Do it for these Husky puppies.

After months of hard work and preparation, the time has finally arrived! The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Kenyon College will be taking place THIS WEEKEND, starting at 6PM this evening. Everyone is getting involved including sports teams, housing and res life, Greek life, and a local community team. Events range from a Ke$ha-themed lap to something sponsored by Social Board called the “Human iPod.” Even if you haven’t signed up with an organization, you should head down to the indoor track any time between 6 pm Saturday to 12 pm Sunday to show your support for the cause! It is recommended that you bring cash to participate in games and buy food.

• What: Relay for Life at Kenyon College
• When: April 13th 6PM -14th
• Where: The Indoor Track

LeBlanc, who helped to lead the Huskies to an appearance in the Frozen Four, becomes the first member of the St. Cloud State program to ever win the coveted award.

LeBlanc, a fifth-year senior center, led the nation with 37 assists in 42 games. He scored 13 goals, and finished with 50 points, good for seventh in the nation. He was a two-year captain for the Huskies, who lost to Quinnipiac, 4-1, Thursday in the national semifinals here.

He is a native of Hermantown, Minn., and was named first team all-conference in the WCHA this season.

Hobey Baker was a legendary player at Princeton, and is remembered for redefining the game with end-to-end rushes and no-look passes.

“Well, I think just to be associated with the name Hobey Baker and what he meant to not only college hockey, but the time period in general, how big of a figure he was, just to be associated with that has been pretty special for me,” LeBlanc said. “I’ve said it a bunch of times now, but it doesn’t happen if our team doesn’t have the success that we’ve had this year.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to play with a great group of guys and with great people and great leaders. It’s just everything kind of aligned right and found a place for me, and I’m just fortunate to have the opportunity.”

Quinnipiac goaltender Eric Hartzell was also a Hobey Baker finalist, was a key cog in the Bobcats’ run to the title game. Hartzell outshined LeBlanc Thursday night, and Quinnipiac will try to win its first national championship on Saturday at the Consol Energy Center vs. Yale.

But goalies rarely win the award. In fact, the last one to win the Baker was Ryan Miller in 2001. Miller was a standout for Michigan State before graduating to an impressive career with the Buffalo Sabres. He also helped lead Team USA to a silver medal in the Vancouver Olympics.

The previous three Baker winners were also forwards: Wisconsin’s Blake Geoffrion (2010); Miami, Ohio’s Andy Miele (2011); and Minnesota Duluth’s Jack Connolly (2012).

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

It was a gorgeous day, low temp and I felt like going out finally after being bleh for a while. So I got my stuff together and tried Orion out with the bike to see how it’d go. He did amazing and after a brief up and down the road, I grabbed Shila to see how they both would do.

They did that well that after a rest, we headed out to the High Marsh Road which is a dirt road going between Sackville and Jolicure/Point De Bute. I figured the dirt road would be much more forgiving than the pavement (I didn’t like how I could hear their feet hitting the pavement) and there’d be less traffic besides.

They did absolutely fantastic. We had a few cars pass us (so much for lesser traffic, lol) and one dirt bike which they barely blinked at. They took commands awesomely well and our only incident was when Shi spotted something and wove suddenly. I put on the breaks but still fell, banged up my elbow decently enough but that was about it (laws around here require a helmet I’m pretty sure; wore one anyway to be safe). We got going again, passed a female pheasant that took flight; Shi saw it and I got on her real hard with “on by!” and it didn’t even bother Ri what so ever.

At the end, though tired, within half an hour I think they were ready to go again; sadly I had/have to work so next time we go we’ll do so earlier for a longer run.

A breakdown of the dogs.

Shila: Always, always, ALWAYS wants to go, whines when we stop and really pushes herself to run and keep running. Her drive to run is just wicked. She follows commands well and really puts her heart into the job. Her gait is amazingly smooth and she keeps up with Ri despite his larger stride. Her one fault IS critters or things she might notice that distract her, but so far that’s her only fault.

