STAVROS
PASKARIS
Wayne State
Jr. | F | Dearborn, Mich.
Paskaris was the CHA Rookie of the Year as a freshman.
Key Statistics: Paskaris
took College Hockey America by storm in 2004-05, recording
12 goals and 33 points in 35 games to earn Rookie of
the Year honors. His production fell of the table as
a sophomore (6-9—15), but the Warrior coaching
staff doesn't fault his effort – an injury that
kept him out of six games really plagued him all season
long.
What He Does: One reason
Paskaris' production as a freshman caught many off guard
is that he's not a pretty player: you'll rarely be awed
by his skating or his moves. But he's highly intelligent
and has good hands. He's got a knack for finishing ugly
chances or setting up his teammates.
The Bigger Picture: Wayne
State's Greek god wasn't the only Warrior hampered by
injuries last year: they never once fielded a full lineup.
But Paskaris has been working out all summer and should
be at full strength. The Warriors are counting on his
return to form, along with Mike Forgie's comeback from
two fractured vertebrae that halted what had started
as a career year. Paskaris and Forgie are penciled in
to center the top two lines and could take the ice together
on the power play, counted on to provide offense especially
in light of Adam Krug's departure from the team this
summer.
Wayne State associate coach Willie
Mitchell on Paskaris: “He's very dangerous
and very smart around the net – a junkyard dog
type. He's scored some of the ugliest goals I've ever
seen, but at the end, he's raising his glove. He's always
smiling and has a very good attitude. He's a great team
guy.”
Paskaris was the CHA Rookie of the Year as a freshman.