EDINA, Minn. - The Western Collegiate Hockey Association announced Tuesday (Nov. 1) that Lake Superior State sophomore forward Mitch Hults was selected as the league's Player of the Month recipient for October.
The native of Stoughton, Wis., racked up 11 points through the opening month of the season, including scoring a point in all six games as the Lakers led the nation with a 5.00 goals per game average. Hults is tied for the WCHA lead in points (tied for fifth in the NCAA), while pacing the league with averages of 1.83 points per game (11th NCAA) and 0.67 goals per contest (t-33rd NCAA). His 1.17 assists per contest ranks second in the WCHA and is tied for 12th nationally, and his five power-play points (1g-4a) ranks third in the league.
Hults has helped the Lakers to the program's best start (5-1-0) since 1995-96 and has posted four points (1a-3g) in the Lakers' season-opening sweep of Michigan State (Oct. 14-15), tallied three points (1g-2a) in two road wins at Alabama Huntsville (Oct. 21-22), and had a four-point weekend (2g-2a) as LSSU split with visiting Alaska (Oct. 28-29). Hults finished the month with a +6 rating as the Lakers – picked to finish in the bottom half of the league standings – enter November in fourth place, with two games in-hand on the three teams above them. This is Hults' first WCHA monthly honor.
Freshman forward and line mate of Hults, Brayden Gelsinger, was nominated for WCHA Rookie of the Month but was edged out by Craig Pefley of Ferris State.
LSSU hosts Minnesota State at Taffy Abel Arena this Friday (7:37 p.m.) and Saturday (7:07 p.m.) before embarking on a three-week stretch of road series against in-state rivals Michigan Tech (Nov. 11-12), Ferris State (Nov. 18-19) and Michigan (Nov. 25-26).