Aug. 10, 2007

CHICAGO - The entire Loyola University Chicago community is mourning the sudden death of former water polo standout, Dan O'Connell. O'Connell, 43, who was inducted into the Loyola Athletics Hall of Fame in 1991, was the greatest water polo player to ever wear the Maroon and Gold and was widely regarded as the top player in his sport to come out of the Chicago area. O'Connell died in a tragic automobile accident in California on July 15.

"The loss of Dan O'Connell is a tremendous loss to both the water polo and Loyola communities," said Rich Norman, former Ramblers assistant coach and current principal at Senn High School. "Dan was the greatest offensive player to come out of Chicago in the last half century. The fact that he chose to stay home and attend Loyola instead of going to a school in California meant a lot to our school. Dan had a commitment to the city and to Loyola. Dan was a role model for players for many years. This is a tremendous loss. He was a wonderful player, a tremendous offensive scorer and a real team leader. Dan will be missed by all of us."

At Loyola, O'Connell was a four-time All-American, twice earning second team honors. During the 1983 NCAA Championships, he led all goal scorers with 13 tallies for the Ramblers. After this collegiate playing days in Rogers Park, O'Connell was a member of the U.S. National Water Polo Team and was a member of the New York Athletic Club. He graduated from Loyola in 1986 with a degree in finance.