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CCHA honors Michigan Tech goalie Blake Pietila, coach Joe Shawhan as tops in the league

Northern Michigan University's Connor Eddy, second from left, tries to redirect the puck on Michigan Tech goalie Blake Pietila, second from right, in the second period of their CCHA hockey game played at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Jan. 28. Defending on the play for the Huskies is Chris Lipe, left. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

HOUGHTON — The Michigan Tech hockey team won the final two special awards named by the CCHA in its postseason honors on Thursday.

Goalie Blake Pietila was named CCHA Player of the Year, while head coach Joe Shawhan earned CCHA Coach of the Year.

As the only CCHA nominee in 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award, Pietila has garnered plenty of attention this year.

He started 36 games for Tech with a 23-10-3 record, 1.99 goals-against average and .929 saves percentage.

A day earlier named the league’s Goaltender of the Year, he leads the nation in shutouts with 10 and holds the Huskies’ record for that and also for the 20 he has in his collegiate career.

Nationally, he’s second in wins, third in saves percentage and fourth in GAA, making 920 saves in 2,114 minutes, including 29 games with at least 20 saves and a dozen with 30 or more.

He was a three-time CCHA Goaltender of the Month and seven-time league Goaltender of the Week, and he is also a finalist for the Mike Richter Award as the nation’s top goalie.

Shawhan led MTU to second place in the conference with a 15-7-4 league record after being picked fifth in the preseason, falling just two points short of champion Minnesota State-Mankato.

Tech is 24-10-4 overall, the most wins in his six years at the school. He was looking for the Huskies’ third NCAA Tournament appearance on Sunday night, which only the legendary John MacInnes had done that many times at Tech.

MTU reached a high-water mark of No. 10 in the national rankings and is currently No. 13 two polls.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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