USPHL Premier Players Of The Week: North Region

Week of Feb. 1-7, 2023

New England Division

(Summaries by Joshua Boyd)

Forward: Michael Penna, Boston Junior Bruins

Penna (‘03/Hampden, Mass.) is a fourth-year USPHL veteran who showed just how much he’s picked up along the way when he helped lead the Junior Bruins to a weekend sweep of the Springfield Pics and then added a Tuesday win against the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs. This run helped them move up to second in the New England Division as of Feb. 7. Penna posted a 2-2-4 line in the three games, including the GWG on Tuesday against the Monarchs. Overall, Penna – a former USPHL 16U champion – has 23 points in 26 games this year.

Defense: Johnathan Rubio, Bridgewater Jr. Bandits

The Bandits countered a close 5-3 loss to the Twin City Thunder with a 7-0 shutout victory against the same team one day later. Rubio (‘03/Anaheim, Calif.) posted two assists in the victory and he finished the two-game series with a +3 rating. Rubio is in his third year in the USPHL, having started at the USPHL 18U level in 2020-21. The two wins also helped the Bandits move past Twin City and into sixth place with fourth place (which would carry a home ice berth with it) just two points away.

Goaltender: Ean Badgett, Islanders Hockey Club

Badgett (‘02/Howell, Mich.) is on a roll to start February, with three wins already and two between Feb. 1-7, the scope of this week’s awards. Badgett started out by making 37 saves on 40 shots in the IHC’s big win over the rival Northern Cyclones on Feb. 3. Four days later, he turned away 24 of 25 in defeating the Boston Advantage. All told, his two-game totals were 61 saves on 65 shots and a .938 save percentage. Badget is 16-7-1-0 on the season and sixth in league wins.

Mid-Atlantic Division

(Summaries by Patrick Ramsdale)

Forward: J.D. Speer, Utica Jr. Comets

Speer (‘02/Hamilton, N.Y.) posted back-to-back multipoint outings against the Jersey Hitmen to start February. He recorded two assists in Utica’s 4-1 victory on February 1, then followed that up by posting a hat trick and an assist the following night. Speer has been a key piece to the Jr. Comets’ 21-9-2 record, posting a team leading 52 points with 24 goals and 28 assists. Utica currently sits one point ahead of the Connecticut Jr. Rangers in fourth place, as they look to hold onto home ice advantage in the playoffs.

Defense: Joseph Mariotti, P.A.L. Junior Islanders

Mariotti (‘05/Old Forge, Pa.) showed off his playmaking abilities this past week by posting four assists in just two games. The defensemen currently sits second on the team in assiss with 17 and is third on the team in points with 21. The Junior Islanders currently sit in in the final playoff spot in the Mid-Atlantic, with a three-point lead on the Buffalo Stampede

Goaltender: Marc-Antoine Nadeau, Hershey Cubs

Six-foot-nine goaltender Marc-Antoine Nadeau (‘03/Repentigny, Que.) stood tall, both literally and figuratively, in net as the Hershey Cubs picked up a big win over the weekend. Nadeau stopped 41 shots as Hershey defeated the P.A.L. Junior Islanders, 6-4.