My name is Michael O'Neil, and I am a right-shot defenseman who relocated from Florida to Alabama with my family during the summer of 2023 following my mom's retirement from active duty after 24+ years in the US Air Force. I attend Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, MA, as a boarding student for the 2023/24 academic year, and have re-classed to be a sophomore again which delayed my graduation year to 2026. For my hockey this season, I played split-season for the Central Mass Penguins 16U "AAA" National team, and I currently am a member of the Cushing Penguins Varsity B team in the NEPSAC.
I am 5'8" tall and 165 pounds and can play either side as a defenseman, but generally play on the right-side. My parents were both in the military for over 20 years, so I have moved around a lot (including living in Germany for 2.5 years). From my earliest memories, my parents instilled in me a very strong, yet humble, work ethic. Whatever I do, I do to the best of my abilities; if it is a team event, the team comes first, always. Hockey and lacrosse are my two main team sports, and I have earned varsity letters in both my freshman and sophomore years of high school. Individually, I am a PADI certified advanced open water scuba diver with a NITROX certification, and continue to advance my skills and certifications each year with the goal of becoming a rescue diver and divemaster. I was a member of the National Junior Honor Society in middle school, was an active cadet in the Civil Air Patrol, and a member of the National Honor Society for my accomplishments during my freshman and sophomore years. Academically, I have an unweighted 4.0 GPA / weighted 4.38 GPA after completing my sophomore year in Florida, where I was on the honor roll and finished with straight "A"s even though I took classes more advanced for my grade level (eg Pre-Calculus Honors, normally a grade 12 course) and have completed both AP Human Geography and AP World History - Modern, receiving a "5" on both AP exams. With my academic and hockey path taking me to Cushing Academy for 2023/24 and beyond, I made the decision to reclassify back to be a sophomore again even though I have excelled with my studies up to this point; I will still be advancing to the next level in my academic classes although I will still be a sophomore. I felt that an extra year of development at Cushing Academy in an outstanding environment for both academics and athletics would have benefits of extreme value for me personally.
After graduating from Cushing Academy in 2026, my goal with hockey is to play junior hockey for a club which will continue to develop my skills. After 2 years of juniors, I would like to play collegiate hockey at a school with strong science and math degree programs while pursuing my undergraduate degree.
Sincerely,
Michael O'Neil
Statistic | 2022 Florida Allian | 2021 Varsity Team | 2021 Tampa Jr. Bull |
---|---|---|---|
+/- | 15 | 15 | 65 |
Assists | 5 | 6 | 26 |
Game Winning Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goals | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Points | 7 | 7 | 28 |
Short Handed Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Games Played | 7 | 28 | 60 |
Record | 4-2-1 | 23-7-2 | 50-9-3 |