Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team Announced
(Field and Franklin Earn Top-Scholar Honors)

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HAVERHILL, Mass. --  For a fifth straight year a new standard has been set in the classroom for the student-athletes of Atlantic Hockey as 129 have earned a spot on the All-Academic Team. The 129 student-athletes eclipses the mark of 124 that were honored after the 2006-07 season. In the fifth year of existence, 12 players earned their fourth appearance on the All-Academic squad, with a pair of student-athletes making their fifth appearance. In addition, 14 are appearing for the third time, while 42 are being honored for the second time.

This season a pair of student-athletes achieved perfection in the classroom. Seniors Mike Field (American International) and Brent Franklin (Holy Cross) posted a perfect 4.0 in both the fall and spring semesters to garner the Top Scholar Athlete Award for the 2007-08 season. Field was an entrepreneurship major at AIC, while Franklin was a chemistry major at Holy Cross. Both graduated in the spring.

A forward for the Yellow Jackets, Field also earns a spot on the Academic All-Star Squad along with Franklin a defensemen for the Crusaders. Joining Field on the frontline are senior Nick Kary, a four-time Academic All-Star Squad member and sophomore Dean Yakura, a teammate of Field at American International. Franklin is joined by fellow defenseman, sophomore Matt Fennell of Mercyhurst and in goal is freshman Jay Clark of Army. Both Kary and Fennell were on last year's Academic All-Star Squad, as well as being Top-Scholars.

Of the 129 student-athletes that were recognized as member of the All-Academic Team this season, 70 were members of the 2006-07 squad, and 32 are freshman. American International had a high of 20 members of the All-Academic Team with Holy Cross and RIT following with 17 apiece. RIT had the most returning members of the All-Academic Team with 11, while AIC followed with 10 players that appeared on last year's squad.

Of the 24 players that earned All-Conference and All-Rookie honors this past season, 15 of them were also named to the All- Academic Team. All six members of the First Team All-Conference lead the way on the All-Academic Team, while one member of the Second Team All-Conference (Greg Flynn, Air Force) was named to both. Five out of the six members of the Third Team All-Conference were named All-Academic, with five of the All-Rookie Squad garnering All-Academic honors.

To qualify for the Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team an individual must post a 3.0 grade point average or higher in all of the academic periods during which his team was actively competing. Atlantic Hockey's Top Scholar Athlete is an award given annually to the player or players who achieves the highest grade point average over the course of the academic semesters of competition.

The Atlantic Hockey Association was formed when nine institutions joined together in 2003, to found a new Division-I men's ice hockey conference. The league currently consists of ten members: Air Force Academy, American International College, Army, Bentley College, Canisius College, the University of Connecticut, the College of the Holy Cross, Mercyhurst College, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Sacred Heart University.

2007-08 Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team

 
Air Force (6/4):  Matt Charbonneau (Sr, D, Stillwater, Minn.); Eric Ehn (Sr, F, Dexter, Mich.); Matt Fairchild * (So, F, Ashburn, Va.); Greg Flynn * (Jr, D, Lino Lake, Minn.); Frank Schiavone * (Sr, D, Oceanside, N.J.); Mike Phillipich * (Jr, F, Lansing, Mich.).

American International (20/10):  Tomas Benovic (Fr, D, Trencin, Slovakia); Chris Bolognino $ (Sr, D, Carol Stream, Ill.); Chris Campanale * (So, F, Chester Springs, Pa.); Frank DeAngelis * (So, D, Woodbridge, ONT); Tom Fenton (Jr, G, Sarnia, ONT); Mike Field $ (Sr, F, Marquette, Mich.); Josh Froese (So, F, Winkler, MAN); Greg Genovese * (Sr, F, Hingham, Mass.); Andy Gevorkyan (So, F, Glendale, Calif.); Bryan Jurnyec $ (Sr, F, Orland Park, Ill.); Mike Little (Fr, D, Enfield, Conn.); Steve McLeod (Fr, F, Atikokan, ONT); Mike McMillan (So, F, Sault Ste Marie, ONT); Mark Pavli * (Sr, F, Sarnia, ONT); Dan Ramirez (Fr, G, Rochester, N.Y.); Chad Richardson (Jr, F, Regina, SASK); Jereme Tendler * (Sr, F, Viceroy, SASK); David Turco (Jr, F, Sault Ste Marie, ONT); Matthew Woodward # (Jr, D, St. Louis Park, Minn.); Dean Yakura * (So, D, West Vancouver, BC).

