St. John's University Athletics
Lacrosse Names Four Captains for the 2025 Season
1/28/2025 9:56:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
Pratt, Kelly, Rice and Nowak set to lead the Red Storm this year
QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's lacrosse team has selected Braeden Pratt, Brian Kelly, Sean Rice and Adrian Nowak as captains for the upcoming 2025 season.
Kelly and Pratt served as team captains for last season's squad, while Rice and Nowak earn the distinction for the first time in their careers.
"Being selected captain by your teammates is the highest honor you can have in our program," said third-year Head Coach Justin Turri. "In Braeden, Brian, Sean and Adrian, this group has a great mix of experience and fresh perspective to the position. Each of them brings their unique leadership style to our team, along with a deep passion for St. John's and where they know this program is going."
Pratt becomes the first St. John's player since the program's reinstatement in 2005 to be selected as captain in three different seasons. The defenseman has never missed a game during his first three years in Queens, starting in all 43 contests. Last season, the Beverly, Mass., native helped anchor a strong defensive unit, scooping 15 ground balls and causing six turnovers, helping guide the Johnnies to their best record since 2019. He also recorded his first career point with an assist in the Red Storm's win over Marquette on March 30. Pratt has also proven to be a leader off the field, serving on the advisory board of the St. John's Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) for the past two years, and is the BIG EAST's representative on the NCAA DI SAAC.
Kelly earns the captain nod for the second straight year, coming off his third 40-point season of his career in 2024. The senior attackman continued his stellar career last season, tallying a team-best 44 points and 29 goals to go along with 15 assists. With 12 multi-point games and eight performances with at least four points, Kelly became the first St. John's player since Eric DeJohn in 2016 to be selected to the All-BIG EAST First Team. The Red Hook, N.Y., native was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team this season and enters 2025 in seventh place on the program's all-time scoring list with 136 career points.
Rice is named a captain for the first time in his senior season. The third-year Johnnie has been a staple of the Red Storm program since his arrival in Queens in fall of 2021 and has grown into a natural leader on and off the field. The Long Beach, N.Y., native appeared in 17 games over his first two seasons. In 2024, the midfielder was named to the BG EAST All-Academic Team and was awarded the John DaSilva Memorial Award recipient, an honor bestowed upon a deserving student-athlete who exhibits courage, persistence and fortitude.
Nowak is also a first-time captain in 2025 after his promising 2024 season was cut short due to injury. The Wantagh, N.Y., native started the first six games last season, contributing nine goals and an assist, including a career-best five-goal performance against Queens on Feb. 28, earning him a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll. The redshirt sophomore also tallied a hat trick against NJIT on Feb. 3 and becomes the youngest St. John's lacrosse captain since Pratt in 2023.
"While we are all honored for them to represent us on the field, I am even prouder of who they are off of it, in our athletic and university communities at St. John's," Turri continued. They represent everything our program is about, Johnnies through and through. I can't wait to watch them lead this team to new heights."
The Red Storm will begin its 2025 campaign next Saturday, Feb. 8, at NJIT in a rematch of last season's opening-day matchup. Faceoff is set for noon from Newark, N.J.
