Gary Gait said it best about gradute student Cole Kirst.

“We love Cole Kirst. We think he’s awesome. We’re glad he’s actually helped us on the field as well. He’s made some big plays for us,” Gait said.

Kirst lets his play do the talking, but it’s his leadership that is often overlooked. After all, it’s not often someone is voted a team captain in his first year with a new team.

“Knowing the support I receive every single day from my teammates and the relationships I’ve built alongside every single person in this program, I’m just extremely proud to be a part of this family and this team,” Kirst said.

His passion for lacrosse was born in his back yard in New Jersey. He comes from a family of lacrosse players, beginning with his father, Kyle.

“It all starts with our dad, who played at Rutgers University," Kirst said. "Meeting my mom there and starting a family.”

Then there's his four brothers. Older brother Colin, who also played at Rutgers; younger brothers, Connor, who played at Rutgers, C.J., who plays at Cornell, and the youngest, Caden, who is set to play at Rutgers after high school.

The five brothers brought out the best in each other, and the competitive juices as well.

“Knee hockey, video games, pool basketball, roller hockey," Kirst said. "We lived in a cul-de-sac, so all our friends would come over after school and we’d be able to have a full-field game. Tackle football in the back yard, so it was awesome. Being around all of our family members has really made me the person I am today.”

Cole always learned from his brothers, no matter if they came the easy or hard way.

“We didn’t always come out with a victory, so having that sense of defeat and knowing, ‘Hey, C.J. just took me to the rack for a goal.’ And having that as your younger brother and knowing to come to the collegiate ranks these last five years, I’ve known to have a quick mindset that I’ll just try to get the next one," Kirst said. "And that’s always been a mindset I’ve tried to improve on every single day.”

Having all five playing on the same team in the future is a dream they hope to achieve. But in the meantime, they share sidelines back home, coaching the game and continuing to learn from each other.

“We really do enjoy being on the sidelines together," Kirst said. "When something great happens, like a goal, we celebrate with each other, but also when we’re down a couple goals, how can we get out of this situation? Talking X’s and O’s, so I think that’s something we’d really be interested in coming down the line.”