Pietila named to Mike Richter Award watch list
HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech junior goaltender Blake Pietila has been named to the Watch List for the Mike Richter Award, given annually to the top goalie in men's NCAA Division I hockey since 2014. The Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) announced the 28 goalies on the list.
Pietila is a junior from Howell, Michigan, and is in contention for the award for the second straight season. He was one of the nine finalists in 2021 and is a Hobey Baker candidate for the second season in a row. Pietila has twice been named a CCHA Goaltender of the Week.
Pietila has started all 21 games for the Huskies this season and is 12-8-1 overall with a 1.81 goals-against average, and a .921 save percentage. He ranks fourth in the nation in with five shutouts, seventh in goals-against average, and second in the CCHA in save percentage. Tech ranks fourth nationally in penalty killing percentage (90.5) and fifth in scoring defense (1.86).
A committee of voters — made up of a cross-section of coaches, administrators, scouts, and media — will pare the list down to approximately 15 names within the next two weeks and then ultimately choose the winner who will be announced in April during the NCAA Frozen Four.
Past Richter Award Recipients: 2014 - Connor Hellebuyck, UMass Lowell; 2015 - Zane McIntyre, North Dakota; 2016 - Thatcher Demko, Boston College; 2017 - Tanner Jaillet, Denver; 2018 - Cale Morris, Notre Dame; 2019 - Cayden Primeau, Northeastern; 2020 - Jeremy Swayman, Maine; 2021 - Jack LaFontaine, Minnesota.
2021-22 Richter Award "Watch List"
Atlantic Hockey
Gavin Abric, Army West Point (SO – Hayward, WI)
Jacob Barczewski, Canisius (JR - O'Fallon, MO)
Evan DeBrouwer, Bentley (GR - Blenheim, ON)
Big Ten
Ryan Bischel, Notre Dame (JR — Medina, MN)
Drew DeRidder, Michigan State (SR – Fenton, MI)
Jakub Dobeš, Ohio State (FR- Ostrava, Czech Republic)
Matthew Galajda, Notre Dame (GR — Aurora, ON)
Jared Moe, Wisconsin (JR - New Prague, MN)
Erik Portillo, Michigan (SO — Gothenburg, Sweden)
CCHA
Dryden McKay, Minnesota State (SR - Downers Grove, IL)
Blake Pietila, Michigan Tech (JR - Howell, MI)
ECAC Hockey
Ethan Haider, Clarkson (SO – Maples Grove, MN)
Connor Murphy, Union (JR — Hudson Falls, NY)
Yaniv Perets, Quinnipiac (SO – Dollard Des Ormeaux, PQ)
Ian Shane, Cornell (FR — Manhattan Beach, CA)
Hockey East
Gabe Carriere, Vermont (SO — Ottawa, ON)
Drew Commesso, Boston University (SO – Norwell, MA)
Darion Hanson, UConn (GR — East Bethel, MN)
Devon Levi, Northeastern (SO — Dollard Des Ormeaux, PQ)
Matt Murray, UMass (GR – St. Albert, AB)
Owen Savory, UMass Lowell (JR — Cambridge, ON)
Jaxson Stauber, Providence (JR - Plymouth, MN)
NCHC
Dominic Basse, Colorado College (SO — Alexandria, VA)
Brandon Bussi, Western Michigan (JR — Sound Beach, NY)
Magnus Chrona, Denver (JR — Stockholm, Sweden)
Ryan Fanti, Minnesota Duluth (JR – Thunder Bay, ONT)
Dávid Hrenák, SCSU (GR - Povazska Bystrica, Slovakia)
Isaiah Saville, Omaha (JR – Anchorage, AK)