Army (15/9):  Aaron Anderson $ (Sr, F, Muskegon, Mich.); Jay Clark (Fr, G, Baudette, Minn.); Chris Colvin $ (Sr, D, Brunswick, Ohio); Luke Flicek $ (Sr, F, Burnsville, Minn.); Matt Hickey (Jr, F, Mendota Heights, Minn.); Bryce Hollweg $ (Sr, F, Langley, BC); Josh Kassel # (Jr, G, Greensburg, Pa.); Ian McDougall $ (Sr, D, Boxborough, Mass.); Zach McKelvie * (Jr, D, New Bridgton, Minn.); Biff McNally (Sr, F, Ridgewood, N.J.); Ken Rowe * (Sr, F, Faribault, Minn.); Will Ryan # (Jr, F, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.); Eric Sefchik (So, F, Brooklyn, Ohio); Joe Spracklen (So, G, Kennewick, Wash.); Mark Tilch (Jr, D, Silesia, Md.).

Bentley (11/5):  Joe Calvi (Fr, G, New Lenox, Ill.); Anthony Canzoneri # (Jr, F, Homer Glen, Ill.); Tom Dickhudt (Jr, F, Woodbury, Minn.); Brandon Graffunder (Fr, D, Brooklyn Park, Minn.); Jeff Gumaer (Jr, F, Webster Grove, Mo.); Jaye Judd # (Sr, D, Brandon, MAN.); Anders Olson * (So, F, Edina, Minn.); Erik Peterson (Fr, F, Minnetonka, Minn.); Dain Prewitt # (Jr, F, Westminster, Colo.); Jeremy Robert (Fr, F, Maplewood, Minn.); Paul Scalici * (Sr, F, Bingham Falls, Mich.).

Canisius (15/9):  Kyle Bushee * (Sr, D, Otsego, Mich.); Spencer Churchill # (Jr, F, Brantford, ONT); David Cianfrini * (So, D, Dundas, ONT); Cory Conacher (Fr, F, Burlington, ONT); Scott Follett $ (Sr, D, Hamilton, N.Y.); Chris Forsman * (So, D, Powell River, BC); Scott Jenks (Fr, D, Bathurst, NB); David Kasch % (Gr, F, Sault Ste Marie, ONT); Pat Kenney (Fr, F, Amherst, N.Y.); Andrew Loewen * (So, G, Winnipeg, MAN); Peter MacDougall (So, F, Lumsden, SASK); John Patera * (Jr, D, Edina, Minn.); Phil Rauch (Fr, F, Temperance, Mich.); Alec Wright * (So, F, Upper St. Clair, Pa.); Matt Zuke (Fr, F, St. Louis, Mo.).

Connecticut (3/1):  B.J. Bayers (Jr, F, St. Louis, Mo.); Brendan Olinyk * (So, D, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisc.); Matt Turner (Fr, F, Colo. Springs, Colo.).

