--------------------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. ------------------------------- - 30 - --------------------------------------- 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)