April 26, 2006

QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's men's lacrosse team concludes the 2006 campaign Saturday at DaSilva Memorial Field when it battles ECAC foe Fairfield. Faceoff is slated for 7 p.m. Recently, senior defenseman and Red Storm captain John Kutner checked in with www.RedStormSports.com to answer some questions about himself, the team and the season.

RedStormSports.com: When did you start playing lacrosse?
John Kutner: I started in kindergarten. Everyone in my town was playing it; it was the popular sport to playing my town. I played everything but football; lacrosse baseball, basketball and soccer. I chose lacrosse because you can take it into college. That's the advice my high school coach gave us. It's a good sport to help get into some of the best colleges.

RSS: Do you have any pre-game rituals?
JK: No. I'm not superstitious at all.

RSS: What has your overall experience been like since joining the St. John's lacrosse team?
JK: It's been great. I got in contact with Coach Sowell and even though I live close by, I had never been to the St. John's campus. I came here, loved it and I thought it was a great opportunity to start a new program and a new tradition.

RSS: What is it like playing for Coach Sowell?
JK: He's great. He instills a great work ethic in the players, teaches you about life, not only on the field but off the field, and how hard you have to work in order to get something done that you want. He's a great teacher, but he's always concerned with your best interest.

RSS: What has it been like to be the team captain?
JK: It's been tough with so many younger players around, but I think having less upperclassmen made the freshmen and sophomores grow up a little quicker. They have to learn the ropes faster than everyone else because they can be put on the field immediately. It has been difficult not being able to relate to anyone who's graduating as well. I mean this isn't their last game coming up on Saturday, but it's been fun.

RSS: What do you want to do after you graduate from St. Johns?
JK: Well, I have another two years at St. John's to get my Master's degree in accounting. After that, I hope to do real estate development. This summer I have a job working with a St. John 's alum, who is doing real estate and he asked me to work with him this summer to get to know the business.

RSS: What's your favorite St. John's memory?
JK: I don't have one in particular, but overall it's playing the games and going out to practice everyday and just being able to compete and actually enjoy it. It was different for me. I had taken two years off from lacrosse. I had stopped liking the sport, so coming here helped me to start enjoying the sport again and get me back into competing.

RSS: Is there a particular game that stands out?
JK: I would have to say Georgetown this year. We dug ourselves into a hole but didn't quit, for three out of four quarters we actually beat one of the top teams in the nation. If it wasn't for the slow start, perhaps, things could have been different. It is nice to be able to say that we ran with the best. We were head to head with them.

RSS: Do you have a favorite road trip while at St. John's?
JK: The Georgetown spring break trip was fun this year. It was fun getting away and being with the entire team for a few days. It was also near a lot of the guys hometowns, so we got to go to their houses and hang out. It was fun for the five days.

RSS: What's your favorite lacrosse memory?
JK: Winning the state championship my junior year of high school.

RSS: What is your favorite sport other than lacrosse?
JK: To play, I would have to say basketball and waffle ball, but to watch, it's baseball.

RSS: What is your favorite thing to do when you're not playing lacrosse?
JK: Hang out. I'm into water sports, like water-boarding, skiing. That's what I do all summer on the weekends, hang out on the beach. If I'm not playing lacrosse then I'm playing some other sport.

RSS: What's your favorite TV show?
JK: The Shield.

RSS: What's your favorite movie?
JK: Tommy Boy.

RSS: What's your favorite food?
JK: It's a toss up between hot dogs and steak.

RSS: What's your favorite non-lacrosse team?
JK: New York Yankees.

RSS: If you could go on vacation anywhere, where you choose?
JK: Cutchogue, Long Island. That's where my family's summer house is. It was nice growing up there.

RSS: Who has been the most influential person in your life?
JK: My father Harry. He has always acted like a best friend as well as a father. He was always the one who played sports with me. He hasn't missed a single lacrosse game in college. He runs all the tailgates at the games as well.

RSS: Do you have any parting thoughts?
JK: The team is young. I feel that people don't give them much of a chance as quickly. The team is basically composed of all freshmen and sophomores and they're competing with some of the top teams in the nation. With another year under their belt, and with some help from the incoming freshman class, hopefully they'll be beating some of those top teams we lost to this year by only a goal or so. I want to be able to look back at the team and be able to say that I helped it grow.

-Red Storm-