Holy Cross (17/9):  Matt Burke * (Sr, D, Milton, Mass.); Matt Celin (Fr, D, Pittsburgh, Pa.); Ian Dams * (So, G, Manotick, ONT); Brent Franklin $ (Sr, D, Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.); Jamie Jelinek (Fr, F, Great Falls, Va.); Charlie Lockwood (Jr, G, Breckenridge, Colo.); Peter Lorinser * (So, F, Marquette, Mich.); J.P. Martignetti (Fr, F, Winchester, Mass.); Shane McAdam # (Jr, D, Hamilton, ONT); Bryce Nantes (Sr, F, Calgary, ALB); Frank O'Grady % (Sr, D, Kimberley, BC); Dale Reinhardt # (Sr, F, Livingston, N.J.); Adam Roy (Fr, G, Feeding Hills, Mass.); Everett Sheen (Fr, F, Lethbridge, ALB); Dewey Thomson # (Jr, F, Northbridge, Mass.); Matt Werry # (Sr, F, Regina, SASK); Mark Znutas (Fr, D, Emerson, N.J.).

Mercyhurst (13/7):  Kerry Bowman (Sr, F, Leamington, ONT); Dan Bremner (Fr, F, Sarnia, ONT); Steve Cameron (Fr, F, Mission, BC); Matt Fennell * (So, D, Melfort, SASK); Derek Fisher * (So, D, International Falls, Minn.); Matt Lundin (Jr, G, Apple Valley, Minn.); Neil Graham * (So, F, Calgary, ALB); Adam Faulkner (Jr, G, West Seneca, N.Y.); Kirk Medernach # (Jr, D, Cudworth, SASK); Bobby Phillips # (Jr, D, Carmel, Ind.); Chris Risi * (So, F, Thorold, ONT); Nick Vandenbeld * (So, F, Port Copuitlan, BC); Ryan Zapolski (Fr, G, Erie, Pa.).

Rochester Institute of Technology (17/11):  Brent Alexin * (So, F, West Seneca, N.Y.); Stephen Burns * (Sr, D, Newmarket, ONT); Matt Crowell * (So, F, Kelowna, BC); Darrell Draper (Sr, F, Tigard, QUE); Andrew Favot (Fr, F, King City, ONT); Mike Janda (Fr, F, Glen Ellyn, Ill.); Anton Kharin * (So, F, Twin Lake, Mich.); Simon Lambert * (Sr, F, Ste.-Therese, QUE); Al Mzur * (So, D, Burnaby, BC); Sean Murphy (Fr, F, Rochester, Minn.); Jesse Newman * (Jr, F, Westbank, BC); Brent Patry (Sr, D, Ottawa, ONT); Bobby Raymond * (Jr, D, Lucknow, ONT); Dan Ringwald * (So, D, Oakville, ONT); Jan Ropponen (Fr, G, Espoo, Finland); Brennan Sarazin * (Jr, F, Nepean, ONT); Matt Smith * (Sr, F, Toronto, ONT).

Sacred Heart (12/5):  David Berube (Fr, F, Quebec City, QUE); Adam DeJong (Fr, F, Kitchener, ONT); Stefan Drew # (Jr, G, Oakbank, MAN); Dave Grimson (Jr, D, Mozart, SASK); Nick Kary $ (Sr, F, Wetaskiwin, ALB); Corey Laurysen * (So, D, Ottawa, ONT); Alexandre Parent $ (Sr, F, Boisbriand, QUE); Matt Richards * (Jr, F, Ridgefield, Conn.); Gregg Rodriguez (So, D, Sunnyvale, Calif.); Olivier St. Onge (Fr, G, Wickham, QUE); Chris Wagner (So, D, Stratford, Conn.); Reade Wolansky (Fr, D, St. Albert, ALB).

Top Scholar Athlete
Brent Franklin, Holy Cross
Mike Field, American Int'l

Academic All-Star Team
Jay Clark, G, Army
Brent Franklin, D, Holy Cross
Matt Fennell, D, Mercyhurst
Mike Field, F, American Int'l
Nick Kary, F, Sacred Heart
Dean Yakura, F, American Int'l

* -- Two-Time Honoree
# -- Three-Time Honoree
$ -- Four-Time Honoree
% -- Five-Time Honoree