Orion: Always anxious to go at the start and I think he just relaxes into it once we’re going. He keeps his focus ahead but does cock an ear back to listen. Follows commands to a T. His usual tendency to sniff around when out on a walk disappears when running, until we break then he wants to explore. Right now he slows down sooner than Shila and I don’t know if he runs hotter than her or his endurance just isn’t the same as hers. He does keep pulling though right to the end.

Overall, I am beyond pleased with my two! We not only bikejored 2K, not just 4K, we hit 7K for Shila and 8K for Ri (Shi had less since Ri was out one trip more than her), thus the destruction of our bikejoring goals! We’ll stick to going short distances for a while though I think just to build them up (weather permitting), then break for summer. Once fall hits us again, we’ll get into biking ASAP and hopefully we’ll kick that 10K goal’s butt!

If anything, this has driven my passion for mushing with the dogs over the edge. It was just so calming, so fun, so…

…

*clears throat and stands up* My name is Elaine and I’m a Mush-a-holic.

XD

Jordan Samuels-Thomas had a goal and an assist for the top-seeded Bobcats while Ben Arnt, Kellen Jones and Jeremy Langlois also scored for Quinnipiac (30-7-5), who will play in-state rival Yale in the final Saturday.

Hobey Baker Award finalist Eric Hartzell stopped 32 shots for the Bobcats, easily outshining fellow finalist Drew LeBlanc of St. Cloud State. LeBlanc was held scoreless as the Huskies (25-16-1) struggled to keep up with Quinnipiac. Joey Benik scored his tournament-leading fifth goal for St. Cloud State but it wasn’t nearly enough.

Ryan Faragher made 24 saves for the Huskies but was overwhelmed in the first period as Quinnipiac scored three times in the first 12 minutes to grab control.

The buzz from Yale’s 3-2 overtime victory against UMass Lowell had barely died down when the Bobcats jumped on the Huskies. Samuels-Thomas gave Quinnipiac the lead 1:49 into the game, working behind the net then beating Faragher on a wraparound.

The Bobcats needed just over three minutes to double its lead. Samuels-Thomas again did most of the work, controlling the puck in the corner then darting behind the St. Cloud State goal. This time, when he tried to stuff it by Faragher the puck skittered loose. No biggie, the puck rolled right to Arnt’s stick and the senior had little trouble flipping it over Faragher’s right shoulder for his eighth goal of the season.

Langlois pushed the lead to 3-0 barely halfway through the period, giving Hartzell all the cushion he would need.

St. Cloud managed to regain its footing after falling into such an early hole and pulled to within 3-1 6:25 into the second period. Hartzell made an uncharacteristic mistake, committing early to a shot from Kevin Gravel and found himself woefully out of position as the puck found its way to Benik’s stick at the doorstep. Benik had so much time to score he was able to collect himself before depositing it into the net for his eighth goal of the season.

Quinnipiac’s lapse was only momentary. The Bobcats came in 25-0-1 when scoring at least three goals, and though St. Cloud State recovered a bit after the early collapse, it wasn’t nearly enough to derail Quinnipiac’s run.

Jones restored the three-goal lead on a stellar effort by Jones, who took a pass off the boards and raced into the zone. He turned left and headed for the net, fighting off St. Cloud State’s Andrew Prochno and flipping the puck by Faragher’s stick.

The loss marked an end to a remarkable season for the Huskies, who started the year as an afterthought before capturing the Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular-season title for the first time since joining the league in 1990.

Victories over Notre Dame and Miami propelled St. Cloud State into its first Frozen Four appearance, but Quinnipiac — and it’s talented roster of experienced players — was simply too much.

The Bobcats, sensing a trip to the final in their grasp, clamped down the rest of the way to set up a showdown with the Bulldogs.

Quinnipiac dominated all three meetings with Yale this season, outscoring the Bulldogs 13-3 on its way to the ECAC regular-season title.

The matchup between the Bobcats and the Bulldogs assures the ECAC — which for years has struggled in the shadow of the formidable Hockey East — its first national title since Harvard won it in 1989.

