Christian O’Neill matures in USHL ahead of Princeton journey

Even the most ardent Christian O’Neill supporters would have been hard pressed to imagine the level of success he is having in his first season in the United States Hockey League.

The Westwood, Mass., native has 10 goals and 16 assists through his first 29 games with the Omaha Lancers. Skating at nearly a point-per-game pace in the USHL is quite an accomplishment, especially for a rookie coming into the league from prep school hockey.

It’s not as if O’Neill was a stranger to the scoresheet. He put up 19 goals and 23 assists in his senior season at Belmont Hill. His body of work in prep school earned him a commitment to play college hockey at Princeton, but the jump to the USHL is quite steep.

"The pace of hockey out here is a lot faster. The players you’re playing against have more size and skill than prep school," O’Neill explained.