Tech’s Pietila earns WCHA award
Courtesy of MTU Athletics
HOUGHTON, Mich. — Michigan Tech forward Blake Pietila who topped all conference players with four goals, six points and 12 shots on goal while earning Winter Carnival MVP honors last weekend, is the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for Feb. 11, 2014.
A 5-11, 200-pound junior captain from Brighton, Mich., Pietila led the Huskies to a pair of victories Feb. 7-8 over Alabama Huntsville at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena, giving his club its second consecutive WCHA sweep and moving up into third place in the league race.
Pietila scored a pair of goals and had seven shots on goal in Michigan Tech’s 4-1 win over the Chargers last Friday, then added two more goals and two assists and put five more shots on net in a 10-4 victory on Saturday. He scored the game-opening goal both nights and earned a +3 series plus/minus rating en route to being named Winter Carnival MVP for his performance.
The six-point series moved Pietila into the team scoring lead with 24 points (8g, 16a) in 31 games played this season.
Winners of four straight and standing 5-1 over their last six games, Michigan Tech is looking for the program’s first WCHA home playoff berth since 1993.