Zach to play vs.BC

Wed, Oct. 15, 2003

UND MEN'S HOCKEY
Zach Parise hopes to play against BC
By Virg Foss
Herald Staff Writer

Will he or won't he?

That's the big question being asked in Grand Forks regarding the playing status of UND sophomore star Zach Parise for this weekend's men's hockey series with top-ranked Boston College.

Parise, who had 61 points as a rookie last season and was the first Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist as a freshman in school history, left Saturday's exhibition victory over Concordia (Que.) with a knee injury.

But according to Parise, there's a chance he'll be back in the lineup for the important nonconference series between the Eagles (2-0-1) and the fourth-ranked Fighting Sioux (1-0).

"I haven't gotten an MRI or anything. I've just been to my doctor, and he says everything looks pretty good," Parise said prior to Tuesday's practice. "They said it's healing faster than normal."

He said his injury has been diagnosed as a strained knee ligament. He said he may tape his knee for practices this week but won't wear a brace, and that no surgery is necessary.

That's good news for the Sioux, who count heavily on Parise to center their No. 1 line with Brandon Bochenski and Brady Murray on the wings.

Parise said he'll see how his knee feels in practice this week before a decision is made on whether he'll play this weekend. He still has some soreness in his knee, but the news regarding the injury is of great relief to him.

"I was really worried at first," said Parise, a first-round draft pick of the New Jersey Devils last summer. "The progress has been going well. I'm not nearly as worried as I was before."


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The Friday night game is on Channel 610, DirecTV.

Parise may be ready (http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/sports/hockey/7033911.htm)It looks as though Sioux sophomore star Zach Parise will play this weekend against Boston College. The Sioux received a major scare last Saturday when he left an exhibition game against Concordia of Montreal with a knee injury.

Parise, though, has returned to full practice this week. "I won't play him if he's not 100 percent," Blais said prior to the start of Thursday's practice.

Parise, though, went through two full practices on Tuesday and Wednesday without showing any signs of the injury. "Even on Tuesday, when we did a lot of power skating and agility drills, he was going to leave after that," Blais said. "But he felt good, so he stayed the entire practice."

Zach's line 0G, 1A, +3, 10-7 (FO)

NoDak beat #1 Boston College 6-4 scoring 4 in the first 7 minutes of the third to come from behind. Like the rest of his team, Zach had his best legs in the third. Nothing extraordinary tonight but his line outplayed BCs big line of Eaves/Voce/Eaves - they are probably the top two lines in NCAA right now.

They do it again tomorrow night but that one isn't on TV. :(

Zach Parise and his linemate Brandon Bochenski dominated Friday's game, with Bochenski getting 3 goals. Parise, as always, was flying. But he looked troubled by his knee after Saturday's game. He was shaking it constantly during the handshakes, and was talking to Coach Blais at the bench and moving it around. UND has no games until Halloween, however, so he'll have plenty of time to rest it.