Gophers goalie Justen Close named Big Ten's second star of the week

The senior stopped 45 of 46 shots as Minnesota beat Notre Dame 4-1 and 3-0 last weekend.

November 9, 2022 at 3:47AM
Notre Dame forward Chayse Primeau (13) can't get past Minnesota goaltender Justen Close (1) in the first period. The Minnesota Gophers hosted the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at 3M Arena at Mariucci on Friday, Nov. 4, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minn. ] RENEE JONES SCHNEIDER • renee.jones@startribune.com
Gophers goaltender Justen Close stopped 45 of the 46 shots he faced in a sweep of then-No. 12 Notre Dame last weekend. (Renée Jones Schneider, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Gophers goaltender Justen Close was named the Big Ten men's hockey second star of the week on Tuesday after leading Minnesota to a sweep of then-No. 12 Notre Dame.

The senior allowed just one goal, stopping 45 of 46 shots, as the Gophers, who moved back up to No. 1 this week, won 4-1 and 3-0. The native of Kindersley, Saskatchewan, lowered his goals against average to 1.84 this season, ranking 11th in the nation, and improved his save percentage to .919.

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