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Mon Oct 27, 2008 5:50 pm EDT

Video: NCAA player scores natural shorthanded hat trick

By Greg Wyshynski

Friend of Puck Daddy The Two-Line Pass e-mailed us tonight and asked, "Why has no one mentioned this?"

After seeing this clip of Minnesota State hockey player Zach Harrison scoring a natural shorthanded hat trick against North Dakota back on Oct. 17, we're wondering the same thing. Amazing stuff.

From The Two-Line Pass:

Midway through the second period, Zach Harrison picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and broke in one-on-one with a NoDak defender, then wristed a nifty little shot past Sioux goalie Adam Walaski to make it 3-1 to Harrison's Mavericks.

In the third, he outhustled four Sioux on a power play breakout, got to a loose puck first, took it wide, and beat Walaski to put the Mavs up 4-1. Then, late in the game with two Mavericks in the box and an empty net 185 feet away, Harrison shoveled the puck out of the zone on a backhand and saw it bounce into the goal.

Natural. Shorthanded. Hat trick. Of all the things I've ever seen in spending my life around hockey, nothing has ever compared to how zany this is.

According to the Mankato Free Press, "only five other players" have done this in NCAA Division I hockey history. But the Hockey Hall of Fame wanted Harrison's stick from the game because this was the only natural shorthanded hat trick it could find in college hockey history. By far the coolest thing to happen to Minnesota State University since Craig T. Nelson.

H/T to The Two-Line Pass.

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24 Comments

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  1. Gary D
    1. Posted by Gary D Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:08 pm EDT

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    Speaking of empty net goals how do you NOT count that.All he did was backhand it out the zone.He wasn't even looking at the goal when he shot.Either way all those goals IMO were pretty sick.
  2. Chak
    2. Posted by Chak Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:27 pm EDT

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    Thats awesome, that second goal was really nice.
  3. Paul C
    3. Posted by Paul C Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:04 pm EDT

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    Thought empty netters didn't count anymore?
  4. Tuo
    4. Posted by Tuo Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:27 pm EDT

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    What an honor for the kid. One terrific night (and flat out hard work/hustle on the second goal) and he's already somewhat enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
  5. dave l
    5. Posted by dave l Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:45 pm EDT

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    sorry guys ... a NATURAL hat trick ... IS ALL THREE GOALS in THE SAME PERIOD ... not a goal in the second period followed by two goals in the third or any other combination
  6. Mojo Tooth
    6. Posted by Mojo Tooth Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:24 pm EDT

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    I'm not sure if this qualifies in the same "OMG" category, but I was immediately reminded of it. During the 2003-04 season, Portland Winterhawk winger Darrell May scored three overtime game winners in three consecutive regular season games in the WHL. That is, the 'Hawks had three games in a row go into overtime, and May had the game-winner in all three of them. It's rare enough for a team to get three OT games in a row, even more rare to win them all, and the fact that the same guy scored all three goals is unimaginable at that level of hockey.
  7. Stray B
    7. Posted by Stray B Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:45 pm EDT

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    sorry DAVE L, thanks for the caps lock, but a natural hat trick is 3 consecutive goals by 1 player, regardless of the period.
  8. !
    8. Posted by ! Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:59 pm EDT

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    A natural hat trick IS three goals in the same period OR three consecutive goals by the same player without a goal from the opposition, BUT it can also be 1 goal in each of the three periods by the same player.
  9. MONKEY MAN
    9. Posted by MONKEY MAN Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:32 pm EDT

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    I agree w/ Stray B. the goals only need to be consecutive with no other goals in between (from either team).
    pretty nifty feat
  10. LetsGoBuffalo
    10. Posted by LetsGoBuffalo Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:36 pm EDT

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    Actually no, a natural hat trick is 1 player scoring 3 goals in a row, no matter what periods they are in, as long as nobody from the opposing team OR their own team scores between them.
    So if someone on Minnesota State scored between 1 of those SH goals, it'd of just been a normal hat trick. But since nobody scored from either team between them, that's why it's a natural shorthanded hat trick.
    #9 is right also.
    But it's really cool to be asked for your stick to be put into the hall of fame when you are in college.
    Really great story to tell.
  11. Tim P
    11. Posted by Tim P Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:11 pm EDT

