Wolfpack Senior Captains Form Tenacious Triumverate
Duluth 7-4 through 11 games in 2024 season
DULUTH, Minn.- With the MSHSL Lacrosse Sectionals looming, Wyatt Vallie, Gabe Polascek and Connor Kiergaard are determined to lead the Duluth Wolfpack boys to their first-ever state tournament.
“My dad, he started me playing when I was eight, and I just been sticking to it ever since.” says Polascek.
“Once I got to high school, and I truly fell in love with the sport, I was kind of getting to the point I was like, ‘this is something I want to keep doing.'” says Kiergaard.
“This is my sixth or seventh year playing,” says Vallie. “I didn’t play my freshman or eighth grade year, but I got back into it my sophomore year and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made.”
The Wolfpacks senior captain trio grew up playing lacrosse. Now, they’re tasked with leading their teammates through thick and thin.
“We’ve had a couple of rough patches,” Admitted Vallie. “But it’s all behind us in the past and we’re ready to move forward. We’re looking forward to having a great postseason. You just got to look yourself in the mirror and know and accept that you’ve made the mistakes and work hard to better yourself and pick up your teammates and just show up to practice every day.”
Vallie has become one of the Wolfpack’s most vocal leaders. “I like to get loud before the games,” he smiled. “I like to get in people’s faces, yell at them, get the blood flowing. I just love being loud getting loud for my teammates when they make good plays.”
However, he doesn’t just talk a big game.
“He’s one of our better D-Poles. Probably, our best people actually,” says Polascek. “He always gets the hardest task to guard the best attackman and I love playing with him to compete in every day against him.”
On the other side of the field, Polascek is a lot quieter than Vallie, but he lets his game do the talking. Through 10 games, the attacker recorded 29 goals and 17 assists.
At goalie, Kiergaard uses his knowledge of the game to be a de facto coach in front of the net. “I’ve always kind of just been the organizer,” he said. “I would say getting everyone to the right spots, making sure everyone has what they need and knows what they’re doing and just kind of running the show Captain-wise.”
Kiergaard’s perspective on lacrosse has also given him a greater appreciation for the sport. “There’s an aspect to the game that most others don’t have, because of its heritage with starting with the Native Americans, there’s a love for the game, for the stick, for each part of it. I feel like once you get there, and you start becoming good at it, you just understand it so much more.”
Vallie, Polascek and Kiergaard don’t just have a love for the game, but a love for their team, as well. “You forget wins and losses and stats, but you remember the moments with your teammates, for sure.” explained Kiergaard.
“It’s just a special group of guys,” Vallie said as he watched his teammates practice. “Just being out here, every single day after school, it’s just something I’m never going to forget.”
With the regular season winding down, they’re hoping to bank a few more unforgettable memories as members of the Wolfpack.
“We got to get hot at the right time,” says Vallie. “That’s how most playoff runs go, and the Wolfpack has never made state and since it became a program, and we’re ready to prove everyone wrong this year and make that run. ”
