HOUGHTON — Michigan Tech goaltender Blake Pietila has been named a semifinalist for the Mike Richter Award, given annually to the top goaltender in men’s NCAA Division I hockey since 2014. The Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) Today announced nine semifinalists from the 41 that were nominated.

Pietila is a senior from Howell, Michigan, and is one of the semifinalists for the third straight year and the lone CCHA goaltender to advance in the award. He is also a Hobey Baker candidate for the third season in a row and was named the CCHA Goaltender of the Month for January and October, the CCHA Goaltender of the Week six times, and the Most Valuable Player of the Desert Hockey Classic.

Pietila has started 31 games for the Huskies this season and is 20-8-3 overall with a 1.98 goals-against average, and a .928 save percentage. He holds the Michigan Tech single-season shutout record with eight and career shutout record with 18. Pietila leads the nation in shutouts (8), is second in wins (20), second in minutes played, fifth in save percentage (.928), and fifth in goals-against average (1.98). Tech ranks second nationally in penalty-killing percentage (88.7) and second in scoring defense (2.09).

There is a distinct international feel to the semifinalists with three each from Canada and the United States, two from Sweden, and one from the Czech Republic. Five are seniors, two are juniors, and two are sophomores. Four were semifinalists last year.

Three finalists will be announced in early March and the winner of this year’s Mike Richter Award will be announced in April during the NCAA Frozen Four in Tampa. Last year’s recipient, Devon Levi of Northeastern, is again a semifinalist.

Five NCAA Division I conferences are represented among the semifinalists with the Big Ten boasting three goalies, followed by ECAC Hockey and Hockey East with two each and the CCHA and the NCHC with one each.

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.