By Joshua Boyd / USPHLPremier.com
Noel Rahn was instrumental in the Minnesota Moose’s return to the USPHL National Championships after one year out in 2022 – their only year out since 2018 – and his contributions throughout the season did not go unnoticed at the collegiate level.
It’s no surprise then, that the 2002-born Edina, Minn., native will be going to the NCAA level with St. John’s University in the aptly-named Collegeville, Minn.
“I first started talking to St. John’s at the beginning of January. They liked my aggressiveness and the way that I moved the puck,” said Rahn, who put up 22 points in 37 games and added two goals in eight postseason games from the blue line.
“The thing that interested me the most on the academic side was hearing how well the alumni treat the current and graduated students,” said Rahn, who will be majoring in business this fall at SJU. “The thing that interested me the most on the hockey side was hearing from multiple graduated players about how great of a hockey experience it is.
“I thought the campus and atmosphere was great,” he added, talking about his visit to SJU. “I was able to meet a lot of the guys on the team and they were very welcoming. I had heard a lot of great things about the school from current and past students which helped me make my commitment official.”
Rahn came to the Moose this year with one year of Tier III experience, making the jump from the NA3HL after also enjoying a fruitful career at the high school level with Holy Family Catholic. He captained Holy Family as a senior in 2020-21.
“I loved my season with the Moose. It is a great organization that continues to be very successful every year and always competing for a National Championship. I decided to sign with the Moose because of the coaches. They really care about their players and will do everything they can to get them to the next level,” added Rahn. “I really like the Moose development model. I felt like I improved a lot this year in multiple different areas. The Moose development model helped me improve in accountability.”
The National Championships, held in the gorgeous Utica University Nexus Center (constructed in 2022) in Utica, N.Y., made a big impression on Rahn and he’s excited for returning Moose teammates to work to get to Nationals again in 2023.
“I think the USPHL does a great job of getting exposure towards NCAA programs. I believe a big part of that is because of how great the National tournament is,” he added.
Rahn will get down to business this summer working on his game to be NCAA-ready for the “Johnnies” in order to make his biggest possible impact as a freshman.
“I’m going to focus on improving my skating and shooting the most during the off-season,” he said.
The USPHL congratulates Noel Rahn, his family, the Minnesota Moose and St. John’s University for his commitment.