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(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The university announced the new logo on its UConn Today blog. It is part of a rebrand that also will use “UConn” as the “primary mark of the University in all signage, publications, advertising and marketing activities.”

“This logo is everything that a Husky is supposed to be – powerful, aggressive, determined,” said women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma, whose team won the national championship on Tuesday.

“It is looking right through you and saying, ‘Do not mess with me.’ This is a streamlined, fighting dog, and I cannot wait for it to be on our uniforms and court.”

UConn women’s basketball player Caroline Doty tweeted a photo of the new logo:

Check out our new Husky dog logo which boldly reflects our Uconn Pride Loyalty Strength Determination & Athleticism! twitter.com/cdoty5/status/…

— Caroline Doty (@cdoty5) April 11, 2013

By Brian Farrell, QBSN Staff Writer

The countdown has finally hit zero; the Frozen Four is here. Tonight, Quinnipiac finally takes the ice against St. Cloud State in the national semifinals in Pittsburgh. For fans, it seems like an eternity since the Bobcats calmly hopped over the boards to celebrate with Hobey Baker Hat Trick finalist Eric Hartzell following the 5-1 drubbing of Union in the East Regional championship.

courtesy of quinnipiacbobcats.com

For Quinnipiac and St. Cloud State, they each boast a Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalist, both representing opposite ends of the spectrum.  For Quinnipiac it is the aforementioned senior goaltender representing defense and for the Huskies it is senior forward Drew LeBlanc representing offense. LeBlanc has been stellar this season with 13 goals and 37 assists good for 50 points.  While Hartzell is among the nation’s best with a .933 save percentage and a 1.54 goals against average.

The Bobcats are the nation’s top ranked defense allowing just 1.63 goals per game while the Huskies are the nation’s second best offense scoring 3.41 goals per game. Something has got to give.

“The first thing that always jumps out at me [about St. Cloud State] is Coach Motzko,” Quinnipiac’s Rand Pecknold said. “I think he’s a phenomenal coach.  And he’s one of the great people in the game of hockey.  I’ve always been impressed with him and how he handles himself; he’s sincere.”

The question is which wall will break. Can St. Cloud State goaltender Ryan Faragher keep his team in the game enough for the Huskies to put a few past Hartzell? Faragher’s numbers are on par with many other great goaltenders, but he is certainly not Hartzell. What is great for the Huskies is that he hasn’t had to be.

“We’ve watched him get better and improve in so many areas,” Motzko said about his goaltender. “When he’s had a couple of these challenges as a goaltender to get better, he’s handled them.  I think all of us ‑‑ I know all of us, not think, have complete confidence in him that he’s going to be prepared to go.

St. Cloud State boasts three players with more than 15 goals including Jonny Brodzinski who is in the top five nationally for goals scored.

“Obviously, they’re a high scoring team, high octane offense,” Quinnipiac captain Zack Currie said. “LeBlanc is a big part of that … so we’ve got to keep to our game and keep to our principles what we know helped us win, and I feel we’ll be able to handle what they’re going to throw at us.”

QBSN will have up to date scores as well as recaps of all the action. Stay tuned for a podcast after tonight’s game.

Tagged: dogs, snow, trust fall, huskies, derp

The Huskies are fired up to face off against number-one ranked Quinnipiac. It’s the second game in Pittsburgh on Thursday after Yale faces U-Mass-Lowell River in the opener.

The puck drops for St. Cloud State at 7 p.m.

The championship game is Saturday night.

On March 9, Seferian-Jenkins was arrested following a one-car accident in Seattle. Says the police report (via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times), “An officer came across ‘came across a traffic collision’ and 22nd Avenue N.E. and Ravenna Avenue N.E. at 11:29 p.m., where the driver was found with a bloody nose. The injury, the police report states, ‘was consisted with hitting his face on the windshield of the crashed vehicle.’”

Seferian-Jenkins, later identified, was traveling ‘at a high speed’ before the accident according to a witness. He was found standing outside the vehicle with a strong smell of alcohol and bloodshot eyes. He has now been charged with misdemeanor DUI. The Seattle City Attorney’s office said that the potential All-American registered a blood-alcohol level of 0.18%, well above the legal limit.

