Holy Cross Athletics

2020:

• Played in all seven games
• Won 96 faceoffs for a .662 winning percentage
• Ranked eighth nationally and second in the Patriot League in winning percentage (.662)
• Led the Crusaders to rank ninth nationally in faceoff winning percentage (.633)
• Holds the program’s all-time ground balls record with 230
• Picked up 51 ground balls
• Scored three goals, including a two-goal outing against Harvard (Feb. 25)
• Ranked third in the Patriot League in ground balls per game (7.29)
• Named to the 2020 NEILA All-New England Preseason second team
• Earned three Patriot League Faceoff Specialist of the Week accolades (March 9, March 2,  Feb. 3)
• Ranks seventh in career faceoff percentage among active career leaders (.629)
• Captained the team
• Season concluded on March 12 due to COVID-19

2019:

• Played in 13 games
• Won 199 faceoffs and owned a .665 faceoff percentage
• Ranked second in the Patriot League in faceoff percentage and sixth nationally
• Led the team in ground balls with 122
• Ranked first in the Patriot League and seventh national in ground balls per game (9.38)
• Named to the All-Patriot League second team
• Selected to the Patriot League All-Academic Team
• Became the first-ever Crusader to be named the Patriot League Faceoff Specialist of the Week (Feb. 18, April 8, April 15)
• Named to the NEILA All-New England Preseason second team
• Scored three goals
• Named the team's MVP

2018:

• Played in all 13 games
• Scored two goals
• Picked up a team-best 57 ground balls
• At the faceoff, went 151-263 for a .574 winning percentage
• Ranked 19th nationally in faceoff percentage (.574)
• Took all but six faceoffs for the Crusaders
• Led the Crusaders to rank third in faceoff winning percentage in the Patriot League
• Ranked fourth in the Patriot League in faceoff percentage (.574)
• Ranked seventh in the league in ground balls per game (4.38)
• Named Crusader of the Week on March 26
• Caused three turnovers
• Voted the team's Joseph M. Murphy III Rookie of the Year
• Member of the Patriot League Honor Roll

Before Holy Cross:

• Transferred from South Carolina after his freshman year
• Three-year member of the varsity lacrosse team for head coach John Pirani, leading the team in points each season
• Was the first player in program history to be elected captain both his junior and senior seasons
• Was awarded the Middlesex League MVP Award as a senior in 2016
• Was a Middlesex League All-Star in 2014 and 2015
• Was awarded 2016 Boston Globe All-Scholastic accolades along with 2016 Boston Herald All-Scholastic accolades
• Was a 2016 EMLCA Second Team All-American
• Team won league championships in 2014 and were state semi-finalists in 2016
• Set the school record for most career assists and is ranked second all-time in career points 
• Is ranked second all-time in single season points for his senior year performance and led the team in points in each of his years on the team
• Played four years of varsity hockey under head coach Bob Lavin as a center
• Served as team captain his senior year
• Was a Shriner's Hospital Massachusetts High School Hockey All-Star
• Team won the league championship his senior year
• Played one season of varsity golf under head coach Tom Walsh
• Was a member of the Sachems Leadership Club

Personal:

• Son of Christopher and Susan O’Connell
• Father Christopher played hockey as a member of the Army West Point Class of 1981
• Mother Susan graduated from Holy Cross in 1985
• Has one brother (Christopher) and one sister (Lauren)
• Great grandfather James A. Brennan (1913), grandfather Raymond F. Brennan (1952), aunt Kimberly Brennan (1980), aunt Christine Brennan (1987), cousin Nell Turner (2008) and cousin Molly Turner (2010) all graduated from Holy Cross
• A political science major