The clock hits 8:07 a.m. and Lucas Mercuri’s alarm sounds to start his day. It’s Saturday, March 8 and the final regular season game of his collegiate career is in 11 hours and 23 minutes.

Just like any other day, a cold shower is first on his list to boost muscle recovery and reduce inflammation while also abruptly waking up the alternate captain for the rest of his day. Before heading to the Mullins Center, he makes his usual breakfast: eggs with another protein on the side, Greek yogurt and a handful of supplements including zinc, fish oil, vitamin D and magnesium. 

Lucas saves the skating for the evening, heading to the gym for a quick workout to start. Associate head athletic trainer Marc Paquet helps the senior with back recovery and leg flushing, keeping him physically prepared for the game later in the evening.

After a midday yogurt bowl, the mental preparation begins. He sifts through his stack of self-help books, including Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life by Jim Murphy and Be Where Your Feet Are: Seven Principles to Keep You Present, Grounded, and Thriving by Scott O’Neill, and sits down to focus before making his pregame meal (fish, usually salmon, with rice) and taking a pregame nap.

When 3:37 rolls around, Lucas is at the rink, typically the first Minuteman to step foot in the Mullins Center.

“Seven’s always been my [lucky] number,” Lucas said, despite claiming he’s not superstitious.

As the rest of the team rolls in and Lucas is finished taping sticks and taking a cold tub, he sits in the stands to “soak everything in,” surveying a nearly empty Mullins Center from up above. Heading back down to the locker room, it’s time to focus his attention on the team and his game.

As the go-to guy in the huddle as seconds tick down before puck drop, he surveys the vibe of the team in the locker room to prepare his message. Whether the Minutemen “need a little kick” to fire them up or a message to ease them, Lucas always figures out the right thing to say.

“I don’t want the message just to go stale so I try to keep it short and sweet, but [also] have a message that’ll hit home a little bit,” Lucas said. “… The theme usually is ‘We’re a brotherhood, we have a really tight team and that we’d do anything for each other, so let’s go out there and sacrifice everything and see how it goes.’”

Before taking his position in the middle of the pack around the net, though, Lucas turns inward to keep himself level-headed during the starting lineup announcements and “The Star-Spangled Banner” while practicing positive self-talk.

“I try to tell myself that I’m really confident and that I’ve put in the work to be where I am and not to put my mind anywhere else … Be where my feet are and be present,” Lucas said. “… All the hours in the gym, sacrifices, things like that, they just pop up into my head before stepping out for the first faceoff … Just giving me the juice to be confident in my A-game.”

In between periods, he tells the team to put the last 20 minutes behind them and focus on what’s next. No matter what the stats say, no matter what the score is, there’s still more game to be played.

“He’s one of the guys that tries to keep us even-keel,” sophomore Nick VanTassell said. “Like if we’re losing by a lot, he’s like ‘Alright boys let’s go. We’re not down here.’ [If] we’re up by a lot, ‘Let’s everyone stay focused. The game’s not over until the last buzzer.’”

Whether a win or loss, Lucas’ postgame routine remains consistent. Once he’s finished stretching and rolling out, he gets his protein in and uses his PEMF Therapy Mat, an electromagnetic pulse mat with infrared light to help reduce inflammation, improve blood circulation and improve concentration long-term. At the start of the 2024-25 season, he and captain Linden Alger each bought one to use nightly.

Even though Lucas said “The boys will make fun of me for [the mat],” his habits and lifestyle have been admirable for the rest of the team. While influencing them to buy the PEMF mat hasn’t stuck, Lucas’ orange, Nerf goggle-like blue light glasses have been a hit among the Minutemen.

Lucas’ diet, especially though, has had his teammates turning to him as a resource. 

Growing up, his mother Dina Osman always cooked, and he took the skills he learned from her over to Amherst. When at the counter or stove, he takes his mind away from the ice and puts it into something productive to improve his health. He puts his phone away, turns on some music and works on the new recipe in front of him.

Recently, he and Alger have been “big on the steaks … [Lucas] makes probably the best steak I’ve ever had.”

Lucas stays away from the grill and prefers a cast iron – another new addition to his home at the start of the 2024-25 season. Butter and thyme leaves hit the pan and after he flips the steak once, he begins basting it. He cooks each side for three minutes on medium-high heat, adds some garlic and usually pairs the finished steak with sweet potato fries.

The recipe’s been such a hit that his teammates will flock to his house requesting a steak, sometimes keeping Lucas at the stove until 10 of them are fed.

“It’s fun, but having 10 guys over, I smell absolutely brutal after. I smell like a New York strip,” Lucas said laughing.

When the Minutemen aren’t in search of a meal, they turn to Lucas for help with their diets. He points them in the right direction depending on their current goals, telling them the right amount of carbs, protein and fat they should be eating per meal and how many calories they should be eating per day. In addition, he sends them his own meal plans, whether it’s for bulking, cutting or maintenance.

