Congratulations to our Great Lakes All-Stars, who were selected from votes made by the coaches with support from the League Media Director and Mountain Correspondent.
Summaries by Brendan Price
Forwards
Jake Meure, Ogden Mustangs
Committed to Buffalo State College
This wasn’t a surprise, right? The ’02 Fremont, Calif., native was the only Mountain Division player and just one of six around the league to finish with 100 or more points. Meure escalated his barrage in the second half with at least one point in 18 of his final twenty games to end the season with 101 points (47-54-101) in 51 games. His second half assault on the record books also ensured that he is the league’s all-time leading scorer, ending his junior career with 226 points (81-145-226) in 147 games. The Buffalo State College commit grabbed the record with a four-point night in the season finale, one of eight times during the season he achieved that feat.
Dimitri Voyatzis, Ogden Mustangs
Big things were expected of Voyatzis as he took on a larger role in 2022-23 and did he ever deliver. He finished with 82 points (35-47-82) in 50 games to earn his first All-Star nod in two years. The second-year sensation set personal bests all over the place; a 10-game point streak in January/February, 18 power play goals, and his first career hat trick on Feb. 11 at Utah. The ’03 Fountain Valley, Calif., product showed a special affinity for scoring in bunches all year with an incredible 27 multi-point games against seven different opponents.
Miles McCue, Utah Outliers
Committed to Lawrence University
McCue raced out of the gate on a career-long 11-game point streak and notched points in 20 of his first 21 games en route to his All-Star nomination. The ’02 Plano, Texas, native finished with 77 points (24-53-77) and played in all 52 games, leading the Outliers in assists during the regular season. McCue set career highs in all offensive categories, and like Voyatzis, McCue was a multi-point machine – on 24 different occasions, McCue had two or more points in a game, punctuated by a three-assist night on Feb. 19 at Pueblo where he became the Outliers’ all-time franchise leader in assists.
Will Cohen, Utah Outliers
If McCue assisted so much, who popped the biscuit in the basket? That would be Will Cohen, who torched the Mountain Division for 39 goals in 52 games. Cohen’s 39 goals was second among Mountain Division skaters and part of a team-leading 81-point campaign (39-42-81). The ’03 Columbus, Ohio, native recorded two separate five-game goal streaks and his scintillating finish to the season allowed him to snare the Outliers’ all-time franchise lead in goals scored. Six goals in five games, including his seventh and eighth multi-goal games of the season, allowed the forward to finish his All-Star campaign with an exclamation point.
Leyton Pettypiece, Utah Outliers
Pettypiece (’02/Rochester, Mich.) bagged a 30-piece in 2022-23, posting 67 points (30-37-67) en route to his first All-Star selection. His scoring keys: consistency and clutch. Pettypiece recorded the longest point streak in the Mountain Division, a 17-game heater from late October to early December where he grabbed 27 points (11-16-27) at the expense of 10 different opponents. The second-year Outlier had a knack for scoring in the clutch as well, grabbing eight game-winning goals and one shootout winner during the regular season. His eight GWGs ranked second in the entire USPHL Premier.
Justin Davis, Idaho Falls Spud Kings
Justin Davis’ arrival signaled a change in fortune for the Spud Kings. He grabbed an assist in the team’s first win of the season and never looked back. The ’02 Montreal, Que., product nearly tripled his point production from his rookie season on the way to 50 points (21-29-50) in 38 games for Idaho Falls. Davis turned it on during the second half with 27 points (12-15-27) in 17 games during the stretch run, highlighted by a memorable career-high six-point night and hat trick on Jan. 20 vs. Rock Springs.
Thomas Soucy, Pueblo Bulls
Soucy (’03/Degelis, Que.) was the Bulls’ leader from wire to wire this year, posting an almost even 27 goals and 28 assists for 55 points in 43 games for an average of 1.20 points per game. For both categories, he almost equaled his total points output of 2021-22 of 29 points, showing just how much he improved year over year for Pueblo in all aspects. He also had four points in five games and overall has 10 points in 10 career postseason games. He was potent against the division leaders, with five points in seven games against Utah, including goals in three straight, along with six points in seven games against Ogden.
Honorable Mention:
Alexandre Bedard (‘02) – Northern Colorado Eagles
Khyle Flynn (‘03) – Provo Predators
George Goodwin (’03) – Idaho Falls Spud Kings
DEFENSE
Matteo Mitrovic, Idaho Falls Spud Kings
Mitrovic was one part of a wave of players who pulled on a Spud Kings sweater for the first time in November, keyed the turnaround, and became a formidable anchor at the blue line. The ’04 Graz, Austria, product strung together two different five-game point streaks and finished with 43 points (7-36-43) in 37 games to lead Spud Kings defensemen in all categories. Matteo “Multi-Point” Mitrovic did just that in 14 of 37 games, including a career-best four-assist night on Jan. 6 vs. Provo.
