Sunde twins set national hockey records for points, assists

Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) launched a hockey program in 1999, but never had a winning record until four years ago when the fraternal Sunde twins, Mark and Luke, arrived as freshmen.

Since then the Royals have won big and the twins culminated their careers recently by setting a pair of national records.

Luke, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound senior center, scored a national-record 399 points and finished No. 2 all-time with 243 goals. Mark, who is a 6-1, 185-pound senior wing, set a national record with 199 assists and finished No. 4 all-time with 352 points.

According to the National High School Record Book, both previous national records were held by Doug Wood of University (Grosse Point, Mich.). From 1987-90, he amassed 372 points and 195 assists.

Doug Fairchild, who previously coached in Canada, told MaxPreps, "My first year here we were 5-18. In Mark and Luke's freshman year we were 16-10-1 and won the school's first division championship. The overall record for the past four years is 73-41-4. We've moved up a division in difficulty each year for the past four seasons."

Fairchild had no difficulty seeing a great future for the twins when they arrived in his second year at the school.

He recalled, "When I saw them as freshmen, I could tell they had special skills. They are the real deal and they also play really well together. They play as well together as any two players I've ever seen. They have very different personalities. Mark is fun-loving and outgoing. Luke is kind of quiet and keeps to himself. Luke has got the scoring touch you just can't teach. Mark really sees the ice very well, is a very powerful skater and just an exceptional passer."

Luke said that their perfect fit "just happened that way. He sees the ice very well and we just kind of feed off each other."

Mark and Luke, who started playing hockey at age three, agree that they loved hockey from the beginning because it literally is in their blood. Their grandfather, Hank Bassen, and uncle, Bob Bassen, both had long careers in the National Hockey League.

"It definitely had a big impact on us," Luke said. "We always looked up to them."

The twins didn't know they had broken national records until they were informed by their sister, Rachel, who had been doing research.

"It was a good feeling," Mark said.

"It felt good — like I had accomplished something pretty great," Luke said.

Mark and Luke also play for Team Ohio and will be competing in a national tournament in Connecticut from April 3-7.

Though they have some college offers, they have decided to play junior hockey in Minnesota for a couple years with eyes on a possible pro career down the road.