St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
Marquette
St. John’s Readies to Open BIG EAST Play Against Marquette
3/29/2024 10:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
The Red Strom has won three of its last five games
QUEENS, N.Y. –
After closing non-conference play by winning three of its last five games, the St. John's lacrosse team will open its BIG EAST slate on Saturday when Marquette comes to Queens. Faceoff from Belson Stadium is set for 11 a.m.
The game will be streamed on FloSports with Joe Vasile on the call. Live stats will be available on RedStormSports.com.
Saturday is Professor Appreciation Day and First Responder Appreciation Day at Belson Stadium. Any first responder or St. John's professor will be able to stop by the St. John's Athletics table to receive a free St. John's Athletics cup with a free soda. Admission to Belson Stadium is free for all fans.
The Red Storm (3-7, 0-0 BIG EAST) finished the non-conference portion of its schedule last Saturday, picking up a come-from-behind win against Le Moyne, 9-7. After falling behind 4-0 in the first quarter, the Johnnies used a 7-0 run to earn its first four-goal comeback since 2019.
Brian Kelly and Bobby Seel each recorded hat tricks to pace St. John's offensively. The junior attackmen are tied for the team lead with 19 goals apiece.
In addition to his three goals, Kelly added an assist on Saturday for his sixth game of the season with at least four points. The Red Hook, N.Y., native has 31 multipoint performances in 38 career appearances and sits at 123 points over his three-year career, 10th most in program history. Kelly has points in nine straight contests this season.
Seel has at least two points in six straight games and his 31 points this season are a career best. The Garden City, N.Y., product has produced two hat tricks this year and has recorded at least one point in a team-best 11 straight games, dating back to 2023.
Defensively, Jack Schirtzer picked up a team-best four caused turnovers. The junior has forced 1.5 giveaways per game this season, third best in the BIG EAST. His 15 caused turnovers in 2024 are a new career best, beating the 14 turnovers he forced a season ago.
The Red Storm held Le Moyne to 15-of-19 on clears. The Johnnies allow opponents to convert just 84.2 percent of its clear opportunities, the second-best riding percentage in the BIG EAST.
Kyle Munson was magnificent in net on Saturday, making a season-best 16 stops and earning a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll. The redshirt junior kept Le Moyne off the scoresheet in the second and third quarters, marking the first time the Red Storm has kept an opponent scoreless in a period since Feb. 5, 2023, against Manhattan. Munson leads the BIG EAST with 11.4 saves per game and is second in the conference with a 51.4 save percentage.
Saturday will mark the Golden Eagles' first visit to Belson Stadium and the 12th all-time meeting between the conference foes. Last season, Marquette earned a 20-10 victory over St. John's on April 8, 2023, in Milwaukee.
Marquette comes to Queens 4-5 on the year, coming off an 8-3 win at St. Bonaventure last Saturday. The win over the Bonnies broke a five-game losing streak for the Golden Eagles. Marquette took a 3-0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back, holding St. Bonaventure off the scoresheet in the first and third quarters. Carsen Brandt, Luke Blanc and Devon Cowan each tallied two goals while Bobby O'Grady recorded a goal and a helper. Defensively, BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Mason Woodward caused four turnovers and scooped four loose balls. Caleb Creasor made 11 saves on just 14 shots faced between the pipes.
On the season, Marquette has scored 98 goals and allowed 96. The Golden Eagles have converted on 27.5 percent of its shots and have put 57.1 percent of its attempts on net. The Eagles have 11 man-up goals and have converted on 47.8 percent of their extra-man opportunities, which ranks seventh in the nation. Offensively, O'Grady leads Marquette with 18 goals and Jake Stegman has a team-best 15 assists. Six players have at least 14 points this season and 25 players have recorded at least one point. At the faceoff 'X', Luke Williams has won nearly 60 percent of the draws he has taken which ranks third in the BIG EAST and 14th in the country.
The Golden Eagles finished fifth in the BIG EAST a season ago and were picked third in the conference's 2024 preseason poll.
Following Saturday's tilt with Marquette, St. John's will head west for a Friday night matchup with No. 10/9 Denver on April 5. Faceoff from Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium is set for 8 p.m. ET (6 p.m. MT).
