Former Minnesota Gopher Justen Close signs with ECHL's Jacksonville Icemen

The ECHL's Jacksonville Icemen have signed goaltender Justen Close to a one-year deal, the team announced Wednesday. 

Hailing from Kindersley, Sask., Close just finished his fifth season with the Gophers, putting up a record of 22-10-5 to go along with a 2.36 GAA and a .923 SV% in 38 appearances. 

Across his five seasons in the NCAA, Close collected a 62-25-6 record, a 2.18 GAA and a .924 SV% in 100 career appearances. 

With Close making the jump to the pros, he is a solid candidate to be the starting goalie as soon as the season opens. He has a proven track record at the NCAA level and is a great get for the Icemen. If he can put together a solid stretch early in the season, it would not be a surprise to see him get some attention from AHL teams. 

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