Seferian-Jenkins remains indefinitely suspended from the team and is not taking part in any team activities, including spring practices. UW’s official student-athlete code of conduct states: “When a student-athlete has been arrested or charged with a violation of criminal law, the student-athlete will be placed on administrative suspension from all team activities pending further investigation.” Since this is a misdemeanor offense, the head coach, Steve Sarkisian in this case, can lift the suspension if he first obtains permission from the sports administrator. If this were to have been a felony offense, only the Director of Athletics would be able to lift the suspension.

The star tight end will be a junior in 2013, and is also considered a strong candidate for the Mackey Award, given to the best tight end in the country. He was one of three finalists in the previous season, and the only underclassmen.

With Seferian-Jenkins sitting out, spring practice has given more first-team reps to go to Michael Hartvigson and Evan Hudson, both juniors. They are backed up by Josh Perkins, a sophomore, and David Ajamu, who will arrive in the fall.

Should Seferian-Jenkins miss any games, it would be a big blow the the UW offense, as the Gig Harbor graduate already holds several UW single-season and career records for tight ends, even with Washington known as a school for churning out good tight ends.

Washington opens its season and the new Husky Stadium on Aug. 31 against Boise State, and it is very possible that the Huskies will do so without one of their top playmakers.

STORRS, Conn. (AP) _ The Connecticut women’s basketball team returned to campus Wednesday, wearing warm-up jackets with “Gr8ness” printed on the back and carrying with them the program’s eighth NCAA championship trophy.

Dozens of fans greeted the Huskies at Bradley International Airport and more than 2,000 others gathered on a plaza across from Gampel Pavilion, the school’s basketball arena, for a ceremony to welcome the team home.

“This is the reason why I came here,” said Ellen Machalick, 20, a sophomore from Norwich, who grew up watching the Huskies win titles. “Just to be part of a school that is so proud to wear their sweatshirts and wear the Husky on their hats. It’s a great thing to be a part of.”

The team, which beat Louisville 93-60 on Tuesday night, boarded double-decker buses for a “victory lap” around campus, before heading to the ceremony.

This is the school’s 11th basketball championship since 1995 and the eighth for the women, tying a record set by the University of Tennessee. But this was the first time the university held a parade on campus.

In the past, the team held a victory ceremony inside the arena, with a parade at a later date through the streets of Hartford. The school decided to change things up this year in an attempt to get the campus more involved.

Few people lined the parade route, but cars stopped and honked their horns as the double-decker bus passed by. The real celebration began when the bus arrived at the plaza, where the pep band played the school fight song and the crowd cheered and held up signs, including several marriage proposals for players.

“I did not expect to have a crowd like this, unbelievable” said senior Kelly Faris.

The campus bookstore, the UConn Co-op, sold more than 600 championship shirts on Wednesday, said Bob Hawley, the stores merchandise manager. A bigger shipment was set to arrive on Thursday.
But the crowd actually was smaller than during the early days of the UConn dynasty, when thousands of fans would fill the arena for the victory celebration.

“The sad part is this is new for this team,” said Bill Salvatore, 64, of Vernon. “The problem is, people think of this like a professional team, where you get the same players year after year. It doesn’t matter how many times they win the championship, this is the first year for this team, and people should be here supporting them.”

They may get another chance. Andrew Doba, a spokesman for the governor’s office, said discussions were underway on holding another event at the state Capitol.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma said winning a title never gets routine for him nor does seeing the joy on the faces of the players, especially the underclassmen who were not a part of the program’s last title in 2010.

“We’ve got eight players on our team and they were just like those students were last night,” he said. “This is what they hope and dream of when they go to college.

“And for me being in that locker room and seeing their reaction, it never ceases to amaze me how much kids enjoy this kind of stuff,” he said. “And it makes coaching fun.”

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

It all came down to the top of the seventh inning. Leading 12-8, Claremont head coach Geoff Ranney pulled his starting pitcher, Tyler Witt, hoping a four run lead would be enough. But the Huskies did not go down easily.

