The '03 native of Stratford, NH is in his first and only season of junior hockey, and the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) All-Star has turned heads across the league. Along with collecting eight wins to his credit so far this year, Welch also owns a solid .911 save percentage.

“Cal was a very good prep goalie at St. Paul’s School and came to HC Rhode Island this season and really grew both as a person and a goaltender," said Rhode Island head coach James Mello. "He has been a huge factor both on and off the ice in the first year success of our program. We are very excited for what the future holds for him at Assumption.”

As Mello mentioned, Welch has helped lead the way for Rhode Island as they navigate the journey through their inaugural campaign in the EHL. While Welch goes in the books as the first NCAA Commitment in program history, he's also the fourth EHL player to choose Assumption so far this year.

This fall, Welch will team up with Nick Demio from the New England Wolves, Dan Lemanski from the Railers Jr. Hockey Club, and Patrick McKiernan from the New Hampshire Avalanche.

"Assumption has a great mix of academics and athletics making it the perfect fit for me," said Welch.

Rhode Island is battling for playoff positioning, right in the middle of the Central Division standings. With just three regular season games left, they will surely lean on Welch as they push to secure home-ice advantage in the First Round of the upcoming EHL Playoffs.

Check out the full 2022-23 NCAA commitment list.