Cole Hults sat at the podium less than a half-hour after a career night. The junior defensemen had just become the eighth Nittany Lion to record a hat trick and the first defenseman in program history to accomplish the feat against Sacred Heart Friday. After scoring only six goals last season, it was something that seemed to come out of nowhere, but that isn't quite the case.
"I put more of an emphasis on my game to shoot more pucks and be more active on the blue line," Hults said. "I really wanted to keep doing that."
Hults concluded the weekend with another strong performance Saturday against Sacred Heart, adding another goal and assist to cap off a five-point weekend.
Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky was not surprised by Hults' performance. He has been impressed with Hults from the first day the Stoughton, Wisconsin native stepped on campus.
Prior to arriving at Penn State, Hults played three seasons with the USHL's Madison Capitols and was selected in the fifth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. He has been a key contributor to the Nittany Lions' roster since his freshman year.
"You hear about guys who do everything really well, he does everything really well," Gadowsky said. "He does so many things at such a high level and it makes him such an effective player."
Hults is someone who stuffs the stat sheet in a quiet way. In addition to his six goals last season, Hults tacked on 22 assists. Gadowsky attributes Hults' ability to fill the stat sheet by playing excellent hockey on a nightly basis.
"He just does it by playing shift in and shift out really good, high-quality hockey," Gadowsky said. "Because of that I think he is always going to gain points quietly."
The hat trick by Hults was the first by a Big Ten defenseman since the 2015-16 season. A Big Ten honorable mention recipient last year, Hults came into the season ranked fifth in all-time goals by a Penn State blueliner, a list he is sure to move up throughout this season.
"It's nice to have that be a part of my game and I want to keep shooting the puck," Hults said.
Fans may not see the flash in Hults' play, but the flash doesn't matter when he continues to anchor the Penn State defense.
"He is a guy you want on the ice in any tough game because he is so consistent and does so many things so well," Gadowsky said. "He is an excellent hockey player both in his physical attributes and his mentality."
Hults' skillset has been evident since day one. Now, as he progresses throughout his Penn State career, Hults continues to mature both on and off the ice as a leader on this Nittany Lion team.
"He continues to be consistent and now is getting those opportunities," Gadowsky said.
The hard work is paying off and Penn State will look to Hults to keep stepping up as the season continues this weekend and beyond.
