Blake Girls Lacrosse Team Enters Year
As Preseason Favorite
By Nick Clark
Sun Newspapers
(Created 4/21/2005 9:45:56 AM)
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The expectations are as high as they have ever been for the Blake girls lacrosse team, but you wouldn’t know it by asking their coach.
Debra Wood considers this season a rebuilding year for the Bears, even though the states’ coaches tabbed them Minnesota’s preseason number one.
With the departure of four key defenders to graduation, Wood might be right. The Bears return five players from last year’s state runner-up team. However, all five were key cogs in capturing that second place trophy.
Senior captains Charlotte Hitch and Kendall Boyd will lead on both ends of the field for Blake this spring.
Hitch earned All-State honorable mention honors last season after compiling 22 goals and 25 assists. Boyd helped anchor what was the state’s best defensive core a year ago.
Joining Hitch up front will be Libby Murphy, Laura Vincent, Tara Dubbs and Ali Cram. Juniors Ellie Barczak, Sara Lannin, Abby Lawrence will also contribute, as will sophomores Kristine Admunson, Katherine Chute, Julia Heffelfinger, Marissa Echtenkamp and Jennings Grant. Ninth-grader Emily Moos will also be in the mix offensively.
Replacing the defense will be the key to Blake’s success this year. Seniors Geneviere Broche and Ashley Bjork will join Boyd guarding the Bears’ back line. Juniors Tory Patterson, Alexandra Masko, sophomore Maggie Rogers and ninth-grader Jamie McLaughlin will also be part of the defensive corps.
Senior Amanda Lillington and eighth-grader Keegan Dubbs will handle the goaltending responsibilities.
“It is a fluid roster,” said Wood, who is in his 11th year at Blake and has compiled an 87-7-2 record in the process. “We have a lot of talent this year and we will continue to develop our game to create the best team possible.”
If that happens, the coaches say this could be the year for the Bears, which would fall right into their team motto for 2005 – “Make it happen.”
They plan to try.
Reprinted with permission Sun Newspapers
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