Check out the latest video taken by senior women's soccer player Kendyl Pele during last week's trip to California.

The Washington Husky men's golf team is ranked ninth in the latest Golf World/Nike rankings released on Thursday. The Huskies are tied with Pac-10 rival Oregon with 320 points.

Oklahoma State remains in first, with Florida second, Augusta State third, Alabama fourth and Stanford fifth.

For the complete rankings, visit Golf World.com.

By softball sophomore Jerrin Faasau

6 a.m. came too early Saturday morning when we had to report to the softball field to leave for our long and anticipated week. All week the coaches had planted in our minds that we would be camping in Idaho or Utah or anywhere else we would have to travel. Though none of us were familiar with camping, our anticipation of the nine-day trip would leave some of us in dismay and confusion. We were extremely surprised when we arrived in Heber City, Utah that the coaches had tricked us and rented out a luxurious eight bedroom house for four days. Each room came with a couple of bunk beds and queen or king sized beds to fit 3-4 girls per room (Fitz and I lucked out and shared a king size bed to ourselves). The house included a home theater, pool table, and ping pong table (where Tui, Hooch, Bry, and Coach Glasoe dominated everybody) downstairs while outside it also came with a sandy volleyball court and a basketball hoop. While living in the Utah mansion, every morning a group of us would take turns waking up to make breakfast before 9 a.m. rolled around. Luckily for us (especially me since I can't cook to save my life), our group had outside help from Coach Tarr and Morgan Littlefield. Coach Tarr and Kimi worked on their delicious Dutch Babies (which is just flour, eggs, and milk) and Morgan instructed Baily and Bry to cook sausage and bacon while I cut up the watermelon. Our morning breakfasts usually consisted of this plus occasional pancakes and French toast.

Living in an extraordinary home like this, we could not lose focus of why we were even out there in the first place. Every day we worked out; whether it would be a team practice at a local park or high school or just Jillian Michaels workouts off of Coach Tarr's iphone. We did something every day to keep us in shape and ready to go when game time rolled around. Monday afternoon we took on Utah Valley at BYU's softball stadium. We beat them 6-2 with Bryana Walker, a rookie pitcher, pitching her first college game. Both she and the other rookies on our team showed no first game jitters as they played along the side of us veterans. They would continue to play this well as we also took on Utah and BYU the following days. Though we fell to both of them, our team deemed relentless as we continued to keep fighting to score runs inning after inning. Our game against Utah was definitely a battle and grind for our team to stay on top. We had previously scheduled to play them for a length of 10 innings rather than seven and so it put our team in an uncomfortable spot with our small amount of healthy pitchers. Fitz had pitched five great innings following with Jenna and Bry sharing the last five. With a well pitched game by all three of them, the game would not truly end until the bottom of the 10^th when Utah's No. 5 hitter came up and hit a grand slam over the fence propelling them to outscore us. The following day we also dropped a game to BYU in a very close game 8-6. Our runs would not come until later in the game with Morgan blasting a solo homerun and Hooch hitting a 3-run homer but it would not be enough to surpass them.

After playing in Utah, we drove all day Thursday and Friday until we arrived in Selah, Washington. Once there, we were welcomed by many people of the community for the weekend. Saturday morning we played Central Washington at a city park. We beat them 10-1 with Maggie hitting her first home run of her collegiate career. Many of our team's family and friends came to support our game as well as much of the community. After the game we all lined up along the side of the fence to sign autographs and take pictures with the little girls and other fans. Many of us were able to join our families after signing and pictures to spend time with them and go out for lunch before we had to report back to the hotel to leave for an auction. This auction dinner in Selah was able to raise a lot of money for our softball program with a big help from Bill Harris who put our trip to Selah together. One of our biggest sales of the night was four on-the-field passes to the UW vs. Stanford game bought by a man for about $1400. The auction was a success for everybody. The next morning we did a big softball camp for all the girls around the local area to come out and learn and have fun. The camp lasted for five hours where we split the girls into age groups with the morning half of the camp was the young girls doing all-skills part of camp and having the high school girls doing the pitching part of camp. Then we switched halfway through the camp. While the girls got something out of our Selah trip, so did the team. It was our way of giving back to the community and being there for the little girls. Bill Harris, the man who put together the trip, spoke to me about this. He told me that he was so happy that we were able to come to Selah and spend time with the girls because it means so much to them and that they look up to us as role models. After the clinic, our team packed up the bus and traveled back to Seattle. Once we had arrived at the school, we all were in relief that we made it home safely and happy to sleep in our own beds again.

