Release courtesy of Salem State Sports Information

Salem, Mass. -- Head men's ice hockey coach, Bill O'Neill recently received the William J. Stewart Jr. Award, which is given by the Massachusetts State Coaches Association, for service to high school hockey in Massachusetts. O'Neill, Salem State's head hockey coach for the past 37 seasons, is a native of Lynn, Mass., who was a hockey standout St. John's Prep in Danvers, before playing collegiately at Boston University, where he was a member of the 1977-78 national championship team.

O'Neill has been involved with the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), having mentored players and secondary coaches over the past four decades. O'Neill began his coaching career in 1980 as a graduate assistant at Norwich University, before becoming head coach of the Vikings in 1981. O'Neill has over 500 career wins, just the seventh coach in Division III to achieve this feat, and has coached Salem State to two Finals Fours, seven NCAA Tournament appearances, three ECAC East playoff titles and 21 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) championships.