St. John’s Falls to Manhattan, 9-5, in Season Opener

Saturday, February 11

West Islip, N.Y. (West Islip Stadium)

1 p.m.

St. John's University

0-1

Manhattan

1-0

St. John's

Manhattan

St. John’s Falls to Manhattan, 9-5, in Season Opener

2/11/2023 4:13:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Connor Kalmus netted a hat-trick in his season debut

WEST ISLIP, N.Y. (Feb. 11, 2023)- The St. John's lacrosse team fell short to Manhattan, 9-5, in the 2023 season opener at West Islip Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Senior attackman Connor Kalmus tallied a hat-trick on just five shot attempts, scoring the first two goals of the game for the Red Storm.

Brian Kelly and Luke Mangan each scored once on Saturday, and Kelly and Caiden Vlasimsky each dished out one assist. Kelly finished the day with two points, the 13^th multi-point game of his career.

Kyle Munson made his season debut in net for St. John's and logged 10 saves, a new career high.

St. John's (0-1) got off to a fast start in the opening matchup of the season as Kelly fired a pass to Kalmus just above the crease who finished off the scoring chance to put the Red Storm in front, 1-0, less than three minutes into the first quarter.

Manhattan (1-0) tied the score at one with 9:47 left in the opening quarter when preseason All-MAAC selection Tadhg O'Riordan found the back of the net on a solo effort.

Kalmus answered back with his second score of the day and of the quarter on an assist from Vlasimsky to vault St. John's back in front, 2-1.

Manhattan went on a 4-0 scoring run that extended to the second quarter, giving the Jaspers a 6-2 edge.

Kelly put a stop to the run with his first tally of the season to bring St. John's within three, 6-3, with 10:32 to go in the first half.

Goals by Liam Walshe and Kyle Gucwa expanded the Manhattan edge to 8-3 in the second quarter before Kalmus completed his hat-trick to make the score 8-4 heading into the halftime locker room.

The second half proved to be a defensive battle as both teams combined for just two goals in the final 30 minutes of play.

After Dan McKinney found the back of the net to extend the Jaspers' lead to 9-4, the Red Storm defense stiffened and did not allow another goal in the 25 minutes of the contest.

In the fourth quarter, Mangan danced through the Manhattan defense and whipped a ball into the top-left corner of the net to bring the Johnnies closer, 9-5, but the Red Storm were unable to complete the comeback on Saturday.

St. John's will be back in action next Saturday when they travel to Newark, Del., to take on Delaware at noon.