Gophers goaltender Justen Close was named the Big Ten men's hockey second star of the week on Tuesday after leading Minnesota to a sweep of then-No. 12 Notre Dame.

The senior allowed just one goal, stopping 45 of 46 shots, as the Gophers, who moved back up to No. 1 this week, won 4-1 and 3-0. The native of Kindersley, Saskatchewan, lowered his goals against average to 1.84 this season, ranking 11th in the nation, and improved his save percentage to .919.

Etc.

  • No. 5 Northwestern (St. Paul) will host an eight-team NCAA Division III volleyball regional, starting Thursday. The Eagles (30-2) will play North Park (23-8) in its first game. Also in the field is No. 14 Gustavus.
  • Concordia (St. Paul) announced that Peter Maki will continue as head golf coach of the Golden Bears men's and women's teams on a full-time basis, removing the interim title from his position. He is in his first year as head coach of the two programs. Maki previously had served as the top assistant coach for 3½ seasons.