Ben Ryan Class: Freshman Hometown: Brighton, MI Height / Weight: 5-11 / 190 Position: Forward Birthdate: 10/18/1988 Last Team: Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)

Comes to Notre Dame after spending two seasons in the United States Hockey Leagues (USHL) with the Des Moines Buccaneers ... complete two-way player ... smart, intelligent and creative with the puck ... strong playmaker who finds the open man ... takes the body and finishes his checks ... has good hands and a nice touch around the net ... has shown a penchant for scoring big goals ... during 2006-07, led Des Moines to a 29-21-10 record and a first-round playoff upset of first-place Omaha ... was third in scoring on the Bucs' roster with 22 goals and 42 assists for 64 points ... scored 10 power-play goals with two game winners ... tied for eighth in the league in points, was 22nd in goals and eighth in assists ... ten power-play goals were 20th in the league ... added three goals and five assists for eight points in eight playoff games ... selected to the USHL Prospects/All-Star game along with Robin Bergman and Calle Ridderwall ... ranked 37th in NHL Central Scoutings final rankings ... selected in the fourth round, 114th overall by the Nashville Predators ... attended the U.S. Junior National Evaluation Camp along with current Irish freshmen Ian Cole and Teddy Ruth in August of 2007 ... spent the 2005-06 season with the Buccaneers and was fifth in scoring with 14 goals and 23 assists for 37 points in helping Des Moines to the 2006 Clark Cup championship ... had four goals and one assist in 11 playoff games with two game-winning goals, including the game winner in the championship game ... played on the USA Under-18 Select Team in August of 2005 ... came through the Detroit Victory Honda midget program where he was a teammate of incoming freshman Ian Cole ... had 31 goals and 36 assists for 67 points in 65 games with Victory Honda in `04-'05 ... one of 20 former USHL players playing at Notre Dame ... one of eight Michigan natives on the Notre Dame roster ... signed in the early signing period (fall of `06) along with Bergman, Cole, Billy Maday (deferred to `08), Brad Phillips, Ridderwall and Teddy Ruth.

PREP & PERSONAL: Graduated from Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa ... also spent two years at Detroit Central Catholic High School in Detroit, Mich. ... played golf at Central Catholic for two seasons and was a member of the state championship team in his freshman year ... full name is Benjamin Patrick Ryan ... son of John and Vicki Ryan ... has one brother and one sister ... born on October 16, 1988 in Detroit, Mich. ... enrolled in First Year of Studies ... plans on majoring in business at Notre Dame.