Freshman Brent Ham, a freshman from Denver, Colo., sat down with www.gohuskies.com for a Q&A.

Gohuskies.com:  What is a pet peeve of yours?

Brent Ham: "People that talk too loud and much."

GH: What is your pre-game superstition?

BH: "I don't have one."

GH: What is the best present you have ever received?

BH: "A trampoline when I was five."

GH: If you were trapped on a desert island with one teammate, who would you want to be stranded with and why?

BH: "Zac (Portillos) because he's my boy."

GH: What's your favorite board game?

BH: "Settlers of Catan."

GH: Why should others become involved in the great sport of soccer?

BH: "It's perfect combo of athleticism, skill and fun."

GH: If you could train with any professional athlete who would you chose and why?

BH: "Xavi so I could learn to be like him."

GH: What is one of the most important things your parents did in your upbringing?

BH: "Love me and be there for me always. And bring me up a Christian." 

GH: What don't people outside of your hometown know about where you grew up that you think they should know? BH: "Colorado is the best place to live."

GH: What do you know now about the game of soccer that you wish you would've known when you started playing the sport?

BH: "To practice weak foot more than strong and quick play."

GH: What is one characteristic a person needs to be a champion?

BH: "Consistency."

GH: What do you want to leave as a legacy at UW?

BH: "An NCAA Championship."

Basketball season is just around the corner... and we all know what that means... Season tickets are on sale now! Check out this cool video that we just released to pump you up and give you a Husky Hoops fix!

To purchase your 2010-2011 season tickets today, visit www.gohuskies.com or call the Husky Ticket Office at (206) 543-2200. Get your purple and gold ready to pack the Pavilion!

2010-11 Online Renewal Guide

2010-11 Season Ticket Order Form

2010-11 Online Season Ticket Renewal

Check out the picture below of the Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid at the men's soccer game vs. UC Davis last Sunday.

Polls and Rankings

The Huskies moved up in several polls this week after being unbeaten in their last seven games. In the Soccer America Top 25, the Huskies were 21^st last week but are now 14^th, the highest ranked Pac-10 team. In the soccertimes.com poll, UW is 26^th, just out of the top 25 but receiving 28 points. In the Hendrickcars.com/NSCAA poll, the Huskies make their first appearance of the season ranking No. 23. In the College Soccer News Top 30 National Poll, UW is 28.

The newest Pac-10 and NCAA team and individual rankings are out with several Huskies being ranked in multiple categories.

In the Pac-10 rankings, the Huskies are tied with San Diego State with a 6-1-1 record. UW leads the conference in shots (125), goals allowed (4), goals against average (0.49), shutouts (5) and home attendance average (824). The Huskies rank in the top four in the conference in goals (14), assists (12), points (40), goals per game (14) and corners (41).

Individual within the conference in shots: No. 2 Brent Richards, No. 3 Matt Van Houten and No. 5 Daniel Gray. In points: No. 2 Richards and No. 8 Gray. In goals: No. 3 Richards, No. 7 Gray and No. 10 Casey McCool and Zach Portillos. In shots per games, No. 2 Richards, No. 3 Van Houten and No. 5 Gray. In points per game: No. 5 Richards and No. 8 Gray. In goals per game: No. 5 Richards and No. 7 Gray. In assists: No. 3 Richards and No. 7 McCool, Van Houten and Gray. In game-winning goals: No. 1 Richards and No. 2 Portillos. In assists per game: No. 6 Richards. In goals against average: No. 1 Stephen Fung and No. 2 Spencer Richey. In saves: No. 6 Fung and No. 7 Richey. In shutouts: No. 5 Richey and Fung. In save percentage: No. 1 Fung and No. 5 Richey. In saves per game: No. 5 Fung and No. 7 Richey. In shutouts per game: No. 1 Richey and No. 4 Fung.

In the NCAA team rankings, UW is 13^th in goals against average, seventh in shutout percentage and 17^th in won-lost-tied percentage.

In the NCAA individual rankings, in total points: No. 29 Richards. In goals against average: No. 7 Fung. In save percentage: No. 10 Fung.

