Milestone mark
Minicus earns 400th coaching win as Darien blanks Warde
When the postseason begins in late October, it’s a good bet that the Darien field hockey team will be among the favorites for both FCIAC and Class L championships.
That’s par for the course for the Blue Wave and coach Mo Minicus, who have won eight state and nine FCIAC titles since the 2007 season.
In the meantime, there’s another number for Darien to cheer about: 400.
The Blue Wave shut out Warde 10-0 on Monday in Fairfield, giving Minicus her 400th coaching win in a career that spans 30 years. That includes stops at Tufts University and Bowdoin College, as well as at Rye Country Day (NY).
“It’s quite a number,” Minicus said. “It’s not one I sought out to achieve, but it’s here now and it means I’ve been coaching for a long time.
“I love it and I don’t feel like I’m as old as the number sort of presents itself,” she added with a laugh.
Minicus came to Darien in 2000, and she attributes much of the Wave’s consistency to the competitiveness of her players.
“Success breeds success, so the more field hockey does well, and lacrosse, and football, the younger kids want to do the same,” Minicus said. “They’re driven and it makes my job easier because they’re such great hard-working, skilled kids, and they start from a young age.
“I can’t say enough about the kids in this town, my staff, and the youth program. These kids are workers and they’re committed.”
The Darien field hockey team wouldn’t be successful if it wasn’t for Mo,” senior co-captain Kyle Latimer said, representing herself and the team’s other captains Maddy Hult and Molly McGuckin. “She knows her players’ full potential and pushes everyone to reach it every day at practice. “Her determination and expert coaching pay off during every single game that we play. We are so thankful for Mo and for everything that she has done for Blue Wave field hockey.”
Minicus began the season with 327 victories at
Darien, and the Wave’s 6-0 start has boosted that number to 333. Darien is ranked No. 1 in the state coaches poll and last week won 2-1 over Staples, a rival it faced in three state and two FCIAC finals from 2016 to 2019.
“Every single player, whether they are graduated or are currently on the team, is grateful for Mo,” Latimer said. “We all feel great pride in having the privilege to say that we are, that we were on her team.”
Maintaining the Wave’s level of success is a constant challenge, Minicus admitted, adding that the players typically thrive in the Daren legacy.
“That’s the hard part for the coaches,” she said. “You want each team and each year for them to have a good experience, but the pressure is natural. They just want to do as well if not better than the previous year.”
DARIEN 10, WARDE 0
Scoring: Darien: Ruthie Miller 3g; Lindsey Turner 1g, 2a; Molly McGuckin 2g; Maddy Hult 1g, 1a; Raina Johns 2a; Tori Stockdale 1g; Kyle Latimer 1g; Ryan Hapgood 1g; Blake Wilks 1a.