Sean Romeo, who played goalie for Ohio State from 2016-19, died on Saturday, the school announced.
Romeo’s death was the result of a stroke suffered Oct. 15, the school said. An organ donor, Romeo donated his heart, lungs, liver and kidneys, according to the school.
Romeo, 31, earned his bachelor’s degree in finance at Ohio State in Spring 2019. He was part of the Buckeyes’ 2018 NCAA Frozen Four team and 2019 B1G championship team. He earned the NCAA Elite 90 Award with the highest grade-point average among student-athletes at the 2018 Frozen Four. He was a Senior CLASS Award Top 15 candidate in 2019, a three-time Ohio State Scholar-Athlete and two-time Academic All-B1G honoree.
After two years at Maine, Romeo transferred to Ohio State. After sitting out the 2016-17 season to satisfy then-current NCAA transfer rules, he earned Second Team All-B1G accolades and was the first Buckeye to be named a Mike Richter Award semifinalist. He was selected the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Midwest Regional, as he led the Buckeyes to their first NCAA semifinal trip since 1998.
Romeo was the first goalie in Ohio State history to record shutouts in three straight starts and ended his career fourth in program history in career goals-against average (2.22), tied for fourth in career save percentage (.919) and tied for fifth with five career shutouts. His 22 wins in 2018 are tied for second for a single season in Ohio State history, while his 2.06 goals-against average and .927 save percentage that year ranked fourth all-time.
A memorial service will be held Nov. 9 in Cary, N.C., the school announced.