Two-year starting Gophers goalie Jack LaFontaine signed an entry-level deal on Jan. 9, 2022, with the Carolina Hurricanes. The departure left the Gophers no choice but to plug in backup netminder Justen Close, who, in his three-year career, only made six in-game relief appearances with zero starts.
Close stepped up to the challenge. Last season, Minnesota reached its first Frozen Four since 2014, with Close finishing the year posting a .925 save percentage and allowing an average of 1.95 goals.
Now, in his first full season as a starter, Close is one of nine semifinalists for the Mike Richter Award given to the best Division I goalie in the country. His stats are quite similar to his previous season, with a .928 save percentage and 1.99 goals allowed on average.
“It’s almost from day one when he got in there … he looks the same almost every day in practice and every game,” Head Coach Bob Motzko said, who refers to Close as the “backbone of his team.”
“He’s got a mature, comfortable look about him. But on the other hand, he’s even maturing more and gaining more confidence the more he plays,” Motzko added. “We’ve needed him a few times this year where it’s been all him, and he’s just been a steady rockhorse back there.”
Motzko and Close treated losing LaFontaine last year as if they were losing a player to a season-ending injury. Close said he admired LaFontaine’s work ethic and attention to detail, along with being a terrific teammate, but now it was his turn to save a season in which their usual NCAA tournament destination was uncertain.
Yet surprisingly, the jump from watching most games from the bench was not huge. With all of the reps Close ran through in practice versus premier players on a top-tier team, he just had to keep the game simple, focus on the basics and block out the noise.
“Things have stayed pretty much the same,” Close said. “Approach each weekend with the status quo and hopefully get the same result.”
His routine for success has been amplified by volunteer goaltending coach Brennan Poderzay, who has been a member of the Gophers coaching staff since the start of the 2021-22 season.
Every week for Close and Podzeray is treated like the last. They begin preparing for each weekend by reviewing film from the previous two-game series, followed by an on-ice session to make adjustments. As the week rolls on, Podzeray scouts the other team’s tendencies and relays to Close what sticks out. In Close’s mind, “Podzy” is a fantastic coach and even better friend, who always starts practices implementing entertaining drills.
“Consistency is what we all search for as coaches and players,” said Podzeray, who formerly coached at Minnesota State-Mankato. He most notably partnered with three-time WCHA goaltending champion and Mike Richter finalist Dryden McKay, who won the Hobey Baker in 2022.
“Justen is unflappable week to week and inside the net, never having bad body language or showing signs that he’s shaken or fragile — he’s just a professional,” Podzeray said.
Podzeray described the atmosphere at the University as a “different animal” compared to other programs he’s been a part of due to heightened expectations. Close’s even-keeled nature on and off the ice, in a hypersensitive hockey market, sets him up for success.
“Justen throughout my course of 6-7 years being involved in college hockey has been the goaltender that has challenged me the most,” Podzeray said. “We’ll be watching film, and I’ll see something that I see, and he’ll come back with [an adjustment] that is 10 times and 10 steps ahead of what I saw. I’m so happy for him that he’s getting the recognition that he does deserve.”
By completing six shutouts this season, Close has blanked the highest number of opponents of any Gopher goalie since Adam Wilcox in the 2014-15 season (tied for second-most in program history). It is clear that he shouldn’t change anything in between the pipes.
