By Stefan Kubus –
With a new core leadership group appointed today in East Lansing by Michigan State Spartans head coach Tom Anastos, the Spartans are ready to begin their 2012-13 regular season.
Junior forward and Canton native Greg Wolfe has been named captain of the MSU hockey team, while seniors Anthony Hayes, Matt Grassi, and Chris Forfar have been appointed as alternate captains for the 2012-13 campaign.
“For any successful team, leadership is a critical component of success,” Anastos said. “Given that we have experienced such a significant turnover in the composition of our team from last season, we felt it was really important to allow our newcomers to provide meaningful input, as well as our veterans. Their insight helps identify what players compose the core leadership group of this team.”
In 69 games with the Spartans over his first two years, Wolfe racked up 13 goals and 37 points. He registered 11 points in his freshman season, while more than doubling his output to 26 points in his sophomore year. But it certainly wasn’t just offensive prowess that stood out to Anastos.
“Greg Wolfe represents all of the things that are important to Spartan hockey,” said Anastos. “It includes his commitment to academics, his community involvement, his ability to effectively relate to all of his teammates and his ability to inspire them. He’s not an overly vocal leader, but when he talks, his teammates listen.”
Hayes, a Canton native himself, has 11 points as a junior last season for the Spartans, improving upon the 11 points from his first two seasons combined.
Grassi, the lone defenseman on the Spartans blue line this season, missed the second half of last season with a concussion. In 80 career games, Grassi has recorded 16 points, a plus-eight rating and 79 penalty minutes.
In his first three seasons, Forfar scored 27 points in 114 games, including 11 last year.
“Anthony Hayes, Chris Forfar and Matt Grassi have all emerged as go-to leaders on this team,” Anastos said. “They are among are hardest workers on our team, our seniors, have a wealth of experience and are very respected by their teammates.”