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The Coquitlam junior Adanacs general manager had scheduled a vacation with his wife long before the outcome of a long and sometimes arduous season came to a close.

While Wood had complete confidence in his players and coach Curt Malawsky, at no time would the self-described worrier have predicted that a Minto Cup was a lock.

Following Saturday's clinching victory, an 8-4 win over the Orangeville Northmen at the Poirier Sports Centre, Wood talked about the year-long journey to a championship while en route to Walt Disney's amusement park.

"I'm still flying on the moon, it's almost surreal because you go from talking about putting a team together to challenge and win a Minto Cup, and then it happens," Wood said. "I'm still waiting for someone to pinch me."

The fedora-wearing Wood, who has been general manager of the lacrosse club for the past six years, took the main step to a championship following the Adanacs early elimination from the 2009 Minto Cup. What he did then raised a lot of eyebrows, and Wood expected to face some questions.

He didn't know that the questions and criticism would cut so deep.

"It was the biggest, boldest move that had to be done, but it was also the toughest," Wood said of firing head coach Dan Perreault and his staff last October, and replacing them with Curt Malawsky. "As far as I'm concerned, that was the start of this, we had gone as far as we could and needed a change... It needed to be done."

Perreault had spearheaded a major resurgence in Adanac fortunes over three seasons to where they were the two-time regular season champions.

The Coquitlam resident had also coached many of the current junior Adanacs through minor lacrosse, crafting many of the conditions that led to Saturday's historic win.

But it was evident to Wood that after last year's one-sided 16-8 loss to the Northmen, a different approach was needed. Guaranteed a berth into the national tournament as the host team, Wood wanted someone with championship knowledge and experience who could bring it all home.

Enter Malawsky.

The longtime lacrosse all star had co-coached the last B.C. team -- Burnaby -- to back-to-back Minto titles in 2004-05. As a player, Malawsky has won both Mann and National Lacrosse League crowns. Equally as important, the Coquitlam minor product was available and interested.

The 40-year-old had a fire for winning that few could equal. Malawsky commanded a great deal of respect and admiration, for whom players would move across the country to play for.

It resulted in acquiring 20-year-old Ontario all-star Mark Matthews, who went on to post 100 points over 17 regular and league playoff games, and finished with a tourney-high 27 points in five games. Wood also locked up key support players Simon Giourmetakis of Alberta and Burnaby's Nic Bilic and Riley Loewen.

Wood admits that he paid a price for replacing Perreault -- his reputation took a hit and a couple of firm friendships were shattered. Saturday's win could only repair one.

The validation of a victory doesn't paper over the cost, he admits.

"That's a part that people don't understand, that the comments to me and of me, that I was cold and calculating, did (hurt)," he said. "I liked those guys very much, we were a team for three years, but I just knew that to get to the next level we had to go in another direction.

"Curt proved it again. He's the guy who is most focused, most dedicated to winning and who would prepare the guys for the long battles ahead."

While he can now look back over those difficult times as a test of fire, the Adanac GM said a Minto Cup is just the first step. Winning one breeds hunger for another.

"Right now we'll take some time to settle down, enjoy this for a bit. What we just did was something historic for the city of Coquitlam, and lacrosse in Coquitlam.

"There are no changes planned in our goals -- we want to win another (Minto)."

sports@thenownews.com