The missing piece

Every organized sports team longs for a player who makes an indelible mark -- a tone-setter for an entire program. For Rosemount soccer, it was Shade Pratt.

Her impact was undeniable.

"I think every program, in order to have credibility and respect, you have to have a player that can make things happen," Irish head coach Kevin Adams said. "When you look at the Woodburys and the Eden Prairies that people follow, the reason that they've become good and they get notoriety is they've got these players that make a difference. That's what Shade meant to our program. It's what she gave us -- she gave us exposure."

Pratt made varsity as an eighth-grader. When Adams was named head coach one year later in 2007, the Irish finished 2-14. The past two seasons, in 2009 and 2010, they mustered 23 wins, marking a major change in the program.

Changes in the win-loss column also altered opposing teams' perception of Rosemount.

"We would walk out on the field and they were like, 'Oh, it's Rosemount -- we're going to get another win.' We didn't get any respect," said Pratt, who scored a combined 35 goals in her junior and senior years. "That all changed. It wasn't just an easy win for every team after that. We got a lot more respect and it felt good."

Pratt was the difference-maker. Her speed and scoring forced teams to prepare for the enigmatic attacker. She would often attract two or three defenders at a time, which opened up other options for teammates.

Eventually, she took their advice.

"As I grew, I began loving to take people on and going for that goal," said Pratt, who will play Division I soccer this fall at the University of Maryland.

Pratt was a two-time all-state and three-time all-conference selection. She also played two years for the Minnesota Olympic Development Program and was Rosemount's Athena Award recipient. The senior captain always took an interest in helping other players out, but when the Irish's season ended last fall, Pratt offered her services to the cross-country team.

The stint lasted only a couple of weeks, but it included a trip to the state meet in which the team finished 10th. Pratt clocked Rosemount's second-best time at 15:40.9. Her talents don't stop there. As a full-time track star, she also placed fourth in the state track meet's 400-meter dash this spring and anchored the 4x400 relay squad to a second-place finish.