University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Goaltender
/ Men's Hockey
Close Selected as Richter Award Semifinalist
2/15/2023 4:00:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Senior leads the B1G with five shutouts
MINNEAPOLIS - Golden Gopher men's hockey goaltender Justen Close was named one of nine semifinalists for the 2023 Mike Richter Award as announced by the Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) Wednesday.
The award, given annually to the top goalie in men's NCAA Division I hockey since 2014, was narrowed down from 41 student-athletes on the Watch List to the top nine by a panel of voters from across the hockey community.
Close leads the Big Ten Conference with a 2.09 goals against average, which is 11th in the NCAA, and five shutouts. His .923 save percentage sits second in the league and 13th in the country as his poise and calm demeanor has backstopped Minnesota to the top of the conference standings and No. 1 in the PairWise rankings.
The senior has recorded five of his eight career shutouts this year and sits with the 10th-most shutouts in program history. He's done all that in just 45 career starts since taking over the starting goaltender job 13 months ago. Close delivered a career-best 40 saves in a victory at Michigan State to finish off a road sweep in early December and added a 38-save shutout performance at Notre Dame a month later.
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.
Semifinalists for the 2023 Mike Richter Award
Ryan Bischel, Notre Dame (Big Ten)
SR – Medina, MN
Magnus Chrona, Denver (NCHC)
SR – Stockholm, Sweden
Justen Close, Minnesota (Big Ten)
SR – Kindersley, SK
Jakub Dobeš, Ohio State (Big Ten)
SO – Ostrava, Czech Republic
Mitchell Gibson, Harvard (ECAC Hockey)
SR – Phoenixville, PA
Devon Levi, Northeastern (Hockey East)
JR – Dollard des Ormeaux, PQ
Victor Ostman, Maine (Hockey East)
JR - Danderyd, Sweden
Yaniv Perets, Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey)
SO - Dollard des Ormeaux, PQ
Blake Pietila, Michigan Tech (CCHA)
SR - Howell, MI
The award, given annually to the top goalie in men's NCAA Division I hockey since 2014, was narrowed down from 41 student-athletes on the Watch List to the top nine by a panel of voters from across the hockey community.
Close leads the Big Ten Conference with a 2.09 goals against average, which is 11th in the NCAA, and five shutouts. His .923 save percentage sits second in the league and 13th in the country as his poise and calm demeanor has backstopped Minnesota to the top of the conference standings and No. 1 in the PairWise rankings.
The senior has recorded five of his eight career shutouts this year and sits with the 10th-most shutouts in program history. He's done all that in just 45 career starts since taking over the starting goaltender job 13 months ago. Close delivered a career-best 40 saves in a victory at Michigan State to finish off a road sweep in early December and added a 38-save shutout performance at Notre Dame a month later.
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.
Semifinalists for the 2023 Mike Richter Award
Ryan Bischel, Notre Dame (Big Ten)
SR – Medina, MN
Magnus Chrona, Denver (NCHC)
SR – Stockholm, Sweden
Justen Close, Minnesota (Big Ten)
SR – Kindersley, SK
Jakub Dobeš, Ohio State (Big Ten)
SO – Ostrava, Czech Republic
Mitchell Gibson, Harvard (ECAC Hockey)
SR – Phoenixville, PA
Devon Levi, Northeastern (Hockey East)
JR – Dollard des Ormeaux, PQ
Victor Ostman, Maine (Hockey East)
JR - Danderyd, Sweden
Yaniv Perets, Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey)
SO - Dollard des Ormeaux, PQ
Blake Pietila, Michigan Tech (CCHA)
SR - Howell, MI
Highlights: Gophers 2, Michigan 4
Friday, February 27
Highlights: Gophers 4, Michigan 2
Thursday, February 26
Highlights: Gophers 2, Notre Dame 3
Saturday, February 14
Highlights: Gophers 2, Notre Dame 2
Friday, February 13