The USPHL has announced that Colorado natives Payne Gatewood and Connor Hasse have earned weekly player awards.

Gatewood is the NCDC New England Division Forward of the Week with the Utica Jr. Comets, while Hasse is the Midwest East Premier Division Forward of the Week with the Battle Creek Kernels.

Gatewood, an ’03 from Bouler, stood tall for the Jr. Comets during their sweep of the Northern Cyclones with a 3-2-5 line in their Dec. 8 game, which followed an additional assist on Dec. 7 for a six-point weekend.

Overall, Gatewood has put up 51 points in 76 career games for Utica.

Back home, Gatewood played for his hometown Boulder Hockey Club.

Hasse, a Kernels’ returning ‘03 forward from Denver, put up two goals and two assists in the Kernels’ only action last week, helping them defeat the Cincinnati Jr. Cyclones.

Hasse improved to 24 points in 25 games, close to his full-season total of last season, 26 points in 43 games.

During his youth hockey days, Hasse played for Denver East, winning a high school national championship in 2022, and the DU Jr. Pioneers.

(December 17, 2023)