Eden Prairie forwards Sara Woodring and Jessica Lagerquist have been playing lacrosse together since the seventh grade. The pair have developed such great chemistry that they have their own special play on the field.

Woodring holds the ball and waits for Lagerquist to cut in front of the opponent’s net, where she'll send a pass that allows “one of her best friends” to turn and fire through a shifting defense.

“It works almost every time,” Lagerquist said.

Woodring and Lagerquist connected four times to help the Eagles defeat Blake 12-10 in the regular-season finale Friday at Eden Prairie High School.

The duo’s slick passing play has been highly effective in nearly every game this season.

Lagerquist has a team-high 49 goals and Woodring leads the team with 27 assists and 69 points.

Lagerquist, however, isn’t the only beneficiary of Woodring’s helping hands.

Junior midfielder Kelly Wolfe (27 goals) and sophomore midfielders Sammie Morton (31 goals) and Naomi Rogge (23 goals) have significantly increased their regular-season scoring totals from last year, while senior forward Angie Heppelmann (24 goals) is on an equivalent pace. 

Lagerquist said that this scoring balance gives the Eagles, ranked No. 2 in the coaches poll, their best chance to dethrone six-time defending state champion Blake in the upcoming postseason.

“We’re hoping we have the team this year,” Lagerquist said. “We have girls that can play all over the field.”

Eden Prairie co-head coach Judy Baxter is somewhat more hopeful.

“You know, you have to believe,” Baxter said.

Baxter, however, remains cautiously optimistic about the Eagles’ chances to break the Bears’ streak of titles, especially after Friday. Baxter said Eden Prairie’s performance against No. 1 Blake was not flawless.

“We did some good things, and we made some mistakes,” Baxter continued. 

The critiques are part of the positive environment Baxter fosters within the Eagles’ program.

“She believes in us, one hundred percent,” Woodring said. “All of our coaches do.”

After a tone-setting victory over Blake, many more may believe this is the year Eden Prairie brings home the championship hardware from the state tournament.

Senior forward Jessica Lagerquist finished with four goals and an assist to lead Eden Prairie past Blake 12-10 in a rematch of last year’s state championship game at Eden Prairie High School on Friday night. 

The Bears won the state title in a weather-shortened game, while the Eagles eked out this victory in nearly perfect playing conditions: temperatures in the low 70s and no rain.

Lagerquist opened the scoring with a goal 45 seconds into the first half. Junior forward Sara Woodring set up the goal, and the pair combined for two more to propel Eden Prairie a 7-1 halftime lead. Woodring recorded five assists in the game.

Blake (11-2), ranked No. 1 in the coaches poll, stormed back in the second half with nine goals, including four from Annie Lyman, but came up short to lose in the regular-season finale.

Midfielders Kelly Wolfe and Sammie Morton each scored three goals and forward Angie Heppelmann had two for the No. 2 Eagles (12-1). 

Senior forward Adelaide Winton scored twice, while midfielders Lucy Nelson, Sophie Skallerud and Sara McClanahan each notched a goal in the loss.

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