ANDERSON, S.C. - In Rob Miller's first year as head coach at Anderson, his No. 1 priority was to find a goal scorer. The Trojans, who scored just 16 goals the entire 2001 season, needed some offensive punch. Miller's answer was Blake Wood. Wood, a sophomore from Chapin, S.C., led the Trojans in scoring during the regular season with 13 goals. He scored three goals in AC's regular-season finale on Nov. 2 - a 6-2 victory over Oglethorpe. Wood started playing organized sports when he was four years old. "I had played baseball, however, I prefer a faster-paced sport like, soccer or basketball," Wood said. "I gravitated to soccer because it came more naturally to me." Wood has played soccer since elementary school, and the game has provided him many opportunities. "I had the opportunity to travel with many city leagues and go as far as Tampa Bay, Florida to Virginia Beach, Virginia," he said. Traveling throughout his soccer career has helped Wood learn to juggle studying and practice. "I sometimes have lab during soccer practices, so my team mates and I practice on our own in the evenings," said Wood, who is a biology major at AC. Wood credits his increase in goal scoring to conditioning. "I'm in better condition to play because we have been running and hitting the gym a lot more," he said. "As a team, we run twice as much as before during practice. That has really help me out on the field during our games." Miller says Wood's improvement in understanding the game led to his increase in scoring. "Blake is a player who possesses speed and has fast technical skills that are needed out on the field," Miller said. "Blake has improved on his movement off of the ball and a keener understanding of the game." In 2002, the AC men set a school record for regular-season victories (8) and CVAC victories (5) in a single season. Prior to the 2002 season, the Trojans had won just four CVAC matches in three years. "We had a good year," Wood said. "We played much better against the stronger teams." By: Dixie A. Holton