New Mexico Forward Earl makes NCAA DI Commitment

Earl was selected as a Top Prospect for the South Division

The New Mexico Ice Wolves of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) are proud to announce that forward Andy Earl has committed to play NCAA Division I hockey for Lindenwood University.

The 6-foot righty from the State of Hockey, Earl will join the Lindenwood Lions in the fall. The ‘05 forward is a second-year skater of the Ice Wolves. Earl was one game shy of playing in every regular season game. The Chanhassen, Minnesota native laced up for 58 contests and tallied a team-leading 30 goals and 37 assists for 67 points. His regular season totals put him at 1.16 points per game, ranking him as one of the top scorers in the NAHL. Four of his tallies were game-winning goals, with six goals scored on the man advantage. The 20-year-old showed up on the scoresheet in 42 regular season games, regularly featuring multi-point contests.

Earl went into detail on what it means to secure a commitment with the Lions program.

“I am proud and honored to announce my commitment to play Division I hockey at Lindenwood University. I would like to thank my family, friends, teammates, and coaches for helping me along the way. Most importantly, I’d like to praise and thank God for making this whole opportunity possible. Go Lions!”

His work on the ice earned him distinction in his age-out season. He was named as a Top Prospect for the 2026 Top Prospects Tournament. Earl skated for the South Division team and notched an assist during the two-day tournament. In addition, Earl earned accolades for his on-ice ability. He was a two-time South Division Star of the Week and was named to the All-South Division team.

In the postseason, Earl helped the Ice Wolves punch their ticket to a postseason bye. New Mexico advanced directly to the South Division Semifinals. The Minnesota native played in three playoff games, notching two assists for the Ice Wolves’ postseason run.

Head coach of the Ice Wolves, Kyle McKenzie, shares his excitement for Earl’s commitment.

“We are very proud of Andy for earning his commitment to Lindenwood. Andy deserves his commitment with how much time and dedication he put forth while in New Mexico. We look forward to following Andy in his future endeavors”

Earl played his first full season of junior hockey during the 2024-25 season. The 6-foot forward skated in 60 games, recording 46 points in his debut year. The State of Hockey righty scored 26 goals and made 20 assists for New Mexico. He led Ice Wolves skaters in goals and ranked third overall with 46 points. In addition, Earl found twine in game-winning fashion four times.

The Minnesota native got his first taste of the League of Opportunity with a three-game call-up during the 2023-24 season.

Earl is one of five members of the New Mexico Ice Wolves to make a Division I hockey college commitment.

Click here for an updated NAHL to NCAA commitment list