Lynch forging his own path at RMU
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Luke Lynch grew up in the shadow of his brother Zac, Robert Morris hockey’s all-time leading scorer. But that never stopped Luke from wanting to compete with his brother in just about everything, from video games to the sport they love to play. In fact, the brotherly competition is what Luke points to most when describing how he became one of the NCAA’s top scorers in Division I hockey this season.
“He was the older brother so I always had to be gritty to beat him in anything,” Luke said.
Little brother is now at Robert Morris, too. He’s not so much following in Zac’s footsteps as forging his own path. Luke is off to a scorching start to his sophomore season. He is tied for sixth in the NCAA in scoring with nine goals through 13 games.
And he’s not far off the record-setting pace his brother set from 2012-16. Zac, who is now playing for the Manchester Monarchs in the East Coast Hockey League, tallied 156 points his stellar four-year career.
“One thing you have to realize is that Zac and Luke are cut from the same mold, but they’re different players,” Robert Morris coach Derek Schooley said. “He’s driven by the success of his brother, but he wants to make his own name.”
The Lynches grew up in Shaler and excelled in hockey from a young age. Zac, who is four years older, developed into a highly skilled player who could play with a physical edge when need be. Luke developed into a prototypical power forward whose game is built around his physicality.
Schooley has recruited and coached many brothers during his time at Robert Morris. In each case, he was careful not to reward the younger brother simply for being related to the talented older brother. Even though Luke displayed many strong qualities as a high school player, he wanted to watch him develop.
After graduating from Shaler, Luke played junior hockey for two years for the Johnstown Tomahawks in the North American Hockey League, where he scored 29 goals and registered 56 points in 2015-16. He signed with Robert Morris in January of 2016.
“It would have been unfair to Luke if we had taken him just because he was Zac’s brother,” Schooley said. “You wouldn’t be setting him up to succeed; you’d be setting him up to fail. Fairly or unfairly, he’s always going to be compared to Zac. You wanted to make sure he could stand alone on his own merit and be a contributing member of our hockey team.”
Luke has done that, and it hasn’t taken him very long. One big difference between NCAA hockey and other NCAA sports is how players are recruited. Many NCAA hockey players play junior for two years before signing with a Division I program. When they arrive they are expected to perform and produce.
Zac accumulated his points at Robert Morris by being equal parts goal scorer and playmaker. He finished his career with 56 goals and 89 assists, which ranks second in the school record books.
Luke isn’t known as a playmaker. He relies on others to set him up. But Luke’s ability to quickly find his niche in NCAA Division hockey has been impressive.
“He’s been a huge influence on me,” Luke said. “I learned so much from him, but we play a different style. He sees the ice better than I do. I’m probably more physical. We’re the same height, but I have about 10 pounds on him. We have different body types. He can eat all the desserts he wants and won’t gain weight. I have to watch what I eat a little more.”
Upon the conclusion of his senior season at Robert Morris, Zac went straight to the American Hockey League to play for the Portland Pirates and then the Springfield Thunderbirds before being sent to Manchester, where he remains one of many Robert Morris alumni playing professional hockey.
Luke would one day like to follow his footsteps to the professional ranks. In the meantime, he might someday threaten Zac’s place in the school record books.