With two outs, a run already in, two men on base and 3-2 count to South Hills’ catcher Clayton Pearson, Claremont pitcher David Valdivia found himself in a hole. Pearson hit a hard single to right field bringing in the two more runs, cutting the Wolfpack lead to one.

Valdivia went 3-2 to yet another batter, and after multiple foul offs South Hills’ center fielder Niko Contreras hit a hard grounder to Valdivia and the game was over.

“I was definitely nervous in the last inning,” Wolfpack second baseman Jeremy Giles said. “I was on my toes defensively.”

With the win Claremont (8-5) is now tied with South Hills for the league lead and can gain sole possession of first place with a win Thursday at South Hills.

“This is a huge win for us,” Giles said. “We were alone in second and now we’re tied for first with them, and it just makes Thursday’s game even bigger. That last inning definitely gave us momentum, and I’m excited for Thursday.”

No lead was safe in the game. South Hills took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, but Claremont came back in the second. Husky pitcher Erik Martinez left too many pitches over the middle of the plate and Claremont took advantage getting six hits and five runs.

But South Hills came back with five runs of their own in the third inning and took back the lead 6-5. Every time one team scored the other would come back with at least one run.

“It was an incredible game going back and forth,” Ranney said. “I think it’s a testament of how strong a program South Hills is. For our team to respond inning after inning to their continuous scoring; It shows how hard we’re working and how far along our guys have come along in the last year.”

In the sixth inning, South Hills had the bases loaded and cleared them with a double by second baseman Gabriel Chavez, cutting the Claremont lead to 10-8. That brought up one of the Huskies most dangerous hitters, David Denson. Ranney had full confidence in his starting pitcher and left him in the game.

“You just try to keep him (Denson) off balance and make him make a mistake. That’s what we were trying to do right there,” Ranney said.

Witt went on to make Denson pop up to left field.

“I told myself, with the three-hitter up, that if I was going to make something of this game I had to get him out,” Witt said. “If I was going to win this game I had to get him. He’s a big guy and I had to get him.”

Witt gave up seven hits, six runs and two walks in six innings.

“I had it in my mind the whole day to come out and throw as hard as I could for as long as I could, so I could keep my team in the game and win,” Witt said.

Claremont will try to take the energy from the game and repeat it when they face South Hills again at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.

“Anytime you can matchup hit for it or run for run with a team of that caliber, you have to build and take some confidence from it and know that you can be there in the next game,” Ranney said. “It makes Thursday’s game that much bigger.”

Picture credit to my lovely friend Olivia!
Tonight after a hectic day of class, exams, and meetings upon meetings, I had the pleasure to be part of the celebration of the UConn women’s basketball team winning their 8th NCAA Championship! The atmosphere was electric with students dancing and singing on the main campus road (pictured). Everyone was effusing happiness, enthusiasm and pride to be a UConn Husky! I’ve never been an avid sports fan, but boy do I love being a part of a winning team (judge me all you like). I know tomorrow the glory will have worn off, but at least the Co-Op might offer a larger discount on Husky merchandise, or so I can hope! Did I mention I watched the celebrations from the roof of the Information Technology and Engineering building? It was surreal, not only to watch the festivities below, but to be sternly told off by state troopers and asked to leave (albeit with about 40 other students).

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A Minnesota hockey team is on its way to a historical NCAA Frozen Four.

St. Cloud State University has never advanced this far in the tournament despite its storied history. But they earned their spot with a win over Miami of Ohio last weekend. Now, the team will face Quinnipiac Thursday night at 8 p.m. SCSU is the only Minnesota school with a spot in the tournament.

Before taking off to Pittsburgh, Huskie Nation threw a sendoff party in their honor on campus.

“This is our time as St. Cloud State Huskie Hockey. This is our time!” student government president Hannah Muerhoff said, rallying the crowd. “This Thursday is a huge deal for SCSU. We’re making history!”

Co-Captain Drew LaBlanc emphasized their time in the national spotlight wasn’t possible without the fans.

