University of Minnesota Athletics
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/ Men's Hockey
Photo by: Bjorn Franke
'U' Goaltender Close Named a Richter Award Semifinalist
2/14/2024 1:00:00 PM | Men's Hockey
Second-straight year as a semifinalist
MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota goaltender Justen Close was selected as one of 10 semifinalists for the 2024 Mike Richter Award, it was announced by the Hockey Commissioners Association (HCA) Wednesday. The award has been given annually to the top goalie in NCAA Division I men's hockey since 2014.
It's the second-straight year where Close has been named a semifinalist as he has been added to the Watch List in each of the past three seasons. This season he has faced the nation's fifth-toughest schedule and holds a 17-7-5 record for the Golden Gophers with a 2.25 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage, which ranks 10th and sixth in the NCAA, respectively. The graduate student is finding his groove of late and has been named the Big Ten Conference First Star of the Week each of the last two weeks (Feb. 6 & 13) and three times this season, which is more than any other player in the league. After posting consecutive shutouts against Penn State's 10th-ranked scoring offense during a weekend sweep, Close extended his current shutout streak to 179:06.
A native of Kindersley, Saskatchewan, he owns a 4-0-1 record in his last five starts behind a staggering 0.59 goals-against average and a .981 save percentage, turning away 152-of-155 shots faced. Earlier this season, Close made 25 saves in a road shutout at No. 5 North Dakota (Oct. 20), the second of back-to-back shutouts, and remains the only goalie this season to blank the Fighting Hawks.
Close moved into a tie for the all-time shutouts record in Minnesota history with the 13th of his career Feb. 10, coming in just 84 career starts. He also has increased his career win total to 57, ranking seventh all-time with the Maroon and Gold, while he has registered a 2.12 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage across his career.
The 10 semifinalists were pared down from the original Watch List of 30 by a panel of voters from across the hockey community. 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 St. Paul, Minn.
2024 Mike Richter Award Semifinalists:
Trey Augustine, Michigan State (Big Ten)
(FR – South Lyon, MI)
Ryan Bischel, Notre Dame (Big Ten)*
(GR – Medina, MN)
Justen Close, Minnesota (Big Ten)*
(GR – Kindersley, SK)
Vinny Duplessis, Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey)
(SR – Quebec City, PQ)
Jacob Fowler, Boston College (Hockey East)
(FR – Melbourne, FL)
Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College (NCHC)
(SO – Aspen, CO)
Kyle McClellan, Wisconsin (Big Ten)
(SR - Manchester, MO)
Tommy Scarfone, RIT (Atlantic Hockey)
(JR - Montreal, PQ)
Ian Shane, Cornell (ECAC Hockey)
(JR - Manhattan Beach, CA)
Jake Sibell, St. Thomas (CCHA)
(JR - Isanti, MN)
*2023 Semifinalist
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
2023 - Devon Levi, Northeastern
It's the second-straight year where Close has been named a semifinalist as he has been added to the Watch List in each of the past three seasons. This season he has faced the nation's fifth-toughest schedule and holds a 17-7-5 record for the Golden Gophers with a 2.25 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage, which ranks 10th and sixth in the NCAA, respectively. The graduate student is finding his groove of late and has been named the Big Ten Conference First Star of the Week each of the last two weeks (Feb. 6 & 13) and three times this season, which is more than any other player in the league. After posting consecutive shutouts against Penn State's 10th-ranked scoring offense during a weekend sweep, Close extended his current shutout streak to 179:06.
A native of Kindersley, Saskatchewan, he owns a 4-0-1 record in his last five starts behind a staggering 0.59 goals-against average and a .981 save percentage, turning away 152-of-155 shots faced. Earlier this season, Close made 25 saves in a road shutout at No. 5 North Dakota (Oct. 20), the second of back-to-back shutouts, and remains the only goalie this season to blank the Fighting Hawks.
Close moved into a tie for the all-time shutouts record in Minnesota history with the 13th of his career Feb. 10, coming in just 84 career starts. He also has increased his career win total to 57, ranking seventh all-time with the Maroon and Gold, while he has registered a 2.12 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage across his career.
The 10 semifinalists were pared down from the original Watch List of 30 by a panel of voters from across the hockey community. 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 St. Paul, Minn.
2024 Mike Richter Award Semifinalists:
Trey Augustine, Michigan State (Big Ten)
(FR – South Lyon, MI)
Ryan Bischel, Notre Dame (Big Ten)*
(GR – Medina, MN)
Justen Close, Minnesota (Big Ten)*
(GR – Kindersley, SK)
Vinny Duplessis, Quinnipiac (ECAC Hockey)
(SR – Quebec City, PQ)
Jacob Fowler, Boston College (Hockey East)
(FR – Melbourne, FL)
Kaidan Mbereko, Colorado College (NCHC)
(SO – Aspen, CO)
Kyle McClellan, Wisconsin (Big Ten)
(SR - Manchester, MO)
Tommy Scarfone, RIT (Atlantic Hockey)
(JR - Montreal, PQ)
Ian Shane, Cornell (ECAC Hockey)
(JR - Manhattan Beach, CA)
Jake Sibell, St. Thomas (CCHA)
(JR - Isanti, MN)
*2023 Semifinalist
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
2023 - Devon Levi, Northeastern
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