--------------------official release------------------------------------------
MERRIMACK HOCKEY ANNOUNCES 1991-92 RECRUITS
Six Make Commitment To Compete For Warriors
 
North Andover, Mass. - The Merrimack hockey program enters its third season
of Division I competition next fall hoping to continue to climb the ladder
of Hockey East.  And Head Coach Ron Anderson is hoping that six incoming
recruits will have an immediate impact on the Warrior program.
 
Coach Anderson has received six commitments for next season, the Class of
1995.  The six have committed to play at Merrimack but are still subject
to admissions policies and procedures of the College.  Of the six, there
are three forwards, two defensemen and one goaltender heading to North
Andover next fall.
 
The incoming recruits are as follows:
 
Matt Adams, Forward, 5'11", 170 lbs, Andover, Mass., Pingree School
Mark Cornforth, Defense, 6'1", 190 lbs, Montreal, Que., Brockville Braves
Emmanuel Fernandez, Goalie, 6'0", 180 lbs, Montreal, Que., Lac St Louis Lions
Mike Flaherty, Defense, 6'0", 185 lbs, Arlington, Mass., Northwood Prep
Nick Forbes, Forward, 6'1", 195 lbs, Rockville, Md., Welland Aerostars
Brent Raftery, Forward, 5'11", 190 lbs, Andover, Mass., Lawrence Academy
 
Coach Anderson says that this group will definitely be an asset to the
Warrior program in the years to come: "We have some specific needs, and I feel
that this class will help us address those needs.  I'm excited about the
prospects of each incoming freshman, and they will complement our existing
personnel very well."
 
Merrimack will begin its third season of competition in Hockey East on
Saturday, October 26th when the Warriors host Alabama-Huntsville.  In addition
to the six incoming recruits, 23 lettermen will return to next year's squad
as well.
 
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Some comments:
 
o Anderson needed size, and this class definitely has that.  Several of these
  guys could get to be pretty big over the next year or two.  Anderson has
  to be hoping Cornforth and Flaherty can help erase the Orange Cone Defense.
 
o Again, Merrimack draws on its ties in the Montreal area, landing two solid
  recruits from there who will attempt to follow in the tradition of Rich Pion,
  Jim Hrivnak, Agostino Casale, Dan Gravelle, Guy Ragault, and Yannick
  Gosselin among others.
 
o As announced before, Anderson landed Adams from under the nose of Boston
  University; if Adams turns out to be a good one, it should go a long way
  towards rebuilding local interest in the team which drew near capacity back
  in its last years as an Independent.  Adams' home is 1.5 miles from the
  school.
 
o The big name here is goaltender Fernandez.  He's the guy I couldn't talk
  about before because he had not yet committed.  Like All-Everything Hrivnak,
  he is from Montreal; like Hrivnak, he has size and quickness.  Reportedly,
  the league he came from has produced only one goalie better than him, and
  his name is Patrick Roy...
 
 
- mike, counting the days (157)