Ansell comes to the pro ranks from Western Michigan University, where he appeared in 144 games over the last four seasons. During his career with the Broncos, the 22-year-old scored nine goals and added 33 points for 42 points. He enjoyed his best season as a senior, scoring a career-high six goals.

"Nate comes highly recommended as a young, emerging player," Falcons head coach and general manager Matt Thomas said. "In his senior year, he developed into a premier defenseman in the highly-competitive CCHA. He's a swift-skating, puck-moving defenseman who should add an offensive element to our blueline. He will fit very well into our system and we look forward to him starting his career in Fresno."