Super-Frosh Zach Parise Leads Sioux To Top Of WCHA
Parise leads the country with 2.14 points per game. |
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Jan. 22, 2003
BY JOHN GILBERT
Zach Parise is only a freshman, but he has taken the WCHA, and the nation's college hockey scene, by storm this season, while helping North Dakota vault back from a rare noncontending season into the thick of the title chase.
In fact, while going into an idle weekend (Jan. 24-25), the Fighting Sioux (10-1-5) are tied for first place in the WCHA with Colorado College (11-2-3). And Zach Parise shares the national collegiate scoring lead with Colorado College star Peter Sejna at 47 points. Sejna (25-22-47) is matched by Parise's 18-29-47, although Parise took three weeks off to star for the U.S. Junior National team over the holidays. Parise's 29 assists are one reason why Brandon Bochenski, his sophomore linemate, has 28-18-46, third in the nation in points, and first with 28 goals.
"I'm having a great time, and the season is going great," said Parise, an unassuming young man who just scored four points or more for the fourth time this season with a hat trick plus one assist in the 11-2 Sioux romp at Alaska Anchorage last Friday. He added an assist in Saturday's 3-0 sweeper, to extend his point-scoring streak to 12 games.
As if leading the nation in scoring wasn't enough, the versatility of Parise's play is underscored by breaking down his goals and points. In all games, he is fourth in the WCHA in goals with 18; he is second in assists with 29; he is fifth in power-play points with 6 goals, 11 assists and 17 points; and he is first in shorthanded points with 3-2-5.
Beyond the points, however, Parise is a complete player already, covering his man and finishing his checks on defense, even though those acts are overshadowed by his offensive skills, where he is always moving, always in the right place, and a compelling figure to command the attention of teammates, foes and fans every shift.
While his scoring touch seems heaven-sent, Parise can trace his work-ethic to his father. Jean-Paul Parise played most of his National Hockey League career with the Minnesota North Stars, where he became a fan favorite because of his constant hustle and irrepressible work-ethic. Tough in the corners, constant in his conscientious backchecking and always alert for any opportunity, J.P. Parise scored a lot of goals - and a lot of big goals, after which he was at his best in the dressing room after games.
"What about that goal, J.P.?" one of the gathering of reporters would ask. "Well," Parise would start, a serious look on his face, "I saw a small opening on the short side, so I dipped my shoulder and looked to the far side and then I shot for the opening."
As reporters would feverishly write down J.P.'s carefully detailed description of his key goal, he would let a sly smile spread across his face, then he'd laugh heartily. "Are you kidding?" he'd say. "I just put my head down and shot and it went in."
That routine would reoccur every time Parise scored, because scoring goals was always a bonus with J.P. Parise. A couple of decades later, when Parise had chosen as his retirement occupation the opportunity to lead the entire hockey operation at Shattuck-St. Mary's prep school in Faribault, Minn., he has guided a program that is unique among Minnesota high schools. Shattuck doesn't play in the vaunted Minnesota state high school structure, but instead plays nationally and internationally in an elite schedule, at the top youth age groups as well as high school.
The program has developed many outstanding prospects, but the one who has made the greatest impact at the next level is Zach Parise, J.P.'s oldest son. And while J.P. observed and nurtured Zach's developing talent from the start, there is no question that Zach will never adopt the familiar routine J.P. used to pull on the media when he scored. When Zach lets fly with a shot, he seems to know where the openings are and he hits them with great precision. In fact, meaning no disrespect to his dad, Zach Parise is being compared to current NHL standouts.
"People say Zach plays a lot like Paul Kariya," says Dean Blais, North Dakota coach. "But I think he's more like Peter Forsberg. Kariya and Forsberg are both great offensively, but Zach is more like Forsberg - first on the forecheck and he finishes every check."
Before going to Alaska, Zach Parise and the Fighting Sioux faced a huge test at Minnesota. With both teams ranked among the top five in the nation, North Dakota beat the Gophers 4-2, with Parise getting the game's first goal and assisting on two others. The next night, the Gophers shut down the Sioux 6-3, although the score doesn't indicate that two late Minnesota goals were empty-netters when Blais gambled to try to maintain North Dakota's unbeaten streak, which ended at 16 games.
It was a huge weekend for Parise, who was returning close to his Bloomington home for the first time as a collegian, and the Gopher fans were primed and ready. Parise had passed up Minnesota when he chose North Dakota and the fans were ready to let Parise have it in the first game, but Parise got the last laugh.
"It was awesome, I can't even describe it," Parise said afterward. "I had about 30 friends and family here. It was very emotional. The fans cheered when I got a penalty and booed when I got a goal. But I expected it. I thought it would be like Keith Tkachuk going back home to Phoenix."
Those NHL comparisons just keep on coming. Kariya? Forsberg? Tkachuk? All are worthy parallels, but for the present - and the future - Zach Parise being just Zach Parise will be all the Fighting Sioux want and need.
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