It's no surprise that a coach who has taken her team to the Class 3A state championship game six consecutive seasons would have some pretty high standards for performance.
So when Kathy Gillen describes a seven-day stretch in which her team went 4-0 and remained unbeaten this season as "pretty rough," it's understandable. Maybe even predictable.
Gillen said Eagan (20-0, 9-0) — led by Abby Moe and Kennedi Orr — played inconsistently and failed to reach a few short-term goals last week. Still, she said her team has practiced well lately and gives her hope the Wildcats "are back on an upward swing."
That's not good news for the rest of Class 3A, or for Eden Prairie in particular. The Eagles (16-8-1, 4-3), led by Emma O'Connell and Izzy Thorne, have just three victories in their past nine matches heading into Thursday's regular-season finale against nonconference foe Eagan.
The No. 1-3A Wildcats, meanwhile, have lost only six of their 58 sets played this season. And, while Eagan has had sustained success in recent state tournaments, the Wildcats finished unbeaten in conference games for the first time since 2016.
"Winning the (South Suburban), in a tie or outright, is a very nice award," Gillen said. "The level of competition is very high in our conference, so to come out on top is definitely a plus."