GLOUCESTER, Mass. – Senior Nate Sucese (Fairport, N.Y.) and junior Cole Hults (Stoughton, Wis.) became Penn State's first-ever CCM/AHCA All-Americans as announced by John Buccigross during the 11 p.m. edition of SportsCenter on Saturday night. The four All-American teams are selected by the 60 NCAA Division I head coaches and both Sucese and Hults landed on the Second-Team West.
Out of 25 total members throughout four teams representing the East and West, Sucese and Hults were the only players honored from the Big Ten.
Sucese, who inked a one-year, entry-level contract with the Arizona Coyotes back in March, became the fourth Nittany Lion in program history to reach the 100-point mark in March of 2019 after a career-high 19-goal season where he added 18 assists for 37 points as a junior. During his senior season, the Fairport, New York native led the Big Ten and ranked tied for 15th nationally with a career-high 38 points on a league-best 27 assists and 11 goals which tied for 13th in the Big Ten.
The left shot centerman registered at least 29 points in each of his four seasons in Hockey Valley and leaves the program as the all-time leader in points (140) and goals (61) while ranking second in assists (79), shorthanded goals (5) and shots on goal (470). Sucese's career plus-47 rating is good for fourth all-time as a Nittany Lion.
Sucese didn't miss a game during his final two seasons at Penn State averaging 1.03 points per game with 75 points in 73 games on 30 goals and 45 assists. His 147 career games played are tied for the third-most all-time in program history.
Hults, a finalist for both the Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year and a First-Team All-CHN honoree, tied the Penn State single-season record for points by a defenseman with 30 this past season, a mark good for first in the Big Ten by blueliners and tenth nationally among defensemen. Hults' eight goals this season mark a new career-high while tying the Penn State single-season record for goals by a defenseman as well as pacing the conference. The junior's 22 assists also led the Big Ten for blueliners and tied a career-best.
The Stoughton, Wisconsin native, started the season strong netting the eighth hat-trick in program history on opening night, the first-ever by a defenseman, and continued his strong play through Big Ten action with four goals and a league-leading 17 assists in 24 games ranking seventh in the conference with 21 points in Big Ten play. Hults also led the entire Big Ten in plus/minus with a +23 rating, tied for sixth in the nation and fourth among blueliners.
Hults, who inked a two-year, entry-level contract with the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, hadn't missed a single game since stepping foot on campus in the fall of 2017 playing in 111-consecutive contests and with a +48 rating for his career, the junior ranks third all-time at Penn State. Hults is also the Nittany Lion career record holder for points and assists by a defenseman with 78 and 61, respectively, while his 17 goals place him second all-time for blueliners.
FULL AHCA RELEASE
