El Paso Goaltender Holahan makes NCAA DI Commitment

Photo Credit: Shae Herman

The El Paso Rhinos of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) are proud to announce that goaltender Brendan Holahan has committed to play NCAA Division I hockey for Union College in the ECAC.

The 6’3 netminder from Connecticut is heading to New York to play for Union College in the fall. Holahan is a first-year goaltender in the NAHL. He started his season with the New Mexico Ice Wolves, hitting the ice in six games. Following his stint with New Mexico, he was acquired by El Paso and made his Rhinos debut in early February. He played in the blue paint for El Paso in 18 games, and featured a .906 save percentage. His best performance came in late March, where he stopped 45 out of 46 shots against the Corpus Christi IceRays, helping El Paso secure a 4-1 victory and their first win against Corpus Christi that season. In that game, he spotlighted a 1.00 goals against average and a .978 save percentage. 

Holahan shared on social media his excitement to join the ice hockey program. 

“I am proud to announce my commitment to play Division I hockey at Union College. Thank you to my family, coaches, and teammates who helped make this possible!”

Head Coach of the Rhinos, Mike Rivera, shared more on Holahan’s work ethic and dedication to hockey.

“We couldn’t be happier for Brendan. He joined us midseason, coming off a major surgery, and already had a Division I commitment. Unfortunately, the surgery is what led him to lose his original commitment, but his ability to secure a second Division I opportunity in the current landscape speaks volumes to his ability as a legit Division I goalie. Brendan worked hard to get his rhythm back post-surgery and was unbelievable for us down the stretch and through the playoffs. He’s an extremely athletic goalie who can make the big save and is technically sound. We look forward to watching him excel at Union.”

Holahan is one of eleven members of the El Paso Rhinos to make a college ice hockey commitment.

Click here for an updated NAHL to NCAA commitment list