Dunlop makes early mark on Irish squad
By MATT OLIVA
Sports Writer
As the Notre Dame hockey team struggled through a slow start to the 1999-2000 season, there have been a few bright spots.
An Irish rookie, however, shows signs of brilliance.
Freshman center Connor Dunlop, from St. Louis, Mo., has appeared in all 12 Irish games and is tied for the team lead with seven points (one goal, six assists).
While Dunlop has had a hard time putting the puck in the net at the early stages of this season, he found other ways to make an impact and help the Irish turn around their season.
"He distributes the puck very well," Irish assistant coach Andy Slaggert said of Dunlop, who leads the team in assists. "His play opens up the ice for his teammates and he is also a very physical player for his size, which a lot of people don't expect. He makes his line better by the way he sees the ice and distributes the puck."
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Dunlop has a strong hockey past. His father, Blake Dunlop, played 11 seasons in the NHL, including stints with Minnesota, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Detroit.
Connor played two seasons for the USA Developmental Program, totaling 46 goals, 56 assists and 85 penalty minutes in 136 games. He was also named alternate captain for the USA under-18 national team.
Dunlop's experience and leadership has not gone unnoticed by the Irish coaching staff.
He has seen significant playing time on Irish power plays, penalty kills and at the end of games when the Irish need to win crucial face-offs.
"Connor is a winner," said Irish assistant John Micheletto. "He has the mentality that he wants to be out there in big situations. He knows what he needs to do to make the team win."
Dunlop has played well during the recent Irish sweep of Alaska-Fairbanks, hitting the crossbar during Notre Dame's 1-0 victory last Friday.
"Anytime a freshman steps up his scoring it motivates the other players, especially the upperclassmen," said Micheletto. "Everyone plays harder and they count on him to contribute."
Dunlop is proving why his Notre Dame class is one of the nation's best.
"His future will be determined by him," said Slaggert. "His potential is limitless, at the college level and possibly beyond. We are trying to recruit competitors like him and we will have a lot of success if we do that. Coach Poulin has improved the skill level dramatically and we want to continue that trend to make us better."
All Sports Stories for Friday, November 19, 1999
