Hood's drought is over
After 47 consecutive losses, the Blazers corralled their first victory since the program's inception in 2005 with a 12-7 win against Gwynedd-Mercy last Tuesday.
Although Hood (1-2) couldn't extend the streak on Friday, dropping a 13-10 decision to Shenandoah. coach Curt Foxx said the team's confidence has been evident.
"These kids feel like they have been in every game this season," said Foxx, a first-year coach who succeeded Eric Dummann. "They feel like they've been competitive whereas last year when we only had about 17 players on the team, we were completely blown out in probably 12 of the games. The kids feel like, 'Hey, we're in it.' ... There's a big improvement even if it's not showing in the record."
Junior attackman Sofiane Lazar paced the Blazers' victory over Gwynedd-Mercy with three goals, and he ranks second on the team with six points on five goals and one assist. But seven of the the team's top-nine point producers are either sophomores or freshmen.
"They're feeling their way, and they're learning the game," Foxx said of his squad, which consists of 13 freshmen, 10 sophomores, three juniors and zero seniors. "We're just trying to be competitive and recruit and get better. In the last two years, we've had the same coaching staff and now we can actually sit down and bring kids in. ... That's part of the process, too."
Foxx said he has noticed a renewed sense of dedication among the players. "These kids get up at 6 a.m., and they're doing workouts in the gym," he said. "They're lifting, they're running, they're doing wall work, they're doing all kinds of drills on their own, and there's just great leadership from them. They're just a great group of student-athletes."
