Four Huskies named All-CCHA, Halonen on First Team

HOUGHTON, Mich. – Brian Halonen, Trenton Bliss, Blake Pietila, and Colin Swoyer have been named All-CCHA the league announced on Tuesday (March 15).

Halonen was honored on the All-CCHA First Team while, Bliss, Pietila, and Swoyer were named to the All-CCHA Second Team.

Halonen is a senior forward from Delano, Minnesota. He led the CCHA in points (36) and goals (16) during conference games. Halonen entered the postseason ranked second in the nation with 44 points and fourth with 21 goals while leading the country in even-strength goals. He ranked fifth in the CCHA in assists (20) during league games and had an 11-game point streak from December 30-February 12, tallying eight goals and 10 assists during the stretch.

Halonen became the 68th player in Michigan Tech history to hit the 100-point mark. He was named the CCHA Forward of the Month for February after tallying 14 points with six goals and eight assists and was named the Michigan Tech Winter Carnival MVP for the second time in his career with a goal and two assists in the series. Halonen scored game-winning goals at Clarkson (Oct. 29) and in overtime against St. Thomas (Dec. 10). He is also a Hobey Baker candidate and received all-conference honors for the second time in his career after being on the WCHA All-Rookie Team in 2019.

Bliss is a senior from Appleton, Wisconsin. In 35 games this season he has 40 points with 12 goals and 28 assists. The co-captain ranked third in the CCHA in points (31) and assists (21) in CCHA games and was eighth with a +13. Bliss has scored five power-play goals and the game-winner against Lake Superior State on November 6. He notched his 100th career point on February 11, becoming the 69th player in program history to hit the milestone.

Bliss went on a 10-game point streak from December 30-February 11, tallying three goals and 16 assists over the span. He received votes on the Preseason All-CCHA Team after earning WCHA Third Team honors last season. He has also been a Hobey Baker candidate for three straight seasons.

Pietila earned all-conference honors for the first time in his career after starting all 36 games for the Huskies. In CCHA games he ranked second in goals-against average (1.99), wins (16), shutouts (5), saves (614), and was fourth with a .911 save percentage. He backstopped the Huskies' penalty kill and defense which ranks third and fourth in the nation.

Pietila is a semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award for the second straight season and a Hobey Baker candidate for the second time in his career. He was named the CCHA Goaltender of the Month for January and was the CCHA Goaltender of the Week four times this season. Overall he holds a 21-12-2 record, a 1.94 goals-against average, and a .922 save percentage. He ranks fourth nationally in shutouts, fourth in minutes played, sixth in wins, and seventh in goals-against average. He broke the Michigan Tech record for shutouts in a season with seven and is now tied for the career record with 12.

Swoyer is a senior from Hinsdale, Illinois. The alternate captain earned all-conference honors for the second season in a row after being named to the All-WCHA Second Team last year. Swoyer was named to the Preseason All-CCHA team.

Swoyer skated in 35 games and tallied 23 points with five goals and 18 assists. He led CCHA defensemen with four power-play goals to rank seventh among all CCHA players. He was second amongst CCHA defensemen with 13 assists and third amongst CCHA blueliners with 18 points in league games. Swoyer led CCHA defensemen with 2.42 shots on goal and was a key part of the defensive group that ranks second in the CCHA in penalty kill percentage (87.2) and second in scoring defense (2.04). He also ranked 11th in the CCHA with 34 blocked shots.

Voting for the 2021-22 All-CCHA Teams and CCHA Players/Coach of the Year awards were conducted by the eight head coaches at each CCHA member institution. Coaches voted for six forwards, four defensemen, and two goaltenders, followed by three rookie forwards and two rookie defensemen, all in descending order, and one rookie goaltender. Lastly, the eight CCHA head coaches voted for one player or coach from each of the respective individual categories. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players or themselves.

Michigan Tech is ranked No. 15 in this week's DCU/USCHO.com Top 20 poll with a 21-12-3 record. The Huskies must wait until 6:30 p.m. on Sunday night to learn if their season continues in the NCAA Tournament. Fans can watch the selection show live on ESPNU. 

All-CCHA First Team

All-CCHA Second Team

CCHA All-Rookie Team