St. John’s Drops Heartbreaker at Providence in Overtime, 12-11

Saturday, April 29

Providence, R.I. (Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium)

12 p.m.

St. John's University

0-14

Providence

6-8

St. John's

Providence

St. John’s Drops Heartbreaker at Providence in Overtime, 12-11

4/29/2023 4:15:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Kyle Munson matches school record with 23 saves

PROVIDENCE, R.I.- The St. John's lacrosse team lost an overtime heartbreaker at Providence, 12-11, in the regular season finale on Saturday.

The Red Storm forced the extra period when Brian Kelly bounced one into the back-of-the-net to knot the score line at 11 with 1:15 remaining. In overtime the Friars' capitalized off of a fastbreak, as Matt Grillo put home the game-winner at Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium.

Kyle Munson was terrific between the pipes as the senior stopped a career-best 23 shots, which ties Dan Goldberg, who tallied 23 saves against Drexel on March 10, 2007 for the most in program history since reinstatement in 2005. The Merrick, N.Y., native also set new career-highs in groundballs (6) and caused turnovers (3).

Kelly led the team with seven points on the day pouring in three goals and four assists. The attackman concludes the year with 48. The sophomore now ranks 20^th on the all-time scoring list and becomes the ninth player in program history to tally 40 goals and 40 assists in his St. John's career.

Connor Kalmus matched his career-high finding the back of the net four times for the third time in his career. The senior attackman ends the year with 25 goals.

Bobby Seel tallied two goals and one assist and logged a point on each of the Johnnies' final two goals in the fourth quarter. Caleb Zuhoski, Gavin Legg and Sean Duffy each added a single-goal in Providence.

The Red Storm got off a tremendous start in the opening quarter taking a 4-0 lead to open the game. Kelly broke free from his defender and tucked one in the top far corner to open the scoring. After Jack Schirtzer entered the penalty box, the Johnnies scored two man-down goals. Kalmus fired one home on assist from Seel. On the ensuing face-off, Legg won it and went right down broadway and sent one home to bring the advantage to 4-0. The shorthanded goals were the program's first in over 10 years since a win at Robert Morris on March 23, 2013. The Friars tacked on a pair to make it 4-2 at the conclusion of the opening frame.

After Kalmus and Kelly brought the lead back to three, 6-3, Providence (6-8, 2-3 BIG EAST) responded with a quick scoring burst to square the game. Zuhoski netted a close-range shot off a behind-the-net feed from Kelly. A man-up Friar's goal with just over a minute remaining sent the game to halftime tied at 7.

In the third quarter, Kalmus added a pair of goals to reach four on the day. Providence nudged ahead in the final two minutes of the frame to grab its first lead and take a 10-9 advantage into the fourth.

The two conference foes went continued to battle in a defensive-minded fourth quarter. Seel put one home to knot the score at 10. After Providence went back in front, Kelly bounced one into the cage with 1:15 left in regulation to send the Johnnies into an overtime game for the first time since Feb. 13, 2021.

In the overtime period, Kalmus had an opportunity off a feed from Kelly but whistled it just over the bar. After Munson tallied his 23^rdsave of the day St. John's turned the ball over on the other end and Grillo had a one-one with the goaltender and put home the game-winner with 51 seconds remaining in overtime.

The Red Storm wrap-up the 2023 campaign with an 0-14 record and will be back in action in 2024.