2004 Girls' Soccer Preview
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The 2004 season looks to be an inspiring one. The Blake Bears return 12 players with varsity experience from a team that was 10-5 and 2 in 2003 and finished up second place in a very strong Tri-Metro Conference.
Paul Menge who also serves as an Upper School Grade Dean heads the Blake School coaching staff. First year assistant Chris Mitchell who brings a fresh perspective and noteworthy coaching experience to the team. This is coach Menge’s 11th year leading The Blake School’s Girls’ soccer program where he has compiled a 129-37-15 record.
Offensively the Bears will feature seniors Ashly Bacon and Hali Thurber. Bacon controls the center midfield with great vision and superb passing. Ashly was selected to the 2003 All Tri-Metro Conference team and also earned All-State Honorable Mention lauds. Thurber is notorious for her quickness, great ball skills and devastating shot. She too was a member of the 2003 All Tri-Metro Conference team.
On the other side of the ball the Bears will feature senior Kate Greenberg at center mid and defender. Greenberg is very aggressive on ball while staying poised and reads game well. Kate was a member of the 2003 All Tri-Metro Conference team. The Bears also return senior Kendall Boyd to the net. Hallmarks of Kendall’s game are that she is good in the air and is very quick on her feet. Sophomore Julia Heffelfinger will back up Boyd.
The adeptness of the Bears does not stop there. Also returning are seniors Molly Priedman and Hannah McLaughlin, juniors Anne Stake, Melissa Davis and Vanessa Nesbitt, sophomore Kris Amundson as well as freshman Emily Moos.
When asked about his team’s top prospects coach Menge replied, “We are fortunate to have some young talent with four sophomores, four ninth graders as well as three eighth graders. Although it is too early to tell who will contribute the most, we expect that all of these players will contribute.”
The Bears hope to continue as a control passing team, who create more opportunities than their opponents to score. Menge and Mitchell “expect their players to expect” in other words, to be the first to every loose ball, and to attack from whistle to whistle.
The Bears play in a tough, talent rich conference. Coach Menge feels that, “Saint Paul Academy is the team to beat with Breck, Visitation, Minnehaha Academy, Mounds Park Academy, and Blake all providing strong competition.” Menge expects to be competitive not only in the Tri-Metro but also in Section 4A. To prepare the post season Menge has scheduled a rigorous non-conference schedule including some perennial powers such as Holy Angels, Benilde Saint-Margaret's, and Minneapolis South.
The Bears are endowed with experience, youth and talent it looks as if they can go as far as their inspiration will take them.
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