Before the start of this season, fifth-year attack Richie LaCalandra hadn’t played a full season of college lacrosse since 2022. Now, he’s the second leading scorer for St. Joe’s with 38 points through 10 games.

“I always knew I’d be back out there sometime,” LaCalandra said. “Getting this year back and being able to play and get out there has been huge for me, and it’s been what I’ve been looking forward to the past two years.”

LaCalandra started his career at Long Island University in 2020, where he was named Northeast Conference Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022. He transferred to Ohio State the offseason before the 2023 season, but played just four games before getting hurt and hitting the portal again.

After transferring to St. Joe’s from Ohio State, LaCalandra needed an NCAA waiver, a waiver he wasn’t granted, to play for the Hawks in 2024.

“We got to spend a year getting [him] into our systems and being a scout team player for us, which was awesome, having someone of his ability on the scout team,” head coach Taylor Wray said. “We knew that he was going to be a difference-maker for us this year. It wasn’t really a surprise to our coaches or the returning players on the team. We’re just happy to have him eligible and able to be out there on game day.”

Wray, who described LaCalandra as a “dynamic playmaker,” said he’s seen how the graduate student has become more comfortable within the offense in recent games. His teammates have become more comfortable with him, too, which helps the Hawks’ offensive production — and LaCalandra’s point productions as well.

“He’s got tremendous vision,” Wray said. “If guys can get themselves open, Richie can get them the ball, and he’s done a good job of that so far this year.”

LaCalandra’s stats prove that. He leads the team in assists with 18 and is tied for second in goals with 20. LaCalandra partially attributes that success to finally getting to play a full season.

“I didn’t want to look back or say, ‘I should have done this, I should have done that,’ ” LaCalandra said. “Now, it’s go time, and now I just got to show the world, and we got to show the world as a team, who St. Joe’s is.”

After the Hawks’ three all-time leading scorers in Carter Page, Levi Anderson, and Matt Bohmer graduated at the end of last season, having LaCalandra eligible for this season helped erase some of that loss, Wray said.

“It would have been great to have him last year, but we’re even more fortunate that he’s around this year and playing at the level that he’s playing at,” Wray said.

An 11-10 loss to Massachusetts March 29 snapped a seven-game winning streak for the then-No. 15 Hawks. LaCalandra, who tallied four goals against the Minutemen, said St. Joe’s knew the game would be “a dogfight.”

“I think UMass just stole one from us,” LaCalandra said. “It’s a good time to take a loss now in the first game of A-10 play and lick the wounds, get the wound healed for down the stretch for later in April.”

St. Joe’s has moved back into the win column with a 15-3 win over St. Bonaventure April 5. The Hawks are now 8-3 on the season and 1-1 in Atlantic 10 play. 

Before the loss to the Minutemen, LaCalandra had at least five points in each of the five previous games. He was A-10 offensive player of the week honors three times in four weeks.

The now-No. 19 Hawks will take on Hobart April 12, with LaCalandra two points shy of 200 for his career.

But despite an experience he “wouldn’t trade for the world,” LaCalandra would be willing to deal his accolades for one thing: another A-10 championship.

“At the end of the day, I would trade all those points, all those goals, anything for another A-10 ring, and I think that’s just the main focus,” LaCalandra said. “I’ve had some accomplishments from the outside, but personally, we haven’t done what we set out to do in the beginning of the season, and that’s win an A-10 conference championship.”

An earlier version of this article was first published by the Philadelphia Inquirer April 4 as part of the Inquirer’s college correspondent program.