(above) Luke "The Goal Czar" Salazar has been the biggest surprise in the WCHA so far this season
Photo Credits: Helen H. Richardson
From: Denver Post by Mike Chambers
The price to play for the University of Denver hockey team ranges from nothing to $44,300. On game days this season, the only player paying the maximum is freshman wing Luke Salazar.
What a deal for DU, considering that going into the weekend series against Colorado College, Salazar led the country in freshman scoring, averaging 1.40 points per game, and leads the fourth-ranked Pioneers with two game-winning goals. He also provided the team's second goal Friday in the Pioneers' 2-2 tie with CC.
The Thornton native is what DU calls a "nonscholarship recruit," paying $44,300 this school year for tuition, books, housing and meals. He turned down scholarship offers at Alaska-Anchorage, Northeastern and Western Michigan to "pay to play" at DU, hoping to prove he deserves a scholarship after his freshman season. [read rest of article]
What a deal for DU, considering that going into the weekend series against Colorado College, Salazar led the country in freshman scoring, averaging 1.40 points per game, and leads the fourth-ranked Pioneers with two game-winning goals. He also provided the team's second goal Friday in the Pioneers' 2-2 tie with CC.
The Thornton native is what DU calls a "nonscholarship recruit," paying $44,300 this school year for tuition, books, housing and meals. He turned down scholarship offers at Alaska-Anchorage, Northeastern and Western Michigan to "pay to play" at DU, hoping to prove he deserves a scholarship after his freshman season. [read rest of article]
2 comments:
Nice article by Chambesr on Teh Goal Czar :-)
It really is an amazing story.
Trying to recall a Freshman player that has had a bigger impact from the get go in recent years.
Maybe Paul Stastny in 2004-05 or Brock Trotter in 2005-06. Stasny had 17 goals and 28 assists in 42 games his Freshman year [Stastny had 0 goals and only 1 assist after 6 games]. Trotter had 3 goals and 2 assists in 5 games before getting hurt against North Dakota is maybe comparable.
Stastny was ranked the #4 overall forward recruit by Inside College Hockey and Trotter was the 10th ranked forward the following year.
Salazar is a story of a classic late bloomer that found his groove in his final season of Juniors. Similar situation as Adam Berkhoel. Problem is, all the college hockey powers have doled out all their scholie offers 12 months previously.
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