The Illinois State Redbirds welcome Connor O’Neal to the family!
O’Neal, a 5’9″ 170 lb. forward is a Milwaukee, WI native. He will join the Redbirds in the 2024-25 season after playing three seasons for the West Bend Power in the NA3HL.
Connor explained that he chose ISU because, “It is close to home and I wanted to play for a competitive program that fit my goals.” He intends to major in finance.
When asked who his favorite coach was, O’Neal said, “Coach Matt Murray because he developed me into who I am today.” When asked who his biggest supporter was, Connor said that it is his grandpa. O’Neal expressed his biggest goal was during a game against the Granite City where he scored the game winning goal in the shootout. Connor stated his favorite hockey memory was, “winning the NA3HL’s Central Division and going to the Fraser Cup.”
O’Neal expressed that he is looking forward to making new friends and creating new opportunities. Connor’s favorite food is pork carnitas. O’Neal has 2 siblings: an older sister; Mackenzie and a younger brother; Hunter. When asked what animal Connor would want to be, he said he would be an eagle because he’d be on top of the food chain, and he would be able to fly.
“We’re extremely excited to add Connor to our group. He is an excellent two-way player with leadership experience that will help him be successful at the college level. His competitiveness and experience are going to set him up to make a major impact for our team!”- D1 Head Coach Chris Prewitt.
If you’re interested in playing for ISU Hockey, we encourage you to fill out our Recruit Form under the team tab on our website!