The 2000-born native of Raleigh, NC is in his 3rd season in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL), and first year with the Seahawks. Over the course of his EHL career, Finch has played in 120 total games, scoring 18 goals and dishing out 41 assists along the way.

"Austin has been a welcomed addition to our team this season," said Seahawks head coach and general manager Bill Zaniboni. "My first interactions with him as a player came with the 2019 EHL All-Star Team, and I was very proud to then add him to our lineup for his age-out season of junior hockey. He's going to be a great addition to the Rivier academic and athletic communities."

As Zaniboni mentioned, Finch was a part this past season's EHL All-Star Team that posted a 1-1-1 record against a trio of NCAA Division III opponents. That experience, along with playing in a very competitive league for three seasons, has Finch feeling confident and ready for the next level.

"Being able to have this opportunity with Rivier has been the ultimate goal of developing and playing in the EHL for the past three seasons," said Finch. "Rivier has given me an amazing opportunity and I really enjoyed my visit and the future that it has. Coach Sorenson and the staff are very excited about the new program coming to the school and that makes me excited to be a part of it. Coach Zaniboni does an incredible job of getting his players the connections that they need in order to get to the next level. With this special year, Coach Zaniboni and the Eastern Hockey League have done an incredible job with being able to keep us on the ice, and at the end of the day, that's what matters the most. I am very appreciative of my coaches, parents, and all the boys that have been with me throughout the journey to get to this point."

When Finch arrives on campus this fall, he will be joined by his teammates Shane Murphy and Anthony Purdue, who also committed to the Raiders for their inaugural campaign.

Learn more about the Seahawks on the team's official website, and check out the full 2020-21 NCAA commitment list.