Justen Close making waves in Minnesota hockey

By Jordan Parker

Goaltender Justen Close has had a breakout season with the University of Minnesota Gophers.

With a trip to the Frozen Four and an unbelievable performance, Close finds himself the talk of the town.

“It’s been a really interesting season. Since it ended, it’s been interesting looking back. We can take some real positives from our play,” he said.

The team dropped a 5-1 game to Minnesota State in Boston, Mass. to end the season. But they finished with a 26-12-0 record, missing out on the championship game versus Denver.

“It was a difficult loss, but the team stepped up, and we’ve played well all season. I’m really just resting now and not thinking about the next season too much yet.”

The support and love Close – who played three seasons for the Sr. Kindersley Klippers – has received from home has helped him.

“It’s just been awesome. There have been a lot of texts and calls. Family and friends have been watching the games. I hope people enjoyed them as much as I did,” he said.

He recalls playing for the Klippers in the SJHL from 2016-2019 as an incredible experience.

“It was always just a lot of fun. Playing for your hometown team is a hard experience to beat. I had a lot of good teammates and coaches,” he said.

“I’ve been nothing but thankful for that experience. I have so many incredible memories from that time.”

He also loves playing with the elite Gophers squad. Prior to this season, he had only appeared in four games during two NCAA campaigns. But he backstopped 22 games this year.

“A lot of this team is just really fast and skilled. They continued to progress throughout the post-season as well,” he said.

“We learned to win tight games, and it got to the point where practice making saves against these guys was hell, but the games were fun.”

Close won Men’s Breakthrough Athlete of the Year at the Golden Goldys, a University of Minnesota awards ceremony honouring athletes who have had incredible years. He was happy to win and to help his team this year.

“It feels good to contribute and to support my teammates. They have my back, and I have theirs,” he said. “It’s been amazing to lay with them, and it’s been a fun season.”

The Gophers team also took home Team of the Year, and Matthew Knies was named Male Rookie of the Year. Big Ten Coach of the Year was Bob Motzo.

The team went to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2014, and Close was excited to be part of the experience.

“I’ve never been to Boston, so it was a great experience. The city was awesome, and it was a great environment,” he said.

“We had higher goals than playing just one game, but we were able to take a lot away from it.”

Close is heading into his final year at the university and has big aspirations for next year.

“As a team, we definitely want to get back to the Frozen Four. But right now, we are taking time to wind down,” he said. “Looking forward to next season, though, there’s a lot of excitement.”

Photo Brad Rempel / University of Minnesota Athletics