Blake Coach Passes Century Mark
By Nick Clark
Sun Newspapers
(Created: Thursday, April 27, 2006 9:19 AM CDT)
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Debra Wood didn't want the hype, but her players couldn't help it.
The Blake School's head girls lacrosse coach picked up her 100th career win April 12 with a 14-7 win over Cooper. Afterward, her team surprised the coach with a banner and cake to celebrate.
Wood was surprised, but she did have one question for them.
"I asked them what they were going to do with the cake if we didn't win," Wood said. "You never know what is going to happen."
Apparently the Blake players were just playing the odds. Since starting in 1994, Wood has compiled a 103-10-3 overall record. That total includes wins over Totino-Grace, Prior Lake and Wayzata since her 100th win.
"To be honest, it was really nice of the girls," Wood said. "It has been a great run."
It isn't over yet, especially with the way Blake has stated its season this year. The Bears are 4-0, which is something Wood didn't expect.
In fact, she thought they might struggle.
"We graduated eight starters off last year's team," Wood said. "I really had low expectations for us, but the girls have blown me away with how they have stepped up."
The eight starters Blake lost last year accounted for 98 percent of the Bears' scoring in their run to a second-place finish in the state tournament. They also graduated Kendall Boyd, who was an all-American defender, and last year's goalie decided not to play this year.
The Bears needed some of their young talent to step up, and they have.
Half - 10 of 20 - of Blake's varsity roster is ninth-graders and sophomores, and they have taken turns filling in for departed seniors.
Through the Bears' first three games, 14 different girls scored.
"What we do is do a good job teaching the girls the basics," she said. "One of the things that we have always been able to do is catch, throw and cradle. I really stress that. The other stuff comes. When you have girls that can catch and throw it makes playing a lot easier."
It also helps that the Bears play soundly in their own end, and other than goaltending, that is one area where Blake has experience.
"We have two girls, Maggie Rogers and Jamie McLaughlin, that are pretty much the background of our defense," Wood said. "They have a good feel for each other."
Behind the defense is where Wood has found her most pleasant surprise. Ninth-grader Abby Fink has been in the goal for Blake and is a big reason why this team is off to a 4-0 start.
"She is playing out of her mind," Wood said. "I didn't have a goalie, and then I have this ninth-grader who is an amazing athlete saying 'Ms. Wood, I will try goal,' and she is unbelievable. Her mother is a wreck, but if she sticks with it she could probably be an all-American by the time she is a junior or a senior if she continues to work as hard as she is."
If that happens, the coach could be well on her way to 200 wins by the time Fink graduates, but she didn't even want to think about that.
"I'm worried about getting No. 104," she said. "We'll take it one game at a time.
Reprinted with permission Sun Newspapers
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