The ECHL has announced that Jacksonville Icemen rookie Goaltender Justen Close has been named the Goaltender of the Week (Nov 4th-10th). Close, 26, went 2-0 with a 1.50 GAA, .955SV%, and one shutout while making back-to-back starts for the Icemen on Friday and Saturday. He is 2-1 with a 1.69 GAA, .952SV%, and one shutout in three starts this season. Moving forward, the Icemen will heavily rely on Close with Matt Vernon getting the call-up to the Rochester Americans of the AHL, as they are currently without Felix Sandstrom. Prior to going pro, the Kindersley, Saskatchewan native spent five years at the University of Minnesota, where he put up a record of 62-25-6 with a 2.18 GAA, .924SV%, and six shutouts.
Jacksonville did sign Brian Wilson to serve as Close’s backup. The Mississauga, Ontario native has three games of ECHL experience under his belt, including two games with the Newfoundland Growlers last season, but he’s still looking for his first ECHL win. Most of his career has been spent in FPHL and SPHL, including winning Goaltender of the Year in the FPHL in 2023 with the Danbury Hat Tricks, as they would go on to win the President’s Cup; he’s played 57 games in the FPHL while putting up a 42-10 record with a 2.80 GAA, .913SV%, and two shutouts. At the SPHL level, the 28-year-old Goaltender played 41 games while putting up a record of 18-13-6 with a 2.87 GAA, .903SV%, and two shutouts while playing for four different teams.
