From starting out on the bench as a rookie for the Kodiaks men’s basketball team, to becoming team captain five years later, Peirce Van Gaalen has become a staple in the Kodiaks starting lineup.

With his last few games coming to an end, Van Gaalen finds himself sad for the closure of his basketball career but delighted by the time he has spent with the team.

“They have been the best five years of my life without a doubt. The people you meet, the coaches, traveling with the team, it has been a lot but it has been the best five years of my life,” said Gaalen.

Lifelong friend, coach and rival Tyson Pusher has seen the player grow and progress into the person he is today with the assistance of the basketball team.

“He has progressed tremendously. He came into the league as a skinny, shy but hard-working player and every year he has gotten better and better and better. Now that he is in his fifth and final year he is having a great year, he is one of our captains and he is a leader everyday on and off the court and he is just a great kid to coach,” said Pusher.

Head coach Ryan Heggie has been vocal about how much he admires Van Gaalen for the passion and dedication he has contributed to the team. He will be missed, not only for his skills but for his determination to push the team as far as they can go.

“He is just that player that has done everything for us, he has come off the bench and has now started and has been a good example of a good player four or five years ago,” said Heggie.

After the semester finishes, Van Gaalen will be graduating with a civil engineering technology diploma to focus on what life will bring him with the full support of his Kodiaks family.