“Your support through this whole thing has been awesome,” he said. “We’re excited to get out to Pittsburgh and represent this university, campus, students and everyone else.”

LaBlanc was named 2013 WCHA Player of the Year and is a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.

The camaraderie on the team is apparent. His co-captain, Ben Hanowski said he wouldn’t want to play the tournament game without this team.

“We’re going to go out there Thursday and then do it again Saturday and bring home a national title. That’s our goal and that’s what we’re going to try and do,” Hanowski said.

Ron and Marty Bunde have been waiting 18 years for this moment.

“We talked at the beginning of the season. I said this could be a special year. This could be the year,” Ron Bunde said. “It’s been an amazing ride. It turned out way better than we expected.”

This season has been special. The Huskies are WCHA co-champions, bringing the McNaughton Cup to St. Cloud for the first time.

“The team’s been amazing,” Marty Bunde said. “The kids are dedicated. They just go out there and play hard for almost the whole darn time they’re out on the ice.”

The players aren’t only good on the ice. Their academics are outstanding, too, showing the best of what a sports team and University can be.

The anticipation builds as the team skates its way into hockey’s history books.

Decked out in his Frozen Four gear, Ron Bunde smiled, “sometimes a team is a team and not just an individual. That’s what I think makes these guys special.”

The three other teams playing in this season’s Frozen Four are Quinnipiac, Massachusetts-Lowell and Yale. None of the four schools have ever won a NCAA Frozen Four title.

That doesn’t mean the Huskies are going to be brimming with confidence about their chances of winning an eighth NCAA national title on Tuesday night against the Cardinals.

After all, Louisville (29-8) has become the master of the upset.

The Cardinals beat Cal 64-57 in the semifinals in the latest game they weren’t supposed to win, rallying from 10 down to do it. Louisville stunned defending national champion Baylor and knocked off perennial power Tennessee just to get to New Orleans.

Next up are the Huskies, who know how little one should read into previous meetings. UConn (34-4) lost to Notre Dame three times this season, only to beat the Irish handily, 83-65, in Sunday night’s other semifinal.

“We’ve got a problem Tuesday night, I think, because I think Louisville really thinks they’re the best team in the country right now,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “After the way they’ve played and what they’ve done in these last couple weeks, they probably think there’s nobody that can beat them.”

If the Louisville women pull off a fourth-straight upset and the men’s team beats Michigan on Monday night in Atlanta, then Louisville would become the first school to win men’s and women’s NCAA titles in the same year since UConn did it in 2004.

“If it were easy, it would have been done a lot of times, but the fact it’s only been done once shows you how difficult it is to do,” Auriemma said. “At the same time, this has been a magical year for Louisville. … It’s just amazing what they’ve been able to do, so I think we’re playing against Louisville and we’re playing against a certain karma maybe.”

Incidentally, that 2004 women’s title for Connecticut came in New Orleans.

The last time Louisville made it to a title game was in 2009, losing to — that’s right — Connecticut, 76-54.

Louisville coach Jeff Walz has a simple answer when asked what changed between the end of the regular season and the NCAA tournament to make his team so tough to beat.

“We’re playing our best basketball at the end of the year and that’s all that matters,” Walz said. “We’re figuring out a way to pull them out and win and play well at the right time.”

Still, there are reasons to wonder how Louisville will manage to do it against UConn. They will need to deal with Stewart, who poured in 29 points against Notre Dame on Sunday night. She did not play when the Huskies beat Louisville by 14 points nearly three months ago.

UConn is a complete team, strong on defense (allowing about 50 points per game) with an array of scoring options.

“She’s gotten stronger mentally, she’s gotten stronger emotionally,” Auriemma said of Stewart. “Stewie really takes things to heart and puts a lot of pressure on herself. When she wasn’t playing well, she wasn’t strong enough mentally and emotionally to put it aside.”

Four of their starters average double-figures in points, including 6-foot forward Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis at about 17 per game (she had 16 against the Irish) and 6-5 center Stefanie Dolson, who’s averaged nearly 14 points.

Advantage UConn?

