Justen Close extends scoreless streak to 129:10 with shutout in The Ralph
Oct. 20—GRAND FORKS — Minnesota hockey coach Bob Motzko had one word to describe goalie Justen Close Friday night: brilliant.
Close made 25 saves in leading Minnesota to a 4-0 win over rival UND in the series opener in Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Close, a senior, extended his scoreless streak to 129:10 after making his second-straight shutout.
It was No. 11 in his career, putting him two away from the school record, held by Adam Wilcox and Kellen Briggs.
Friday marked the Gophers' first shutout of UND in Grand Forks since Oct. 23, 2004, when Briggs was Minnesota's goaltender.
The No. 1-ranked Gophers survived an early barrage of shots from UND, something Motzko knew would be important if Minnesota expected to beat UND in Ralph Engelstad Arena.
Close made a handful of big saves early to keep the game scoreless.
"He was rock solid all night," Gopher forward Oliver Moore said. "Probably our best player of the night. Give that guy a lot of credit — he's been huge for us all year. That first 10 minutes was crazy. I've never experienced anything like that. For Justen to have the start that he did and the game he did for us was huge for us."
Minnesota held the Fighting Hawks to four shots on goal in the second period and eight in the third.
Jackson Blake, Riese Gaber and Hunter Johannes led UND with three shots on goal each, but they were unable to get one past Close.
"He's a goaltender that's technically sound," UND coach Brad Berry said. "He makes a great first save. We've got to continue to stay in there. We've got to battle on pucks to keep plays alive to play in the offensive zone. I thought both teams did a pretty good job of defending, but at the end of the day, it's about trying to sustain more play in the offensive zone and probably sticking around and having numbers around the puck."
Gopher players said Close's calm demeanor impacts his teammates, especially the younger ones.
"That guy is so good," Gophers defenseman Luke Mittelstadt said. "And, as far as calming influence goes, he's by far the calmest guy I know. On the ice, he's calm. Off the ice, he's calm. We are so lucky to have that guy. He gets in there and he shuts it down for us every single time."
Close's leadership is something Minnesota has come to expect from the 25-year-old goalie from Kindersley, Saskatchewan.
"He doesn't have a letter on his chest, but he's one of the main leaders on the team," Moore said. "His composure for sure wears off on me and our young guys."
