Fayetteville's Rob Sich has been named t

he Southern Professional Hockey League's player of the month for December, the league announced Wednesday.

Sich scored 19 points during the month, including a hat trick against Mississippi on Dec. 11. A native of LaSalle, Ontario, Sich's 31 goals this season puts him within nine of his professional career high with more than half the season remaining. His 31 goals and 43 points lead the SPHL, and he has been held scoreless in only three of the FireAntz's 25 games.

Others under consideration for the player-of-the-month award were Columbus' Tim Green, Matthew Larke of Mississippi, and Pensacola's Lorne Misita.

The FireAntz are 15-10-0, and in third place with 30 points. They host league-leading Huntsville at 7:35 p.m. on Thursday and Friday at the Crown Coliseum. The Antz are 10-2-0 on home ice this season, and winless in three games against the Havoc.