Vlassopoulos ranked second on the Tigers with
23 assists last year, trailing only graduated
defenseman Jack Hillen. |
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Key Statistics: One of
only five Tigers to suit up for all 41 games, Vlassopoulos
emerged as a key figure on CC’s power play, where
his 11 assists and 12 points ranked first among forwards
and second on the team overall. His 31 points overall
tied for third on the team. He was named to the All-WCHA
Academic Team for the second consecutive year.
What He Does: Like many
hockey-playing natives of the Golden State, Vlassopoulos
learned the game near the beach on in-line skates. Via
that background, he takes pride in bringing a more creative,
European feel to the college game. Vlassopoulos says
his key attribute is patience: the ability to hold the
puck, draw opposing players toward him, then dish off
to a teammate. With 23 assists last season (best among
Tiger forwards) and a WCHA title to his credit, that
strategy seems to be working.
The Bigger Picture: The
downside to Vlassopoulos’ thus-far successful
college hockey career has been a string of abrupt endings
that have left him, and Tiger fans, wanting more. It
started with the first game of his freshman season,
in which Vlassopoulos went down with a season-ending
knee injury during a 6-1 win over Union and spent most
of 2005-06 as a spectator. After receiving a medical
redshirt from the NCAA, Vlassopoulos developed into
an offensive force for the Tigers, only to see the successful
2007-08 campaign come to an abrupt 0-3 end. He spent
the summer playing in an elite hockey league in El Segundo
(a Los Angeles suburb) alongside talented former Tigers
like Brett Sterling and Brian Salcido, and has concentrated
on improving his shot by shooting countless pucks on
the ice and in the family’s backyard. Vlassopoulos
said he looks forward to playing an important role in
the drive for a MacNaughton Cup repeat, and more.
Colorado College head coach Scott
Owens on Vlassopoulos: “Andreas is one
of our best puck distributors due to his excellent vision
and his offensive creativity. I expect him to finish
a little bit more, to increase his goal totals. His
shot is the one area he can work on, shooting more and
harder.”
—
Jess Myers |
