Squamish’s Jarid Lukosevicius scored a record-breaking hat-trick for the University of Denver Pioneers, securing the NCAA championship game for his team at 3-2.
“It felt like a dream – kind of a blur to be honest,” said Lukosevicius of the victory against the University of Minnesota Duluth. “I’ve trained all my life for that one moment. And I’m sure everyone on our team has, and I think that’s why we came on top.”
The sophomore hockey player scored all three goals in the second period, marking the first time someone has tallied in a hat-trick during a championship game in more than 20 years.
Lukosevicius put on a dazzling display against the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs.
For his first goal, the 22-year-old whipped the puck through the middle of the ice, slipping it past the shoulder of the opposing netminder, Hunter Miska, at the 15:16 mark.
Seconds later, at the 15:00 mark, teammate Troy Terry handled the puck through enemy territory, making it right up to the net where Lukosevicius was able to jam the puck between the posts.
“Luko-savage-icius,” exclaimed the announcer, as The Pioneers embraced the Squamite. “He’s a savage.”
“Troy Terry made a hell of a move and I was just in front of the net,” said Lukosevicius. “I just happened to be there and I tapped it in.”
The 16-second interval broke a record, making those two goals the fastest successive scores in NCAA tournament history.
Lukosevicius’ final score was a rebound off the opposing goaltender, after an initial shot from Terry, who had sped around the net to slap the puck at Miska.
For Todd Lukosevicius, Jarid’s father, the end-of-game buzzer was pure elation.
“I had more hugs in one minute than I probably had in all my life,” he said.
It was at that moment he was able to justify a lot of sleepless mornings.
“All those four o’clock in the morning practices have been erased,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t know what would top this right now.
“My son had his path since he was 14 years old and he stuck to it,” he continued. “I got to give him credit.”
But the joy was not Todd’s alone – he said local parents have reached out to him, offering congratulations and inquiring if they could have their kids talk to Jarid and learn how to balance ice time with school.
“That, to me, is very special,” Todd said.
The excitement was also shared by Jarid’s mother, Shelly.
“I think I just about threw away my phone,” she said with a laugh, referring to her fist-pumping reaction at the end of the game.
At one point, the excitement was so great that she was visibly shaking, she said.
“We’re over the moon,” she added.
Before getting into the NCAA, Jarid played for the Powell River Kings.
A graduate of Howe Sound Secondary School, he stepped into the limelight with the Denver Pioneers in 2015.
