HOUGHTON — 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.