Shawn Reid, the Blake girls' hockey coach who directed one of the sport's most successful programs, resigned Thursday.

Reid's teams won four Class 1A state titles in a five-season span from 2013 to '17. The program opted up to Class 2A after that but got placed in loaded Section 6 group, which includes Edina. Section final loses to the Hornets, winners of the past three big-school crowns, prevented Blake from reaching the past two state tournaments.

The Bears fell 4-2 to Wayzata on Wednesday in the section semifinals this year.

Reid will change jobs at the Blake School, moving from dean to associate athletic director. His son Aksel will be a senior goalie on the Bears boys' team next season.

"He wants to take a breath and watch his son next year," activities director Nick Rathmann said Thursday. "It's bittersweet for me. He's an elite coach. But to have him in this office will be tremendous."

DAVID La VAQUE

U softball to play two

The Gophers softball team, No. 14 in the USA Today/NFCA ratings, will play two other ranked team on Friday on the first day of the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational.

Minnesota, which opened 3-2 last weekend, will face No. 16 Oklahoma State (2-2) at 10:30 a.m. and No. 5 Florida State (5-0) at 5 p.m.

Senior Amber Fiser, the Gophers' ace, is 2-2 with a save and a 2.74 ERA. She has 38 strikeouts in 23 innings. Sophomore Autumn Pease, a transfer from Idaho State, was 1-0 with a 3.23 ERA. She struck out 19 in 13 innings.

Etc.

• Sophomore midfielder Katie Duong of the Gophers was named to the U.S. soccer team roster for the CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship from Feb. 22 though March 8 in the Dominican Republic.

• The Bethany Lutheran baseball team was picked as the favorite to win the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference title in a preseason coaches poll.