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    He's been watching too many Bobby Orr videos on you tube. :)
  12. Jake
    12. Posted by Jake Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:30 pm EDT

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    NO, a natural Hat Trick is the same player scoring three goals consecutively.
    If he scored the only 3 goals in the game and he did so in the first, second, and third periods.
    STILL a natural hat-trick.
  13. Michigander21
    13. Posted by Michigander21 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:35 pm EDT

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    Wow, that is awesome.
    I have always been a fan of college hockey. It is very dynamic product plus the college students in the stands make it a very pumped atmosphere (Except at DU, I have been to a few of their games and despite an "ok" students' section the crowd is composed of largely high tax bracket bores. It is much closer to watching a PGA event, and they don't even need anyone to hold up a paddle telling everyone to be quiet. They are definitely the exception to the rule, thankfully.).
  14. dylan b
    14. Posted by dylan b Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:50 pm EDT

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    Actually, everybody is right.
    There are 3 acceptable deffintions for a natural hat-trick, 1) a goal in each the first, second and third period, 2) 3 goals in the same period or, 3) 3 goals in a row by the same player without anyone on either team scoring in between.
    In my area, 2 is main opinion held by hockey fans as to what a natural hattrick is, only recently found out about the other 2.
  15. macduffman83
    15. Posted by macduffman83 Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:02 pm EDT

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    To my understanding the 8th poster was correct, there are 3 different kinds of natty's:
    A -- 3 consecutive goals throughout the periods
    B -- 3 goals within one period
    C -- 1 goal in each period
    The 3 consecutives is the most commonly known but these two variants exist as well.
  16. macduffman83
    16. Posted by macduffman83 Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:02 pm EDT

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    Oh, and PS: each goal was sick, and I definitely give credit for the blind shot from his crowded zone to the empty net. Some say that EN's shouldn't count for a hat trick because "anybody" can score an EN.
    Fair enough.... but can "anybody" shoot the puck (without looking) from their own, crowded zone (it was 6 on 3) and have it get into the opposing net?
    I rest my case. ;)
  17. firebird2k6
    17. Posted by firebird2k6 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:00 pm EDT

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    Doesn't "Natural" mean they were scored in the same period?
  18. firebird2k6
    18. Posted by firebird2k6 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:00 pm EDT

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    nm I guess that there are other definitions...
  19. hockeytown blood
    19. Posted by hockeytown blood Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:42 pm EDT

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    huh?!
    "only five other players" have done this in NCAA Division I hockey history...but this was the only natural shorthanded hat trick it could find in college hockey history.
    NCAA Div 1 = College Athletics?!
    5 people have done this before or not?
  20. Chris S
    20. Posted by Chris S Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:07 pm EDT

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    Three shorties in one game itself is amazing let alone in a row. Thats a natural if you ask me.wwo wwwwweqjjdbedbuwebd
  21. d0M #39
    21. Posted by d0M #39 Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:06 pm EDT

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    Natural hat trick = 3 consucitive goals by one player. the period doesnt matter. It doesnt matter a long as the opposing team doesnt score along with other team mates.
    GO BADGERS!!!
  22. neil
    22. Posted by neil Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:57 pm EDT

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    A NATURAL hat trick is 3 or more goals scored consecutively by one player without another player scoring.
    It does not have to be in 1 period.
    That said - it is hard enough scoring 1 shorthanded goal in a game let alone 3. Trull an amazing
    feat by that young man - he should feel proud.
  23. Billkamm
    23. Posted by Billkamm Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:26 pm EDT

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    I would like to see 3 short-handed goals in the same 2:00 min power play.
  24. tmr
    24. Posted by tmr Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:04 pm EDT

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    That was one of the coolest things I've ever seen in a hockey game. Awesome. That kid will NEVER forget that.

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