Penn State men’s hockey will add a new defenseman to the fold next season as Evan Bell announced his commitment to the program on Wednesday afternoon.

https://twitter.com/EvanBell25/status/966416492647591936

The left-shot defenseman started the 2017-18 team with Merrimack College, but left the team in December in favor of a return to the USHL. Bell will finish this season with the Fargo Force before joining Guy Gadowsky’s program at the start of next season.

“It’s a great honor to announce my commitment to Penn State University,” Bell said. “I want to thank my family, friends, and coaches for all their support over the years. In talking to the coaching staff there and also getting the chance to go on a visit, I knew I could see myself there for the rest of my college career. Penn State has such a rich history that I look forward to add to.”

The Livonia, Mich. native played just five games for Merrimack before returning to the USHL, tallying two assists. Since Bell started this season on a Division I program, he will have three years of NCAA eligibility remaining with Penn State.

Current Penn State defenseman Trevor Hamilton was in a similar situation to Bell during the 2014-15 season; he returned to the USHL after leaving Miami (OH) as a sophomore. Despite playing just one game in his sophomore season, Hamilton joined Penn State with two years of eligibility remaining.

Bell has scored six points in his past five games for the Fargo Force while playing on Fargo’s top defensive pairing. He’s already set a new career high in points for a season with 12 in 18 games since leaving Merrimack. The defenseman has a total of 32 points in 137 USHL games with Fargo.

Penn State LW Denis Smirnov was teammates with Bell in the 2015-16 season with the Force.