The Cardinals aren’t all that concerned with history, unless they’re the ones making it. By beating Cal, the Cardinals, who were seeded fifth in the Oklahoma City Region, became the first team seeded worse than fourth to win a game in the women’s Final Four.

Louisville has been carried mostly by its offense in the tournament, with Antonita Slaughter hitting a lot of 3s — six against Cal — and Shoni Schimmel hitting from all over the court. Schimmel’s younger sister, Jude, has also been a clutch play-maker in a reserve role.

“Right now anything can happen,” Walz said. “Why not us?”

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Female Final Four-titude.

I admit it, I don’t normally follow women’s basketball very closely. (I played college volleyball, and I don’t follow it either. Or soccer, or badminton—like I said, this isn’t a “women’s sports” blog, so don’t hate.) But this is the first year in my memory where the mention of “Final Four” actually needs clarification: men’s…or women’s?

The ladies have compiled quite the quad this year—and in jaw-dropping fashion, including an NCAA record, a sister act, a Final Four first, and the absence of perhaps the best female college player of all time. But these four teams will more than fill the void in New Orleans…

Connecticut
It’s not uncommon for the Huskies to reach the Final Four; but six times in a row? No other team, male or female, has done so—and led by a freshman, no less. Six-four forward Breanna Stewart scored 21 points in UConn’s 83-53 defeat of Kentucky, as well as adding some impressive defense. Fun fact: Hall of Fame head coach Geno Auriemma was actually born in Montella, Italy. But he’s learned U.S. basketball pretty well, having led the Huskies to seven NCAA championships and the U.S. women’s team to gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Notre Dame has beaten the Huskies in all three previous meetings this year—can the Huskies change history tonight? Catch the game at 8:30 ET on ESPN.

California
It took an overtime period and 25 points from senior guard Layshia Clarendon, but Cal topped Georgia 65-62 in the Spokane regional to reach its first Final Four in school history. Clarendon’s composure—and a solid jumpshot—closed a double-digit deficit in the second half. Helping out were sophomore Afure Jemerigbe (14 points, 8 rebounds) and Reshenda Gray’s season-high 11 rebounds off the bench. Cal is the only Pac-12 team besides Stanford to reach the Final Four since 1986. The Bears are coached by Lindsay Gottlieb, just 35, in her second year at the helm.

Cal will meet Louisville at 6:30 ET tonight on ESPN. But Louisville had to slay its own Bears to get there…

Bummed-Out Baylor
Maybe even more shocking than the compound fracture sustained by Louisville guard Kevin Ware Monday afternoon was the Louisville Lady Cards beating the defending champion Baylor Bears, 82-81. Seemingly-untouchable Baylor had won 32 straight games, but 6-8 center Brittney Griner (second-highest scoring player in NCAA history, career records for blocks and dunks) didn’t score until the second half of a highly-physical game with refereeing questioned by an incensed Baylor coach Kim Mulkey, who had to be restrained while challenging a call.

Still, Griner was a rare unanimous selection to the Associated Press’ All-America team Tuesday, and only the fifth three-time recipient. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has said he would welcome her at a tryout. Whether Cuban is serious or not, it goes to show how serious Griner’s game is.

Notre Dame
They don’t call her “Sky” for nothing. Another unanimous AP All-American, Skylar Diggins found early foul trouble in the Notre Dame-Duke matchup Tuesday, as the Blue Devils controlled the first half. But her stellar second half outside shooting scored 24 points to rally Notre Dame to a 87-76 win and a third straight trip to the Final Four. (The Irish have fallen in both the last two championship games.) Kayla McBride, Jewell Loyd, and Natalie Achonwa added 18, 17, and 17 respectively—with help from 21 Duke turnovers–as the Fighting Irish (35-1) won a school-record 30 consecutive games.

Louisville
Only once in Division I history have the same school’s men’s and women’s teams won titles in the same year—can Louisville equal Connecticut (2004) this year?

