Luke Chakrabarti had two points through six games for the Vermont State University Castleton Spartans men’s ice hockey team. He felt that was “a really slow start to the season.”
Then last weekend he exploded for four goals and four assists helping the Spartans earn two wins. That performance led to the Creston Valley Thunder Cats alumnus being named the Little East Conference Player of the Week for the week ending November 23, the Spartans announced in a release. He says it was nice getting recognized.
“Through the first six games I was generating chances for myself and my linemates, even leading the conference in shots on goal, but nothing seemed to be going in,” he says. “This past weekend the dam just broke and things were finally going my way, and hopefully this isn’t the last time I get player of the week.”
The sophomore led his squad to a 4-3 overtime win against UMass Boston on Friday, posting two goals, including the game-winner. On Saturday night, Chakrabarti upped the ante with two goals and four assists in the team’s 9-5 rout of UMass Dartmouth.
Chaktrabarti is now tied for the team lead in goals with five and is second in points with 10.
“What I liked the most about the way I played was that our whole team had a hate-to-lose mentality. We dropped two games the weekend prior that we had a late lead in, so this weekend we needed to do everything we could to get both wins – there was a sense of desperation throughout our whole lineup that was contagious and allowed me to break out of my slump,” he says. “I knew I just had to keep playing with confidence and swagger, and eventually the scoring would come in bunches. It was a huge weekend for our KIJHL alums as David Coyle (Revelstoke Grizzlies) and Cam Reid (Kimberley Dynamiters) both found the back of the net, and Tyler Burke (North Okanagan, Sicamous, Grand Forks) had a few points this weekend as well.”
Chakrabarti and the Spartans return home on November 28 as they host their annual Terry Moran Invitational. Last season, Chakrabarti earned Tournament MVP honours after leading his team to a 7-6 overtime championship win, finishing with three goals and three assists.