“Right away, you could tell he was going to be a leader here. The way he lives his life is like a professional all hours of the day: he takes care of his body, his eating habits, the stuff he does at the rink, the stuff he does away from the rink,” Alger said. “It’s really inspirational and he wears off on guys … you can see now that he’s a senior, almost everyone on the team looks up to him and takes a few pages out of his book.”

Game day preparation doesn’t just start on the first day of the series, though. Lucas’ routine is consistent week-to-week, starting on practice mornings.

Those are reserved for his individual skating time (after his cold shower, breakfast and supplements). He starts his day shooting pucks, working with assistant coach Tom Upton, taking it upon himself to get some personal ice time in or riding the bike.

He then heads to his only class of the semester, an independent study with Dr. Richard Halgin of the Psychological and Brain Sciences department. With Halgin, he sets a reading schedule to stay on top of his pile of books. When he returns to the rink around noon, he focuses on his reading, writing reports on each book throughout the spring to really engage with the material, get the most out of each chapter and apply it to his own life.

Whether it’s meditating, journaling or reading (Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth is currently on his reading list), self-care is one of his top priorities. Taking the time to understand himself better has helped him be more comfortable and confident with himself on and off the ice.

When practice time rolls around, he spends an hour in the gym with sports performance coach Mike Vaughan, recovers by rolling out and stretching and works on his speed. On Mondays and Wednesdays, he’s in the shooting room before heading to the sauna. He switches it up on Tuesdays and Thursdays, taking a cold tub for recovery instead.

On the ice during practice, he looks forward to three-on-three battle drills that keep his mind sharp in making quick decisions and working on speed. Another one of his favorite drills, “Denny,” helps him with his power play habits in a four-on-two compact space.

Regardless of the drill, though, Lucas remains a vocal leader for the team that holds his teammates accountable – a role he stepped into as early as his sophomore year and eventually being voted an alternate captain as a senior alongside his best friend and four-year roommate Ryan Lautenbach.

“It’s important for the younger players to see how the older players live their lives and Lucas is the shining example. How he eats, the mental toughness that he brings to his game, what he does to build that mental toughness, just his discipline,” head coach Greg Carvel said. “… he lives his life like a pro and it’s unusual for kids when they get here and it’s pretty eye-opening.”

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UMass wasn’t always on Lucas’ radar. In fact, he knew very little about college hockey before attending Salisbury School in Connecticut. 

Attending Salisbury was his first time playing for a team outside of Canada. As for his father Joe, he had to experience his only child being away from home for the first time. 

“He was very excited for the opportunity. He always wanted to continue pursuing a proper education and be able to nourish the sport that he loves,” Joe said. “… That was an adjustment period for me because I didn’t have my son at home all the time, but it was all good, it was the right thing for him to do to pursue the NCAA route [and] could ensure himself into having a good education while pursuing his dreams.”

Still, Joe traveled down to Connecticut every weekend for two years to support Lucas. During COVID-19, when Lucas went to the United States Hockey League’s Des Moines Buccaneers, Joe visited when he could with the pandemic guidelines.

While with the Buccaneers in 2020, the Carolina Hurricanes drafted Lucas in the sixth round. 

“The day he was drafted, I remember it like it was yesterday,” Dina said. “… It was just hard because we couldn’t be there with him, but we had him on FaceTime … I lost my voice from the screaming and of course we were very proud of his accomplishment.” 

Beginning his college hockey search soon after, Lucas’ main priority was staying as close to home as possible. Without knowing much about the NCAA scheme, he committed to the University of Vermont, excited to be just an hour-and-a-half away from home. When Kevin Sneddon stepped down as head coach at Vermont prior to his arrival, Lucas reconsidered his decision and decommitted from the Catamounts.

Carvel heard from Lucas’ agent soon after, and immediately started the recruiting process.

“The minute [Carvel] … approached me, I was just ecstatic right away. I heard of the blue-collar work ethic that UMass has … and I just knew right away that I wanted to be a part of that,” Lucas said.

He came into the program with skill and proved to Carvel right away that he would soon be a leader. As an incoming freshman, Lucas learned about the ins-and-outs of UMass hockey and campus life from a veteran group, including his mentors Bobby Trivigno and Colin Felix. He made it his goal to be the same guide and vocal leader for the younger players after him, even as a sophomore.

After being voted an alternate captain for his senior year, his leadership only grew. He remembered how important Trivigno and Felix were as mentors for his development and made sure to be the same role model for incoming freshman and centerman James Duerr.

“[Lucas] was awesome. He reached out to me in May and set up a phone call … [he] told me everything about UMass hockey and showed me the ropes and he’s helped me every step of the way,” Duerr said. “He talked to me all summer [and] told me what I need to be doing, working out wise, skating wise, just how I need to be as a character, like what I’ll bring to the team.”

