Buckeye Newcomer Spotlight: Jessica Dunne

Well-Rounded Athlete Set to Take on WCHA

Jessica Dunne – Defenseman, Chicago Fury/St. Louis AAA Blues

Hometown: O'Fallon, MO

DOB: March 1, 1996

What do you get when you combine a NCAA division I ice hockey defenseman, an all-conference high school basketball player, and a national talent in inline hockey?

You get none other than Jessica Dunne herself.

The daughter of Thomas and Tammy Dunne, Jessica is one of six Dunne children.

She has two brothers (Joshua and James) and three sisters (Jincy, Josey, and Joy). 

Two of the J's, Josh and Jincy, have made recent splashes in the hockey world.

Josh was recently taken in the first round of the USHL Futures Draft by the Green Bay Gamblers.

Jincy almost made history in becoming the youngest player to don the red,white, and blue for the U.S. Women's Olympic hockey team in Sochi as a 16-year-old.

Dunne will be reunited with former Blues teammate Katie
Matheny (pictured top left) at OSU

She was among the last cuts for the silver medal team.

Jessica herself has a goal to be on the team for the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

If both Dunnes are to be selected, it would be a treat seeing the sisters on the team, much like Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux.

Having both of them would send the talent level on that team through the roof.

As for now, Jessica has to focus on the challenges that await her in the WCHA.

Dunne attended high school at The Fulton School at St. Albans located in St. Albans, Mo.

It was there that she made her name, not as a hockey standout, but as a basketball star.

The multi-skilled freshman averaged over 10 points and 10 rebounds per game for the Eagles, earning her all-district honors for three years and a Metro Athletic Conference First Team All-Conference award this past season.

Jessica also played soccer and took part in track and field during her time there.

Her inline hockey talents are quite impressive as well.

Jessica was named to the USA Junior Women's Inline Team that competed in the FIRS Inline Hockey Junior Womens World Championships in Toulouse, France in July.

Dunne led the team to a silver medal while leading them in scoring with 10 goals and six assists in six games.

After spending a number of years with the St. Louis Blues AAA program, she played for the Chicago Fury last season.

The O'Fallon, Mo., native had four assists in 15 games played with the Fury who finished Tier 1 Elite League play with a 10-8-2 record.

Jessica will be reunited with former Blue teammate Katie Matheny at OSU.

They say the best athletes are the ones that can handle multiple sports.

The fans flocking to the OSU Ice Rink will find out how special of an athlete Dunne is very soon.