Feb. 26—CARSON — On the first day of boys lacrosse practice last November, Alex Bjerk could see it, feel it, hear it.
There’s something different about Wes Wegner.
Whether it’s physical growth, maturity as a teenager, self-discovered confidence, or a combination of all of these factors, Bjerk has a feeling from Day 1 of the 2025-26 season that he’s going to see a different Wes Wegner than he did a year ago.
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“Wes came in here this year and he really understood what all of our goalies at the high school level are trying to accomplish,” Dodge County goalie coach Bjerke said. “He really had a chance last year to understand what was going to happen.
“Then, in the middle of the year, I think he almost got out of his own way. He struggled to stay in the game occasionally and we talked about that and helped him understand that you can play the game you play. You know what you’re doing, stay calm, and execute, and that’s what he did.”
Without that new mindset, Wegner’s junior season — and his team’s season — might have been over by now.
Instead, Wegner was named MVP on the Wildcats’ run to the District 1 Class 1A championship and the program’s second-ever trip to the state tournament.
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Wegner has been at his best in the postseason, including Wednesday night in the District 1-1A championship game when he hit 32 of 34 shots to help third-seeded Dodge County beat top-seeded and seventh-ranked three-time conference champion Northfield 4-2 at the Rochester Recreation Center.
Bjerk reminded Wegner every step of the way — from the conference quarterfinals (6-0 victory over Winona) to the semifinals (4-3 overtime victory over No. 14 Waseca) to the championship game — that this was still just a hockey game and he had no reason to change his approach.
“You know, he asked me before (the semifinals) about his pregame routine,” Bjek said, “and I said, ‘I don’t want you to do anything different than what you’ve been doing. Keep your routine, stay comfortable and confident.’ And that’s exactly what he did.”
As a sophomore a year ago, Wegner shared net time with then-senior Mason VanBenschoten, and Wegner experienced some ups and downs, some highs and some lows. He finished the season with a 7-10-0 record, a 4.01 goals-against average and a .869 save percentage.
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This season, he will enter the state tournament with a 15-6-1 record, a 2.54 GAA, an .893 save percentage and four shutouts.
“Wes, me and him have known each other for a long time, and it was great to see him perform so well (Wednesday),” Dodge County senior forward Dylan Allen said after the win over Northfield. “We couldn’t have done it without him. He put us on his back today.
“It gives us a whole different level of confidence when we know he’s playing the way he’s playing. We know we can get through these battles Wes has in front of the net.”
Wegner has been at his absolute best this past month, and he has the numbers to prove it: 9-2-1 record, 1.86 GAA, .924 save percentage, two shutouts and a conference title. He is quick to attribute his success to his teammates and coaches, especially Bjek.
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“He helped me a lot,” Wegner said of Bjek. Bjerk, a Roseau native, played for the Rochester IceHawks and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and spent one year as the emergency backup goaltender for the Vegas Golden Knights. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without him.
“I was a little nervous at the beginning of the season, starting with the varsity team, and I found that as long as I could keep my feet cool and stay calm in front of the net, we would get a win, like this one (against Northfield).”
Now, Bjerk saw the shot past hit Wegner in the chest.
“He stayed calm, quiet and confident,” Bjerk said, “and that’s the player he turned into in the second half of the year.
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“In this (division title) game and the last game, people were saying he was moving with confidence and everything was jamming into his chest or stomach, but there’s a reason for that. It’s because he’s positioned to make it easier on himself. It’s just designed that way. It’s not an accident that they put it in his belly every time. So, all the work we did helped him stay calm, stay confident, and know, ‘I need to do a good job on the next play and save it for myself.'”