Periodic updates on game 3-20-119: women's soccer vs. South Florida

Watch for updates here throughout the night on TE UConn women's soccer game against South Florida.

7:57 pm: halftime. 0-0 even though we're outshooting them 12-2. Also, the kids playing on the field at halftime are wearing pink socks for breast cancer awareness.

6:57 pm: updates will be less frequent So I can watch the game.

6:55: pregame introductions starting. 5 minutes until game time. Also, the kids on the field with the huskies are wearing pink socks. Our players are not.

6:05 pm: about 55 minutes until game time. My seat is just to the ice rink side of midfield on the press box side. Top row, right under the press box. That wy I can lean back on the press box wall and also see over the things they put over the benches. (See picture)

6:12 pm: pregame music simultaneously playing lion king and freestyle rap over the PA system. Is this really a single song or are they playing two separately?

6:16 pm: UConn will wear pink wristbands tonight for breast cancer. Some players are wearing other pink stuff in warmups

6:31 pm: Just under half an hour until the game starts. Usf wearing weird warmups that are green with a bull logo on the front and grey on the back.

6:36 pm: only a couple dozen fans here so far, including about 8 in the far bleachers. One man in a USF jacket made the trip up, as did a woman with him who I presume is his wife.

6:42 pm: submitted Samantha McGuire for goal of the game contest. Also entered the student giveaway for VIP seats to first night. There aren't many other students here so I like my odds.

6:54 pm: all new news will be at the top of this post.

Game 2-6-74: Women's Basketball vs. South Florida

What: Women's Basketball vs. South Florida
When: Saturday, January 28, 2012, 1:00 PM
Where: XL Center
Result: Win 77-62

Well, this was certainly below our standards. We won by 15, but seriously, it should have been a lot bigger. For starters, the student section was practically empty. It probably had 100 people, if that. Not a very good showing. Geno would be ashamed of us. And he probably is.

Anyway, back to the game. At halftime, genuine panic filled the XL Center. The Huskies were "only" up by three. And the close game continued throughout much of the second half. Would the Huskies lose at home to a subpar team? Could it possibly happen? No. It couldn't. We managed to pull away.  A few baskets, a Bulls timeout, and a few more baskets, and this one might as well have been over. Tiffany Hayes and Stefanie Dolson were absolutely dominant, combining for almost 60 points. But the rest of the team really struggled. We need more support over the next few weeks with a tough schedule coming up.

On a personal note, I have now seen all but four Big East teams in men's or women's basketball. Rutgers and Seton Hall are two of them, though I will see them both on Saturday. The Scarlet Knights are the only Big East team I haven't seen in any UConn contest. West Virginia will have to wait until next year if they are still in the conference. As for St. John's, I'll see them on Saturday the 18th when their women come to Gampel. So here we go.

But really guys, do better than this. Students, come to games. Lady players, play better. We need to win.

Thursday Morning UConn Huskies Roundup (October 13th, 2011)

Good morning, UConn fans! It's starting to get chilly here in the Northeast. But it's now just over three months until I go back to school from medical leave. Here's your roundup.

Men's and Women's Basketball: First Night is this Friday night at 7:00 PM, with doors opening at 6:00. Pretty much the only remotely interesting thing they do all night is introduce this year's players.  They also have giveaways that with several thousand fans competing, you're probably not winning. If you don't want to waste an hour or more of your time just watching this overrated garbage, there's plenty of other sports stuff you can do Friday night at 7:00 PM. Read on for more.

Football: The homecoming game is this Saturday at 3:30 PM vs. USF. Forecast is mostly sunny and a high near 67. The Huskies are 2-4 on the season and 0-1 in Big East play. If we want any chance of going to a bowl this season, we probably have to win this game. Otherwise, we need to go 4-1 down the stretch, which is doubtful. Even 3-2 I doubt we can do. But if we start 2-5, we're almost certainly not going bowling this December.

Men's Soccer: Well, the shutout streak is over. After 961 minutes and 32 seconds, the Huskies conceded a goal on a bad angle shot that Andre Blake really should have saved. Nevertheless, thanks to two goals by Mamadou Doudou Diouf, the Huskies won 2-1. This was almost a disaster for UConn, however. With the score 2-1 and time running out, Andrew John-Baptiste headed a ball away from danger just before it crossed the goal line. That would have made it 2-2 and the Friars would have had all the momentum heading into Overtime. Instead, a win's a win, and the Huskies will take it. Next up, the Huskies will host Pittsburgh on Saturday at 7:30 PM. That game will be on All-Access, but evidently not WHUS. With a 3-0-1 record in Big East play (and 12-0-1 overall), the Huskies are in second place in the Blue Division, two points behind Marquette and one ahead of Georgetown and West Virginia. The Huskies have not faced any of those teams yet, and will face the Mountaineers in Morgantown and the other two at home.

Women's Soccer: The Huskies will conclude their home schedule with two games this weekend. First, on Friday night at 7:00 PM (First Night time), they will host the Pittsburgh Panthers at Morrone Stadium. Then on Sunday at 1:00 PM, it's Senior Day, as the American Division leading West Virginia Mountaineers come rolling in. The Huskies are 3-3-2 on the season in Big East play, and 6-6-2 overall. This puts them a mere two points ahead of Providence for the final Big East Tournament spot. The Huskies and Friars will square off in Providence on Saturday, October 22nd, in the final game of the season for both teams. As UConn's travel partner, the Friars will also host West Virginia and Pitt this weekend. So, it's a critical end to the year. As for game coverage, the West Virginia game will be on All-Access, while Pitt will not be. Both games will be on WHUS, however.

Women's Ice Hockey: On Friday and Saturday, the Huskies will play host to the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. Friday's game will be at 7:00 PM (First Night time), while Saturday's will be at 4:00 PM. UMD is ranked #7 in the country, so these games will be a major challenge for us.

Men's Ice Hockey: The Huskies open Atlantic Hockey play on Friday night at 7:05 as they travel to West Point to face Army. Live video is available on Army's website. The Black Knights have played one game this year, an 8-1 loss to Union.

Women's Volleyball: The Huskies will return to Gampel Saturday night at 7:00 PM to face St. John's. The Red Storm also do not have a win in Big East play, so this is a very winnable game to get back on the right track.

Field Hockey: The Huskies host Princeton on Sunday at 2:00 PM for the first of two non-conference meetings this year. The Tigers have had a very disappointing season and will look to prove something against the #4 Huskies. Next Sunday is an even bigger game for UConn, as they host #5 Syracuse in a contest that will almost certainly decide the Big East regular season champion.