consecutive goals from Huber gave the Red Storm a 6-5 lead that it would not relinquish.

Late in the third quarter, Manhattan cut the deficit to just a single goal, as Jake Nicolosi completed his hat-trick to make it 7-6 with 14 seconds remaining in the period.

Early in the final period, a solo-effort from Kelly and a dish off of a face-off from Oemcke to Huber ballooned the lead to three. The Red Storm defense allowed just one fourth quarter goal to seal the Johnnies first win of the season.

St. John's will look to carry its momentum into a four-game road swing. The Johnnies will travel to Siena on March 12, for a 1 p.m. start in Loudonville, N.Y.