(Submitted by Miles Regan)
Forwards
Noah Maine, Fort Wayne Spacemen
This is the third Player of the Month selection for the ‘02 centerman from Knoxville, Tennessee. Maine scored 13 (3-10–13) points over the course of Fort Wayne’s eight December games, all of which were wins. The Midwest East’s leading scorer was especially productive against Decatur during the weekend of Dec. 10, scoring a goal and adding eight assists during the two-game homestand. Maine also found the back of the net during a shootout in Fort Wayne’s 1-0 win against the Midwest West-leading Hudson Havoc at the USPHL Chicago Showcase on Dec. 16. That shootout win helped Fort Wayne keep hold of first place in the Midwest East. They’ve won 14 straight games thanks in part to Maine’s 49 (20-29–49) total points. Maine’s first point of 2023 will be the 100th of his USPHL career.
William Boyer, Motor City Gamblers
December was the month of “getting over the hump” in Motor City. The Gamblers maintained second place in the Midwest East by way of huge wins against division rivals MJDP and the Chicago Cougars, beating both teams for the first time since 2019. No Gambler was more essential to said wins than Will Boyer. The ‘03 winger from Detroit recorded a goal in both of MCG’s wins against MJDP on Dec. 1 and 4, and followed up said performance with a pair of goals in a 3-0 victory against Chicago the following week. Boyer added another multipoint performance against the Minnesota Mullets at the USPHL Chicago Showcase on Dec. 16, scoring a goal and adding two assists (all in the second period!) in a 4-2 Gambler victory. The third-year USPHL vet recorded six goals and two assists in December, bringing his season total to 21 (14-7–21.)
T.J. Haas, Chicago Cougars
Haas (’03/Hartland, Wis.) was a top producer for the Cougars in December 2022, just as he has been for the past three seasons. Swiftly approaching his 100th game – and not far off from his 100th point either – Haas posted a trio of goals and five assists for eight points in six December games. This included a 2-3-5 run on the big stage of the USPHL Chicago Showcase between Dec. 15-18, including a GWG against the Columbus Mavericks. Haas, who first joined the Cougars in 2020-21, is fourth all-time in Cougars games played with 97, and his 34-51-85 scoring line has him in the all-time top 10 for each of the goals, assists and points categories.
Defense
Thomas Turgeon – Fort Wayne Spacemen
An eleven (7-4–11) point December gets Turgeon the nod as a Midwest East Player of the Month. The second-year Spacemen, an ‘04 from Quebec, tied his single game career-high points total during back to back games against Decatur. Turgeon recorded two goals and three assists on Dec. 10 before exploding for four goals and one assist on Dec. 11, helping Fort Wayne win both games. Turgeon has 27 points (12-15–27) in 25 games this year and is the only Midwest East defender to score four or more goals in a single game.
Sam Tetreault, Fort Wayne Spacemen
Tetreault is one of eight international players on Fort Wayne’s roster. The ‘’02 hailing from Laval, Que., registered eleven (3-8–11) points in December, and scored multiple points in three of seven games played. Although Tetreault recorded a goal and five assists across two games during the weekend of Dec. 10, his December will best be remembered for his heroics at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on Dec. 4. Tetreault scored the winning goal in a 3-2 FWS victory over Battle Creek in the club’s first game at the venue, which is the largest in the Fort Wayne area. Tetreault has totaled 33 (7-26–33) points during his second stint with the Spacemen, this season is his first back with the team since 2020-21.
Goaltender
Bryce Dunnigan, Fort Wayne Spacemen
The second-year USPHL Premier veteran goalie is excelling in his first season in Fort Wayne. The ‘02 netminder from Bakersfield, Calif., won all four of his December starts, allowing just eight goals during the month. Dunnigan backstopped Fort Wayne to multiple interdivisional victories including a 3-2 overtime decision against the Minnesota Moose at the USPHL Chicago Showcase on Dec. 17. Dunnigan stopped 36 of 38 Minnesota shots in that matchup, nicely complementing his 30-of-32 performance in Fort Wayne’s win over Pueblo one day prior. His 1.90 GAA and .934 save percentage were both among the league’s best figures last month.