After taking down Baylor, the fifth-seeded Lady Cards (28-8) had to face Tennessee, a perennial tournament threat despite its first season in three decades without legendary head coach Pat Summitt, who retired last year with early onset dementia. Yet Louisville built a 20-point lead and held off a late UT comeback to win 86-78. Shoni Schimmel’s 24 points were a big part, not to mention younger sister Jude’s 15. The siblings grew up on an Indian reservation in Oregon. Though they share the expected family rivalry, the Schimmels hope to share in a Louisville championship.

In the Huskies final six games of the regular season, last year’s national high school player of the year averaged just over seven points.

In the six she has played in the postseason, Stewart has averaged more than 17 points and five rebounds, while blocking 14 shots. Her performance earned Most Outstanding Play honors in the Bridgeport Regional and helped UConn reach its sixth straight Final Four.

“I can’t get inside her head and I can’t say for sure what it was, but I know there was a different look about her,” Auriemma said after the Huskies beat Kentucky in the regional final. “I went to West Chester State University, If I went to Yale or someplace like that, I would say her countenance has changed.”

Auriemma said he thinks other teams have been surprised by the ability of the gangly 6-foot-4 Stewart to run the floor, shoot from the outside and block shots underneath.

“When you look at her, you just don’t expect her to do the things that she does,” he said. “There’s something about Stewie that when it’s going well for her, I just have confidence that she can do anything on the basketball court, on both ends of the floor.”

Stewart acknowledges she has become a more focused player in recent days, but says the change in productivity has more to do with accountability than countenance.

“I feel like I’m a player that’s being able to be relied on by my teammates,” Stewart said. “Right now, that’s what I want to be able to do. Throughout the season, there were times where I wasn’t able to completely say that my teammates were able to rely on me and I think now I would say that they are.”

And she’s not the only freshman that has become more reliable.

Speedy point guard Moriah Jefferson has been a defensive stopper and a new offensive option for the Huskies in the NCAA tournament. The 5-7 guard had 10 points in 26 minutes against Maryland and 10 in 27 minutes against Kentucky.

“I think any time you come out and play well on a big stage like this, and are getting ready to go into an even bigger stage, it gives you confidence,” Jefferson said.

Auriemma has been pairing Jefferson more with junior point guard Bria Hartley. That gives the Huskies two guards on the court at the same time who can handle pressure, allowing Hartley to concentrate more on scoring.

“Defensively, they were great last weekend,” Auriemma said. “Offensively they were both super aggressive. It changes our team, obviously, when the two of them are like that.”

Jefferson played just 16 total minutes in the team’s three losses this season to Notre Dame. Irish coach Muffet McGraw said the Huskies could be a different team if she plays more than that in their fourth meeting on Sunday.

“She just is so quick, and she really seems to like the transition game,” McGraw said. “So she presents some problems, because she puts their game at a little higher pace.”

The Huskies’ third freshman, forward Morgan Tuck, has come back from an early season knee injury to be a steady contributor off the bench. Tuck had eight points, hitting four of her five shots against Maryland, and added six points against Kentucky.

She may be needed to help spell junior center Stefanie Dolson, who has been playing with a stress fracture in her right ankle and plantar fasciitis in her left foot.

“I trust her and her teammates trust her,” Auriemma said. “I won’t hesitate to put Morgan out there early and often on Sunday, and I think she’s going to have a huge national championship tournament.”

There is the question of whether the bright lights of the Final Four might affect the freshmen. But Stewart said after playing a full season with games against teams such as Baylor, Notre Dame, Stanford and Louisville they are ready for this.

“I think the freshmen thing is over and there’s not time for the excuse of, `Oh, she’s a freshman,”’ Stewart said. “We’ve been playing for five months now, and we know what we’re doing.”

UConn Athletic Director Warde Manuel says the the school “couldn’t be more pleased.  “  He points out there is a strong UConn fan base in and around New York City,  Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon said it will be a great experience for Maryland players and fasns.

Maryland, who made the NIT this season,  will have all five starters returning,  UConn Coach Kevin Ollie expects the Huskies top six scorers and top five rebounders all to return,  including All-Big East first team pick Shabazz Napier.

UConn has won three of the teams’ five previous meetings.