With the discussion on two-sport athletes and academic accomplishments, this seemed like an appropriate thing to post. This can also be found on the Merrimack hockey web site under Press Clippings. The URL is http://www.tiac.net/users/machnik/MChockey/Clippings.html The following are from the Summer 1995 issue of Merrimack magazine. THREE NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAS Merrimack's tradition of the student-athlete is long and distinguished. Three student-athletes proved their excellence both on the field and in the classroom this spring, as softball All-America Judy O'Connell and baseball standout Chris MacDonald were each named to their respective GTE/College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America teams, while hockey and men's tennis star Mark Cornforth was named to the GTE/CoSIDA District Academic All-America At-Large squad. ... Cornforth was a two-sport standout throughout his career and an accounting major with a 3.36 GPA. He capped his brilliant performance on the tennis court for head coach Rick Edelmann by being named as the 1995 Northeast-10 Co-Player of the Year despite missing three matches this spring. His overall career singles record was 30-13, and he was the 1994 New England Singles Runner-Up. On the ice, Mark was a two-year team captain for the hockey team, scoring 77 points as a defenseman. He is also a four-time member of the Hockey East Academic Honor Roll. SUCCESS STORIES MARK CORNFORTH: PLAYING - AND STUDYING - TO WIN Passion for sports runs hot in Mark Cornforth's veins. The award-winning captain of Merrimack's hockey and tennis teams is more than just another college athlete. With a degree in accounting, Cornforth, alone among this year's graduates, has contracts pending with both the Big-Six accounting firm Peat Marwick in Boston and the American Hockey League. The journey to Merrimack for Cornforth was a long one, beginning in Montreal. To be considered for hockey scholarships in Canada, students must play in a hockey league. For Cornforth, joining one meant moving to Central Ontario, more than 100 miles away from home. At 16, Cornforth moved in with a host family. Such families, known as "billets", provide food, shelter and emotional support in exchange for a small amount of money. The transition from his birth family to his new family wasn't easy. "I didn't know who they were when I moved in with them," Cornforth says. "They were nice to me, though. They really wanted me to succeed." Cornforth got along well with his foster family, playing hockey with the couple's children in the basement. He also kept in frequent contact with his own family in Montreal. The emotional support both families provided helped him during the long, arduous competition to get into Ontario's Central Junior Hockey League. Since college scholarships are available only to league players, competition is fierce. But Cornforth, one of Ontario's best transplant players, made the cut. While playing in Ontario, Cornforth was courted by a number of college and university coaches. But Merrimack hockey coach Ron Anderson impressed Cornforth the most and managed to recruit the young all-star. Cornforth said farewell to his families, both natural and adopted, and prepared for a new life in the United States. Over his four-year hockey career at Merrimack, Cornforth totaled 77 points as a defenseman, scoring 17 goals and 60 assists. In addition, he was the tennis team's captain and number-one singles player. Success in sports translated into success in the classroom. He was a dean's list student, a member of the Hockey East All-Academic Team honoring hockey players for maintaining a 3.0 average or above (Cornforth graduated cum laude), and a co-recipient of the David A. Rafferty III Memorial Award, which recognizes athletic, academic and leadership achievement within the college community. "I've learned a lot at school, both on the ice and in the classroom," Cornforth says. "There is a direct relationship between school and sports. In both, you play for competition; you play to win. I approach school the same way I do, say, hockey. I compete to win." Recently, Cornforth completed a two-game contract with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League. As a free agent, Cornforth eagerly awaits his future. "I'm waiting right now to see if I get picked up by the AHL," he says. "Hockey is my first love, after all. Accounting, though" - he pauses for a moment of contemplation - "that wouldn't be so bad either." - by Christopher Cummings --- --- Mike Machnik [log in to unmask] *HMM* 11/13/93 ***** Unofficial Merrimack Hockey home page under construction at: ***** ***** http://www.tiac.net/users/machnik/MChockey/MChockey.html ***** ** Send comments/suggestions to: [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask] **