AMHERST — Ivan Chukarov has played in every hockey game this season since missing the first two with an injury for UMass.
His role has fluctuated throughout the year, though, as he has bounced between the third defensive pair and being UMass’ 19th skater. It’s put a limit on his ice time as a senior, so it’s not often he finds himself in the moment he took advantage of Saturday.
In front of a sold-out Mullins Center crowd, Chukarov tied the game with a shot from the blue line through traffic that easily beat Quinnipiac goalie Keith Petruzzelli. His first goal in nearly two years electrified the crowd and sent the Minutemen (13-2-0) on their way to a 3-1 win over the Bobcats, then the No. 8 team in the country.
“He’s been through some ups and downs here,” coach Greg Carvel said after Saturday’s win. “He’s sometimes been the seventh defenseman and a senior on a very young team. He’s a good kid who does everything right and you’re just happy to see him get rewarded.”
Chukarov has battled through plenty of adversity during his four years in Amherst. He stayed at UMass after a coaching change following his freshman year, suffered through a five-win season his sophomore year and then watched as the young core Carvel brought in took over the program the past two years.
But the Buffalo Sabres’ seventh-round draft choice in 2015 was ready for his moment Saturday. Chukarov said the goal gave him some confidence, but was more proof to him about what he needed to do moving forward.
“I just got to keep working,” Chukarov said Saturday. “The opportunity now having scoring a big goal like that, it feels good, it feels like the hard work has been paying off, but I still have a long road ahead of me.”
Chukarov wasn’t the only UMass senior who shone on Saturday, though. Forward Kurt Keats, a scrappy fourth-liner who has played in just half of UMass’ games this season, used his grit to make an impact on the forecheck. His constant pressure in the offensive zone created several scoring chances and helped the Minutemen dominate possession.
He played well enough that Carvel moved him to the third line for the third period. He almost sealed the game with an empty-net goal, barely missing the target after UMass forced a turnover in the neutral zone.
“He’s been tremendous,” Carvel said. “When you’re a senior forward and you’ve basically been in and out of the lineup and then you force the coach to play you and then you force the coach to move you up the lineup, that’s kind of like Chukarov, it’s a feel-good story for me.
“When he’s not been in the lineup, he’s been an absolute perfect teammate, he’s had a great attitude and he just shows up every day. He knows what he is, he’s not a high-skill guy, he’s a high-character kid who can be a little pitbull out there and make things happen.”
The improvement in the three seniors who were on Carvel’s first team at UMass has been a large part of the Minutemen’s first-half success. Brett Boeing has garnered most of the attention for his hot start to the season, but Chukarov and Keats have both made meaningful contributions for the Minutemen.
As UMass gets set to host No. 18 Yale on Tuesday, Carvel said seeing his veterans raise their level of play has been a joy to watch. And when those efforts are rewarded like they were Saturday, it adds another reason to celebrate after victories.
“It’s not often that our seniors are the ones we’re applauding at the end of the game,” Carvel said. “But to see Chukarov (score) and Keats was outstanding, it’s just another element that makes you feel good about the weekend.”
MINOR SLIP: UMass fell just one spot to No. 2 in the U.S. College Hockey Online poll Monday after splitting a home-and-home weekend series with then-No. 8 Quinnipiac.
The Minutemen received nine first-place votes as St. Cloud State rose to No. 1. In the USA Hockey poll, UMass stayed steady at No. 2 with six first-place votes. Quinnipiac is now ranked No. 5 in both polls.