College Crosse 2017 Dissections: #68 St. John’s Red Storm

As the offseason continues, we’ll take a look back at the 2017 season for each individual team in our 2017 dissections. The individual team dissections will go in reverse order of my final Power Rankings from the end of the season. If you missed any of our team or conference recaps, you can check them out here.

Our next team up are the St. John’s Red Storm!

St. John’s Red Storm

Conference: Big East
2017 Record: 1-13 (0-5 in Big East play)
Head coach: Jason Miller (11th Year)

Statistical Leaders

Goals: Joe Madsen (20)
Assists: Scott Scannell (12)
Points: Joe Madsen (25)
Face-offs: Paul Tornatore (67-of-139; 48.2%)
Ground balls: Jack McClellan (33)
Caused turnovers: Pat Smyth (11)
Goals against average: Daniel Costa (13.96 GAA)
Save percentage: Daniel Costa (44.2%)

Personnel Losses

Key seniors departing: Jackson O’Leary (7G, 3A), Nick Heller (15G, 5A), Scott Scannell (6G, 12A), Kyle Skramko (28GBs, 7CTs), Dante Addona (12GBs, 10CTs), Jack McClellan (33GBs, 9CTs)
Senior scoring departing: 60 of 165 (36.4%)
Senior starts lost: 48 of 140 (34.3%)

Season Summary

Ever since Kieran McArdle graduated, the Red Storm have been bad. Three wins in 2015, two in 2016, and just one win last season. They barely got past Siena thanks to a Joe Madsen goal with 27 seconds left in regulation.

Last season, the Red Storm scored double-digit goals only twice. 13 in the win over Siena and 12 in a loss to Denver. Their offense struggled mightily in 2017, as their 7.07 goals per game were second-worst in the nation, just in front of NJIT.

If you thought the offense was bad, their defense was worse, giving up a nation-high 14.07 goals per game. That’s 0.44 goals worse than Hampton’s mark. Even though they had impressive games against Syracuse and Hofstra (nine goals against in each game), they gave up 23 against Yale, 18 to Denver and Villanova, 17 to Marquette, 16 to Rutgers, and 14 to Georgetown. Counting their 15 given up to Providence, St. John’s was outscored 97-34 in Big East contests. Yikes.

The losses of Heller, O’Leary, Scannell, and Addona isn’t what the Red Storm need. But they do have hope in younger talent. The Madsen brothers brought some chemistry between each other as freshmen, while Colin Duffy and Jason DeBenedictis also return on offense. Smyth and Tim Kiel started alongside Addona for all 14 games of the 2017 season, and have a year under their belts. Smyth and Addona both recorded double-digit caused turnovers. Daniel Costa should return as a senior in net.

The Red Storm also added former Yale Bulldog Brendan Gibson as a volunteer assistant.

What’s Ahead?

The Red Storm didn’t have one player on either All Big East team, so improvement will have to happen in 2018. They have a young gun on offense and defense in Joe Madsen and Smyth, so if Jason Miller can build around those two guys, they should be back to contending in the Big East very soon.

Both units need a ton of work, but if Miller can find his next McArdle in Joe Madsen or someone else, St. John’s should be able to fight in games until the very end.

The face-off battle between Justin Corpolongo (44.3%) and Paul Tornatore (48.2%) will also be something to watch out for. Will one of these guys break away from the other, or can both FOGOs make significant strides at the X?

Below are who the Red Storm will be adding next year.*

*Compiled amongst numerous sites with players listed as St. John’s commits. Schools usually officially announce their recruiting class during the fall semester.