For returning underclassmen like VanTassell, Lucas continued to be a teammate to look up to and follow. Though VanTassell keeps the alternate captain on his toes and keeps the energy light, Lucas’ demeanor helped him develop as both a player and person. Even from the outside, players like Lautenbach see how VanTassell has modeled his game after the senior.

“Me and Mercs are pretty opposite when it comes to being in the locker room. I’m usually the loud guy and won’t really shut up, then he’s pretty focused. I think it’s a good balance for both of us. Like, for me, he’s a guy that when I sit next to he’ll kind of get me ready for whether it’s practice or workout or a game, and then I’m a guy that’ll loosen him up,” VanTassell said. “… But especially for me being a young guy, not understanding how college hockey worked last year, he’s definitely helped a lot.”

Throughout the season, he wasn’t only a resource and leader for the team, but a player every forward wanted to be on a line with. 

“He’s an honest player and he does the little things and he goes to the net and he earns pucks [and] he plays big in the corners,” Carvel said. “There’s guys that you like to play with because they just do all the little things hard and they do them right, play with integrity, [don’t] cheat the game.”

“He’s captain for a lot of reasons and [if] you … get into the deep analytics, whatever line, whoever’s playing with him is [at the] top … you follow his lead and he creates space, he creates offense … [He’s] on the long list of kids that come through here and [grow] up a lot and learn the right way to play the game … everybody wants to play with him.”

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Lucas first put skates on at two years old. By four, he had a hockey stick in his hand, skating around the outdoor rinks littered throughout Montreal, specifically Dollard Civic Centre, the Junior AAA Lac St. Louis Lions’ rink.

“When I was a little younger I figured I was a pretty decent player … My dad always said ‘As long as you’re having fun and working really hard then you can do it for the rest of your life. You just got to keep working,’” Lucas said. “So, I kind of took that advice to heart and [I] just try to have a really good work ethic and I have great teammates to push me [at UMass] … I’ve always just loved the game so much.”

Now, even as a 22-year-old, Lucas returns to Dollard Civic Centre in the summers. Though he isn’t preparing for a weekend series, he knows there’s still work to be done and improvements to be made.

Monday through Saturday at 6 a.m., Lucas and his friend group back in Quebec, including American Hockey League players Justin Hryckowian, Devon Levi and Yaniv Perets, wake up to start their day with a workout. While usually a strength session, he throws in hot yoga, spin and pilates every now and then. After his workout, he makes sure to get at least one skate in, if not two.

But his passion doesn’t exist without his support at home. Both Dina and Joe have pushed him to be the best player and person possible, making sure he knew his dreams were achievable with the right amount of hard work and determination. Joe made it his mission to make nearly every game of Lucas’ career from around Canada to Connecticut to Amherst and the rest of Hockey East.. 

“It’s a four-and-a-half-hour drive [to Amherst],” Lucas said. “When he’s here … almost every game, I quickly remind myself that he drove here and that it’s a big sacrifice and it for sure motivates me a little more when your family comes in and supports you. It means a lot.”

“Nothing I would rather do than drive [down] there and watch my son play,” Joe said.

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While Lucas’ collegiate career ended in Fargo, N.D., falling to Western Michigan in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, his senior season success was an ode to his diligence.

“When you leave [UMass], you should be part of the legacy and if you aren’t, then you haven’t reached your potential, you haven’t given what you should to the program – and Lucas, he’s earned that part of the legacy,” Carvel said. “… like a lot of kids, he’s grown tremendously as a hockey player, as a person, as a leader.” 

“He’s proven to me over and over again his commitment [to] all the values that we have. The desperation he plays with on the ice, the integrity, the toughness, the sacrifice … When I think about our program and the kids that [have] come through here, he’s near the top.”

Lucas played in all but one game for the Minutemen over his four years, tallying 85 points on 28 goals and 57 assists over 148 games.

“It means a lot. Carvie and I have a really good relationship, we’ve won a lot of games together,” Lucas said. “… In the end, I’m so grateful for everything this program’s given me [and] everything Carv’s given me. He’s played me a lot, but he’s made me earn absolutely everything in my time here. I don’t think anything’s been given to me. He made me work for it and I couldn’t ask for a better coach and better mentor in my life.”

Lucas opted to not sign with the Hurricanes following his NCAA career. He was traded on March 30 to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 2025 sixth-round draft pick. Lucas signed his two-year, entry-level NHL contract starting in the 2025-26 season. 

“It’s exciting to see my boy signing for his dream,” Dina said. “On a scale of one [to] 10:11.”

He will play the remainder of this season on an AHL tryout with the Syracuse Crunch. 

“I’m ready to take on the next challenge and I feel like UMass has prepared me … to go on, tackle the world … I’ll miss this place with all my heart. I heard it’s a lot different entering pro hockey, kind of being in the meat grinder, but it’s something I’m not going to shy away from. I’m very prepared, I’ll be ready for it, I’m excited,” Lucas said. “… My younger self would be happy.”

Sydney Ciano can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter/X @SydneyCiano.