Alumni Game

Before the final game of the Husky Fever Classic on Sept. 26 vs. UC Davis, 21 former Husky Alumni played in the annual Alumni game held at the Dempsey Indoor. Current assist coach Brandon Prideaux (former Alum) was the official. Below is a list of some of the guys that were in the game and the ones that stayed and were honored at halftime of the men's game.

Rob Lampman, Steve Englebrick, Kevin McNett, Ben Somoza, Rafe Ohtake, Bill May, Mark Hogenhout, Sean Giudice, Billy Sleeth, Kai Carroll, Charles Cordell, Joe Gradilla, Morgan McCoy, Stefan Cobb, Jurg Bonnofsky and Mark Cairns.

The entire UW Athletic Department (student-athletes included) came together for the annual Husky BBQ, welcoming back all our student-athletes for the upcoming year. The kick off celebration capped a morning filled with orientation for all the freshman student-athletes and included some friendly competition between coaches and student-athletes. Check out the video below to see who won!

Junior transfer Jorde LaFontaine-Kussmann (Lakewood, Wash.) has been outstanding in goal this year for the Huskies, posting a 4-2-1 record in seven games, allowing six goals and making 20 saves. She sat down with www.gohuskies.com for a Q&A.

Gohuskies.com: What is a pet peeve of yours?

Jorde LaFontaine-Kussmann: "Dad drivers, slow drivers, people who can't merge..."

GH: What is your pre-game superstition? 

JLK: "I don't have one."

GH: What is the best present you have ever received?

JLK: "My dog when he was a puppy."

GH: If you were trapped on a desert island with one teammate, who would you want to be stranded with and why?

JLK: "Hilary because she could grab the fruit out of the tall trees."

GH: What's your favorite board game?

JLK: "Pictionary."

GH: Why should others become involved in the great sport of soccer?

JLK: "Because it requires all aspects of fitness. You have to be a complete athlete."

GH: If you could train with any professional athlete who would you chose and why?

JLK: "Kasey Keller because he is amazing."

GH: What is one of the most important things your parents did in your upbringing?

JLK: "Always work hard."

GH: What don't people outside of your hometown know about where you grew up that you think they should know?

JLK: "Umm...it's Tacoma, there isn't much to say."

GH: What do you know now about the game of soccer that you wish you would've known when you started playing the sport?

JLK: "Have courage to make mistakes, because that's the only way you learn."

GH: What is one characteristic a person needs to be a champion?

JLK: "The ability to bounce back."

GH: What do you want to leave as a legacy at UW?
JLK: "No matter what life throws at you, you can do anything."

Former Husky gymnast Kelly McDonald and some of the cast of the hit Vegas show La Reve performed on the Ellen Show last week. Check out the performance here:

http://ellen.warnerbros.com/videos/?autoplay=true&mediaKey=6f01f3c4-e711-4674-9468-690df619a859.

Pre-season predictions and rankings should be trickling out for men's college basketball over the next few weeks. One of the first to arrive is Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and in their estimation, the Huskies are the top team in the Pac-10. The publication picked Arizona second and Washington State third.

Isaiah Thomas is the only Husky to crack their All-Conference team.

Here is a list of their predictions:

BLUE RIBBON FORECAST
1. Washington
2. Arizona
3. Washington State
4. UCLA
5. Arizona State
6. California
7. USC
8. Stanford
9. Oregon
10. Oregon State

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
G-Klay Thompson, JR, Washington State
G-Isaiah Thomas, JR, Washington
G-Ty Abbott, JR, Arizona State
F-Derrick Williams, SO, Arizona
F-Tyler Honeycutt, SO, UCLA

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Derrick Williams, SO, Arizona

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Josh Smith, FR, UCLA

Terry Wood of the Seattle Times examines the upcoming matches for the 7th-ranked Husky volleyball squad in today's edition.

As usual, the Pac-10 dominates the upper echelon of the national rankings, with six teams ranked in the Top-15, and four in the Top-10. Head Coach Jim McLaughlin has seen some encouraging signs with the offense, dictated by senior setter Jenna Hagglund.

"We're passing the ball much better, and our quick hitting has improved," McLaughlin said. "Jenna is really doing a good job keeping our hitters in rhythm. I'm happier with our offense than I have been in last couple of years."

There is also a note on senior Becky Perry, who is back playing well after missing a week to deal with a family tragedy. Perry's personal make-up through this incredibly challenging time earns high praise from her coach.

Click here for the full story.