Brent Scott, Provo Predators
Another midseason acquisition that changed fortunes, Scott scored a goal in his Provo debut on Dec. 1, and never looked back on offense or defense for a revitalized Predators squad. The ’02 Litchfield Park, Ariz., native punctuated his eight-game point streak with a goal in Provo’s win at Vernal on Jan. 13, the only team to defeat the Northwest Division champions on their own ice. Scott finished the season with 37 points (22-15-37) and led all Mountain Division defensemen in goals while finishing tied for third amongst defensemen in the USPHL. It wasn’t all offense either; Scott also averaged one hit and one shot block per game with the Predators.
Luke Faas, Ogden Mustangs
Faas (’03/Eagle, Idaho) scored in bunches and averaged 1.26 points per game to lead Mountain Division defensemen as he powered the ‘Stang blue line with 58 points (10-48-58) in 46 games. Faas set a career-high with his 10-game point streak in January and February, complete with a memorable OT winner over Vernal on Jan. 20, as part of a stretch where he scored 20 points (2-18-20) on the run. Faas was a one-man wrecking crew on the power play; his 35 power play points (7-28-35) paced all USPHL defensemen.
Teddie Hember, Ogden Mustangs
Hember made headlines as a strong two-way defenseman in his rookie season with the ‘Stangs. Arriving from Stockholm, Sweden, the ’03 Hember hit the ground running with three points in his first two games and didn’t stop there. He finished with 58 points (12-46-58) in 49 points, good for second among rookie defensemen in the USPHL. Hember saw the ice more than any skater in the Mountain Division but one, playing over 1,300 minutes in 49 games. In all that time, the Swede committed just three penalties and finished +29 at the point.
Xavier Fortin, Northern Colorado Eagles
Committed to SUNY-Fredonia
In his third season for NoCo, Fortin was a rock at the blue line for the Eagles. The ’02 Candiac, Que., native set career highs in all offensive categories and put together a 45-point (12-33-45) season in 51 games, punctuated by a career-best seven game point streak. Not only did Fortin set offensive highs, he did so while shouldering an immense burden at the blue line. The Fredonia Blue Devils commit led all Mountain Division skaters with over 1,500 minutes of ice time, averaging over 30 minutes per game. In fact, Fortin spent more than half of the game on the ice in 28 of 51 games. Fortin finished +10 and only committed seven penalties the whole season.
Honorable Mention:
Magnus Einarson (‘03) – Utah Outliers
GOALTENDERS
Nathan Dickey, Utah Outliers
It took 11 starts before Dickey lost in regulation, he recorded two separate six-game winning streaks, and he dominated the Mountain Division en route to his first All-Star nod. The ’03 Butler, Pa., product finished the season with a sparkling 17-2-1-1 record in 21 appearances, a 2.32 GAA, .914 save percentage, and five shutouts. Dickey’s five shutouts were second in the league and he recorded one in 24 percent of his starts, the highest shutout rate in the USPHL. He dominated down the stretch, going 6-0-0 with a 1.17 GAA, .957 save percentage, and two shutouts.
Owen Yancey, Ogden Mustangs
Yancey (’03/Gilbertsville, Pa.) set the standard as the lone Mountain Division goaltender to win 20 games, becoming just the second goaltender in the history of the division to accomplish the feat. He started hot and won nine of his first 10 starts, finishing with a 21-6-1-1 record in 31 appearances, 2.89 GAA, .916 save percentage, and two shutouts. Yancey was a workhorse; his 31 appearances were tied for third among all goaltenders, his 1,766 minutes played were fifth in the USPHL, and he faced 40+ shots nine different times.
Evan Stringer, Northern Colorado Eagles
Speaking of a workhorse, Stringer (’05/Fort Collins, Colo.) faced 40+ shots eight times in just 22 appearances to stabilize NoCo goaltending and earn an All-Star nod, one of two rookies to get the honor. Stringer proved that overall record doesn’t mean everything; a 12-7-2-0 record in 22 appearances was underscored by a 2.64 GAA, .922 save percentage, and two shutouts. His .922 save percentage was second among Mountain Division goaltenders and he held opponents to two goals or fewer in 12 of 22 appearances.
Honorable Mention:
Jaxon Letey (‘03) – Utah Outliers
