St. John's University Athletics
Lacrosse Names Three Captains for the 2024 Season
1/30/2024 10:42:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Kelly, Oemcke and Pratt set to lead the Red Storm this year
The St. John's lacrosse team has named Jake Oemcke, Braeden Pratt and Brian Kelly as captains for the upcoming 2024 season.
Oemcke and Pratt served as team captains for last season's squad, while Kelly earns the distinction for the first time in his career.
"This trio embodies everything we preach within our program; a selfless attitude, a love for being at St. John's and in our program, and a desire to take this program to places it hasn't been before," said second-year Head Coach Justin Turri. "Every team is very different and although Braeden and Jake are returning captains from 2023, these two and Brian have given this year's group exactly what it has needed. Our staff has great confidence in our team's mentality as we go through the ebbs and flows of the spring season, due in large part to the leadership displayed by these three."
Oemcke earned the nod for the second year in a row for his fourth season with the Red Storm. The faceoff specialist has played in 31 games over his first three campaigns in Queens, winning 214 faceoffs in that span. Oemcke led St. John's in ground balls during his first two seasons and has 111 for his career. Last season, the Farmingdale, N.Y., product won 36 draws at the 'X' and scooped up 20 ground balls, including a season-high seven against Marquette on April 23.
Kelly was named captain for the first time in his third year in Queens. The junior already put his name in the St. John's record books after tallying 92 career points over his first two seasons, which is tied for the 13th most in Red Storm history. The Red Hook, N.Y., native is also one of just nine players in program history to record at least 40 goals and 40 assists. In 2023, Kelly led the Johnnies in points (48), goals (28), assists (20), total shots (107) and shots on goal (58). The attackman registered five hat-tricks in 2023, including a career-high eight-point performance against Hofstra on Feb. 25. Kelly was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after his three-goal outing against No. 13/14 Delaware on Feb. 18.
Pratt has established himself as a natural leader since he arrived in Queens in 2021, both on-and-off the field. As a freshman, the Beverly, Mass., native started all 14 games for the Red Storm, scooping 10 ground balls and causing five turnovers. Pratt has never missed a game in his colligate career, playing in all 28 games over his first two season. In that span, he grabbed 27 ground balls while causing 13 turnovers. In his first season as captain in 2023, Pratt set a career-high by collecting three ground balls against Saint Joseph's on March 18 and tallied multiple ground balls in four games.
The Red Storm are set to open its 2024 campaign this Saturday, Feb. 3, against NJIT. Faceoff from DaSilva Memorial Field is set for 2 p.m.
