HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech senior Blake Pietila has been named the CCHA Goaltender of the Month for January the league announced on Wednesday (Feb. 1). Pietila earned the honor for the second time this season and for the fifth time in his career.
For January, Pietila held a 1.37 goals-against average and .947 save percentage while going 6-1-1 with three shutouts. He led the CCHA in shutouts, goals-against average, save percentage, saves, and minutes played. The Hobey Baker and Mike Richter Award candidate was named the CCHA Goaltender of the Week three times during January and was the MVP of the Deseret Hockey Classic after leading the Huskies to the title with 55 saves on 59 shots.
Pietila leads the nation in shutouts (7), is third in save percentage (.929), and seventh in goals-against average (1.94). He tied his Michigan Tech single-season record for shutouts this season and holds the career shutout record with 17.
No. 12 Michigan Tech is 18-7-4 overall and 11-5-4 in the CCHA. The Huskies travel to Bemidji State for their second meeting of the season with the Beavers. The puck drops at 8:07 pm Friday and 7:07 pm Saturday at the Sanford Center.