The Kirkwood varsity hockey team did not dedicate its season to Jared Lemcke because he played hockey his entire life. They did not do it because he was the last of his four brothers to skate for the Pioneers. They did not even do it because he passed away in a motorcycle accident at 19. The team dedicated its season because Jared was Kirkwood hockey.
“Jared played with heart,” Logan Drake, senior and team captain, said. “He was a skilled player, but his heart outweighed his talent. No matter what game it was, Jared was working his hardest.”
Jared, who graduated in 2011, died in a motorcycle accident early in the morning on Nov. 13. Playing Kirkwood hockey was Jared’s life ever since kindergarten. According to his former teammates, he was a fearless player. He exemplified the kind of attitude head coach Cookie Griffin encourages his players to achieve: do not be afraid of anyone on the ice. Play with everything you have.
To Drake, dedicating the season to Jared’s spirit on and off the ice has brought inspiration for the team and comfort in the stands.
“This isn’t just for us. This is for so many more people,” Drake said. “We’re playing to heal people’s hearts. If we have a good season, if we play well, this can help a lot of people.”
Before the accident, the team was not playing with the competitive edge needed to win. Coming off of a shaky 0-2 start, they did not have the same drive that players like Jared used to bring to each game. Then tragedy struck. Though their old teammate left his life on earth, he rejoined his team on the ice.
“We were really struggling before the tragedy happened,” James Glunt, senior goaltender, said. “A tragedy like this forces you to come together. We all rely on each other as a crutch to lean on.”
In the wake of the Jared’s death, the team did not lose heart, they played like a group inspired, defeating Fort Zumwalt West 5-2 in their first game back. Jason Kuziel, former hockey team captain and one of Jared’s best friends, was in the stands.
“It was awesome,” Kuziel said. “I was extremely proud. You feel so much better when you’re sitting with the people who’ve experienced what you experience. Your old coaches and players are all together and you’re a part of something you know Jared would have appreciated.”
Though the crowd was packed with alumni and fans supporting the team and Lemcke family, the game was only one of a 21-game season. To coach Griffin, who has coached each of the Lemcke brothers throughout the last 20 years, keeping momentum is a daily struggle.
“When you have success, you have to remember how you got it,” Griffin said. “You can’t take a shift off. You have to play consistently.”
Hockey is a game of effort. Games are won by the extra stride heading into the corner for a puck. They are won by taking a shot a half second faster. They are won by knocking a winger off balance just a little harder. The effort Jared gave while he played is remembered by the number 11 jersey he wore throughout his career. That number is stuck to every helmet, patched on every jersey and permanently encased in the boards surrounding the Kirkwood Ice Rink.
“My whole life through hockey and school I’ve been looking up to Jared,” Drake said. “He’s giving us something to play for. He’s making us that much better.”
