Penn State men’s hockey landed a late commitment in the 2019 recruiting cycle when left-handed forward Connor MacEachern made his verbal pledge on Thursday.

I’m incredibly honoured and excited to announce I will be playing my College Hockey at Penn State University. Special thanks to my family, friends, and coaches who have helped me get to this point. Very excited for the future! #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/B5M08tXXTZ

— Connor MacEachern (@CMacEachern_) June 20, 2019

Robert Morris initially earned MacEachern’s commitment, but he made a late switch and will begin his college hockey career with the Nittany Lions. The 19-year old was set to join the Colonials this upcoming season after an excellent performance in the USHL.

MacEachern had a huge 2018-19 season for the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms. The left-shot forward scored 56 points (26 goals, 30 assists) for the Phantoms, which ranked third on the team behind former Penn State forward Brett Murray and Jack Malone, the No. 82-ranked North American skater available in this year’s NHL Draft.

Connor MacEachern gives the #Phantoms the lead just a little bit later! Great start to this one! #Phantoms 2 #FlyingAces 1 pic.twitter.com/E5wAi04Mhc

— x – Youngstown Phantoms (@YtownPhantoms) November 5, 2018

The Ontario native previously spent time in the Ontario Junior Hockey League with the Cobourg Cougars, where he scored 66 points (26 goals, 40 assists) in 96 appearances across two seasons. MacEachern operated at a point-per-game pace in 2017-18 with 19 goals and 23 assists in 42 appearances before making his move to the USHL.

Although he may not have elite size at 5’9″ and 176 pounds, MacEachern definitely has scoring touch and a knack for creating plays down low. According to Neutral Zone scouting, MacEachern is also strong in the faceoff dot, and the Nittany Lions will need those skills following the departures of Ludvig Larsson and Chase Berger this offseason.

Four members of Penn State’s 2019 recruiting class — Connor McMenamin, Tyler Gratton, Kevin Wall, and Mason Snell — have signed their letters of intent and will join the team this year. The Nittany Lions will return the vast majority of their core from last season’s team, including the dynamic forward line of Alex Limoges, Evan Barratt, and Liam Folkes along with veterans Brandon Biro, Nate Sucese, Cole Hults, Kris Myllari, and fourth-year starting goaltender Peyton Jones.