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For University of Maine freshman defenseman Will O’Neill, the Jan. 10 game at Boston University’s Agganis Arena held more meaning than the other road trips.
O’Neill’s father, Bill O’Neill, was a member of the 1977-78 Terriers team that won BU’s third national title. He contributed seven goals and 52 assists in a 97-game college career. Teammates on the championship team included 1980 USA Olympic team members Jim Craig and Jack O’Callahan and BU women’s coach Brian Durocher.
“Obviously because my dad went there I was a BU fan, so I would always ask questions just being a curious little kid,” O’Neill said of his childhood.
The elder O’Neill is currently in his 28th year of coaching at Salem State College and has the 15th best winning percentage among active Division III coaches.
O’Neill hopes the deep young nucleus of the Black Bears can return UMaine to championship caliber status in the near future.
“With the young nucleus, in the coming years we should definitely be successful,” O’Neill said. “Even this year, we have such a great bunch of guys in the room. Everyone’s getting along – great leadership. People are trying to count us out this year, but you really never know. If we get into the playoffs, and it’s playoff hockey, it’s a whole new season.”
UMaine lost the midseason meeting 4-1, but O’Neill appreciated the support of family members in attendance and the renewed memories when the Black Bears took to the ice.
“The music and the sights and stuff like that, when I first got down there it was pretty cool, a big deal. It reminded me of when I was little and stuff, but once you get on the ice it’s a different story.”
The BU men’s team currently plays in Agganis, called Walter A. Brown Arena at the time Bill O’Neill played. The women’s team still plays in the aging arena named for the original owner of the Boston Celtics.
The Salem, Mass., native made an immediate impact with the Black Bears, beginning the season as a defenseman, and showed his versatility by moving up to center. O’Neill acknowledged there was an adjustment period with the position change but put team interests at the forefront.
“I’ve played a little bit of forward here and there. My first year of Juniors, I played a little bit of forward, a little bit of wing, but not for any length of time,” O’Neill said. “I’m just trying to contribute as much as I can to this team.”
UMaine coach Tim Whitehead cites the defensive depth of the team as a reason for the movement of O’Neill and junior Brett Carriere. He started the season as a defenseman but finished the season centering the fourth line.
“We’ve got such a strong core of defensemen who have stayed relatively healthy. We got to the point where we wanted to keep seven or eight defensemen in the lineup, regardless of what position,” Whitehead said. O’Neill’s “personality and his type of energy on the ice – he’s going to be a good player no matter where you put him.”
O’Neill moved back to defense when freshman Ryan Hegarty was injured at the end of the season. He was tied for sixth in team scoring with 16 points along with classmate Spencer Abbott and was second among defensemen behind senior Matt Duffy, who had one more point.
O’Neill was lured by several Hockey East rivals, including the University of New Hampshire, but sensed the most sincere “we like you” vibe from the UMaine coaching staff.
“It was a huge honor that Maine recruited me,” O’Neill said. “When I came up here for a visit, it just knocked my socks off. I thought it was just a great place, a hockey factory. Obviously the coaches were a huge reason why I came to Maine, and I’m really happy I came here.”
The Atlanta Thrashers of the National Hockey League selected O’Neill in the seventh round, 210th overall, of the 2006 entry draft.
“They kind of saw the player that I see in myself in the future, so it’s nice to get picked by a team that sees exactly what you are, and they’re not picking you to be something that you’re not,” O’Neill said.
O’Neill’s father tried out with the Boston Bruins but did not reach the professional ranks.
Prior to enrolling at UMaine, O’Neill skated for Tabor Academy and St. John’s Preparatory School, both in Massachusetts, and finished with the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League. He had five goals and 19 assists for 24 points in 58 games in his final season of junior hockey. He was also a member of the 2004 Under-17 Team USA Five National Cup Team.
“I just love the way he plays,” Whitehead said. “He’s got great heart and toughness, a great natural sense for the game both on offense and defense, and he can play in all situations – power play, penalty kill, first and last minute – and he’s a heck of a player.”
Bangor Daily News