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Posted: Jan 12, 2023

Pietila named to Mike Richter Award Watch List

Pietila named to Mike Richter Award Watch List

HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech senior 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 41 goalies on the list and Pietila is on it for the third straight season.

Pietila is a senior from Howell, Michigan, and has started 21 of Tech's 23 games this season. He leads the nation with four shutouts, is fifth nationally with 13 wins, seventh in minutes played, 13th in winning percentage (.667), 16th in goals-against average (2.17), and 16th in save percentage (.923).

Pietila was named the CCHA Goaltender of the Month for October, the CCHA Goaltender of the Week three times, and the Most Valuable Player of the Desert Hockey Classic. For his career, he has been a two-time finalist for the Mike Richter Award and a two-time Hobey Baker Award nominee.

Pietila was an All-CCHA Second Team selection as a junior and holds the Michigan Tech record for shutouts in a career (14) and season (7). As a sophomore, he broke the school records for the best save percentage (.934) and goals-against average (1.81) for a season.

The 41 watch list goalies come from the United States (18), Canada (13), and Sweden (6), along with one each from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, and Russia. Of the U.S. goalies, Michigan and Pennsylvania lead the way with four each. Among those recognized are five freshmen, 10 sophomores, eight juniors, 14 seniors, and four graduate students.

A committee of voters — made up of a cross-section of coaches, administrators, scouts, and media — will pare this list down to approximately 15 names within the next three weeks and then ultimately choose the winner who will be announced in April during the NCAA Frozen Four. The HCA also presents a similar award to recognize the top female goalie in the NCAA.

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; 2022 - Devon Levi, Northeastern.

Mike Richter Award Watch List

Atlantic Hockey

  • Jarrett Fiske, AIC (SR – Erie, PA)
  • Tyler Harmon, Mercyhurst (GR - Ramsey, NJ)
  • Luke Lush, Sacred Heart (SR - Sherwood Park, AB)
  • Owen Say, Mercyhurst (FR - London, ON)
  • Tommy Scarfone, RIT (SO - Montreal, PQ)
  • Chad Veltri, Niagara (SR - Pittsburgh, PA)

Big Ten

  • Ryan Bischel, Notre Dame (SR — Medina, MN)
  • Justen Close, Minnesota (SR - Kindewrsley, SK)
  • Jakub Dobeš, Ohio State (SO - Ostrava, Czech Republic)
  • Jared Moe, Wisconsin (SR - New Prague, MN)
  • Erik Portillo, Michigan (SR - Gothenburg, Sweden)
  • Dylan St. Cyr, Michigan State (GR - Northville, MI)
  • Kiam Souliere, Penn State (JR - Brampton, ON)

CCHA

  • Noah Giesbrecht, Ferris State (SO - White Rock, BC)
  • Beni Halasz, Northern Michigan (FR - Budapest, Hungary)
  • Blake Pietila, Michigan Tech (SR - Howell, MI)
  • Mattias Sholl, Bemidji State (SO - Hermosa Beach, CA)
  • Christian Stoever, Bowling Green (SO - Northville, MI)

ECAC Hockey

  • Mitchell Gibson, Harvard (SR - Phoenixville, PA)
  • Carter Gylander, Colgate (JR - Beaumont, AB)
  • Yaniv Perets, Quinnipiac (SO – Dollard Des Ormeaux, PQ)
  • Ian Shane, Cornell (SO — Manhattan Beach, CA)

Hockey East

  • Zach Borgiel, Merrimack (JR — Fort Gratiot, MI)
  • Drew Commesso, Boston University (JR – Norwell, MA)
  • Gustavs Davis Gringals, UMass Lowell (GR - Riga, Latvia)
  • Devon Levi, Northeastern (JR — Dollard Des Ormeaux, PQ)
  • Hugo Ollas, Merrimack (SO - Linkoping, Sweden)
  • Victor Ostman, Maine (JR - Danderyd, Sweden)
  • Arsenii Sergeev, UConn (FR (Yaroslavl, Russia)
  • Philip Svedeback, Providence (FR - Stockholm, Sweden)
  • Logan Terness, UConn (SO - Burnaby, BC)

NCHC

  • Dominic Basse, St. Cloud State (JR — Alexandria, VA)
  • Jaxon Castor, St. Cloud State (SR - Phoenix, AZ)
  • Magnus Chrona, Denver (SR — Stockholm, Sweden)
  • Jake Kucharski, Omaha (SR - Erie, PA)
  • Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College (FR - Aspen, CO)
  • Ludvig Persson, Miami (JR - Hindas, Sweden)
  • Matthew Thiessen, Minnesota Duluth (SR - Steinbach, MB)

Independents

  • Nolan Kent, Alaska Anchorage (GR - Chestermere, AB)
  • Matt Radomsky, Alaska (SR - Winnipeg, MB)
  • T.J. Semptimphelter, Arizona State (SO - Marleton, NJ)