Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Official Athletics Website

David Brown And Wes O'Neill Take Honorable Mention Honors On CCHA All-Rookie Team

March 8, 2004

Farmington Hills, Mich. – Notre Dame hockey players David Brown (Fr., Stoney Creek, Ont.) and Wes O’Neill (Fr., Essex, Ont.) have received honorable mention honors for the 2003-04 CCHA all-rookie team.

The Notre Dame duo were among 12 CCHA rookies to take honorable mention honors with Michigan, Michigan State and Miami each placing two players on the team. Named to the team were forwards Matt Christie and Marty Guerin of Miami, forward T.J. Hensick and defenseman Matt Hunwick of Michigan and defenseman A.J. Thelen and goaltender Dominic Vicari of Michigan State.

For the Irish, Brown has proven to be a standout in goal this season. In 24 games, Brown owns a 13-6-3 record with a 2.12 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage. In CCHA games, Brown was 11-5-3 on the year with a 2.19 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. His four shutouts this season are a Notre Dame single-season record. He has been named the CCHA rookie of the week four times and CCHA defensive player of the week once during the 2003-04 season. In October, Brown was named the Hockey Commissioner’s Association’s (HCA) national rookie of the month and then followed that with honorable mention honors in January and February.

O’Neill, who just turned 18 on March 3, moved into the Irish lineup and proved to be one of the team’s steadiest defensemen all season long. In 34 games, O’Neill has two goals and eight assists for 10 points. His +7 is fourth best on the team and tops among Irish defensemen. In 28 league games, the Essex, Ont., native has two goals and eight assists for 10 points and has a +8 plus-minus that ties him for tops on the team.

Brown and O’Neill and their Notre Dame teammates open the CCHA playoffs on Friday, March 12 at the Joyce Center when they host the Western Michigan Broncos in the best-of-three first round playoff series. The Irish finished fifth in the league standings with a 14-11-3 record and were 18-12-4 overall. Western Michigan was eighth with a 12-13-3 league record and a 16-16-4 overall mark.

2003-04 CCHA All-Rookie Team
Matt Christie Forward MiamiMarty Guerin Forward MiamiT.J. Hensick Forward MichiganMatt Hunwick Defenseman MichiganA.J. Thelen Defenseman Michigan StateDominic Vicari Goaltender Michigan State

Honorable Mention Forwards: Tom Goebel (MSU), Darin Olver (NMU), Curtis Fraser (UAF); Andrew Schembri (OSU), Scott Parse (UNO), Paul Szczchura (WMU). Defensemen: Wes O’Neill (ND), Jonathan Sigalet (BGSU), Giovanni Flamminio (FSU). Goaltenders: David Brown (ND), Jeff Jakaitis (LSSU), Brandon Crawford-West (MIA).