MINNEAPOLIS – An important road sweep at Michigan State last season was the end of the Jack LaFontaine era for the Minnesota Gophers. The day after returning from East Lansing last January, LaFontaine unexpectedly signed with the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, and Justen Close took over the Gophers’ primary goaltending duties, backstopping a trip to the NCAA Frozen Four.
Last weekend, things came full circle for Close, a senior netminder for the Gophers, who posted his own sweep at Michigan State, blanking the Spartans in five of the series’ six periods, as Minnesota solidified its place atop the Big Ten standings. On Tuesday, the conference gave a stick salute to Close’s performance, naming him the Big Ten’s first star of the week.
Justen Cl🚫se pic.twitter.com/eO2RacRYon
— Minnesota Men’s Hockey (@GopherHockey) December 4, 2022
Next on their list of honors, earning the second star of the week, was Gophers rookie forward Logan Cooley, who put up two goals and three assists versus the Spartans in the two games.
The wins by Close were a clear sign that a topsy-turvy few weeks for him are in the past. He was the Gophers mainstay in the net for the season’s first six weeks or so, then missed a series at Michigan due to illness. Backup goalie Owen Bartoszkiewicz played and won both games versus the Wolverines, with both teams missing a handful of players.
Close returned to the net with a stellar night in a 3-2 win at Arizona State on Black Friday, but the Gophers lost 6-5 in overtime in the finale of that series, marking the most goals they have surrendered in a game this season. The loss didn’t phase him, clearly, as Close was solid both nights versus the Spartans.
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Heading into the home series with Wisconsin this weekend, Close has a 10-5-0 record with three shutouts this season. He has a 2.12 goals-against average and a .919 saves percentage.
Cooley, who was one of college hockey’s most highly-touted rookies heading into the season, has played in 17 games and is tied for the team lead in assists with 14, to go along with seven goals. He is second on the team in scoring, trailing only linemate Jimmy Snuggerud.
It is the second time both men have been honored by the conference this season. Cooley was the Big Ten’s first star after his opening weekend of college hockey versus Lindenwood, while Close was the conference’s second star in early November after he allowed one goal in a pair of home games versus Notre Dame.
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