Senior Brad Keller (Scottsdale, Ariz.) has played in all five games this season and helped lead the Dawgs to a 4-1-1 record heading into tonight's game vs. Seattle. He sat down with www.gohuskies.com for a Q&A.

Gohuskies.com: What is a pet peeve of yours?

Brad Keller: "Bad Breath and not saying thank you when you allow someone to drive in front of you."

GH: What is your pre-game superstition?

BK: "Listen to some music."

GH: What is the best present you have ever received?

BK: "My N64 as a Christmas present."

GH: If you were trapped on a desert island with one teammate, who would you want to be stranded with and why?

BK: "Fung, because he is a great chef and a handy man."

GH: What's your favorite board game?

BK: "Monopoly and Risk."

GH: Why should others become involved in the great sport of soccer?

BK: "It is the world's game."

GH: If you could train with any professional athlete who would you chose and why?

BK: "Derek Jeter because he is one of the greatest clutch athletes."

GH: What is one of the most important things your parents did in your upbringing?

BK: "Make sure you treat others the way you want to be treated."

GH: What don't people outside of your hometown know about where you grew up that you think they should know?

BK: "I ran into Mike Bibby and Shawn Marion at a local target around my area."

GH: What do you know now about the game of soccer that you wish you would've known when you started playing the sport?

BK: "The weather is not always going to be nice and sunny."

GH: What is one characteristic a person needs to be a champion?

BK: "Never give up even when things are not looking up."

GH: What do you want to leave as a legacy at UW?

BK: "To leave with a Pac-10 Championship and go deep into the playoffs if not win it all."

Junior Brittany Davis-Roberti is a defender from Portland, Ore. After playing two years at USC, she transferred to UW last season and redshirted the year. She has played in four games this season, starting one. She sat down with www.gohuskies.com for a Q&A.

Gohuskies.com: What is a pet peeve of yours?

Brittany Davis-Roberti" "When people smack their gum."

GH: What is your pre-game superstition?

BDR: "I never cut my hair during season because I think it is bad luck. And I always wear the same sports bra for games."

GH: What is the best present you have ever received?

BDR: "Plane tickets to go visit my brothers at college."

GH: If you were trapped on a desert island with one teammate, who would you want to be stranded with and why?

BDR: "Hmm...probably Kari (Davidson) because we would go on adventures and could talk for hours about nothing, so I probably wouldn't notice I was deserted."

GH: What's your favorite board game?

BDR: "Cribbage."

GH: Why should others become involved in the great sport of soccer?

BDR: "It's a game truly designed for the players. There are no timeouts or set plays that you run every offensive drive. It allows the players to become creative and work off and with each other. Every game you play is unique and different. I love the fact that every single member of the team has to be tuned in and in sync with everyone else. It truly is a team sport."

GH: If you could train with any professional athlete who would you chose and why?

BDR: "Lance Armstrong because he has faced extreme adversity and possesses a mental strength stronger than most athletes."

GH: What is one of the most important things your parents did in your upbringing?

BDR: "They allowed me to choose the sports and activities I participated in and they never forced me in one direction."

GH: What don't people outside of your hometown know about where you grew up that you think they should know?

BDR: "Portland has some of the most amazing restaurants. It's a quieter and more unique version of Seattle."

GH: What do you know now about the game of soccer that you wish you would've known when you started playing the sport?

BDR: "I should have probably forced myself to be left footed at a young age because they are rare players."

GH: What is one characteristic a person needs to be a champion?

BDR: "Relentless in everything that they do."

GH: What do you want to leave as a legacy at UW?

BDR: "I want the first Women's Soccer National Championship."

Fans can check out a photo gallery from the first fall game of the season on Sept. 20 at Utah Valley. Thanks to Utah Valley SID James Warnick for the pictures!

http://www.gohuskies.com/view.gal?id=77120.

Former UW gymnasts Kelly McDonald and Chelsea Bakken are in their third seasons of performing with the show La Reve in Los Vegas.

A few weeks ago, McDonald and some of the cast of La Reve performed on America's Got Talent. Tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 23, that same group will perform on the Ellen show.

The group will also perform during the Latin Grammy's. More information on that performance to come.

Senior captain Taylor Mueller (Sammamish, Wash.) has been outstanding for the Huskies in the back for three years, and now during his season senior, has led the Dawgs to a 3-1-1 record entering tonight's match with state-rival Gonzaga. Mueller sat down with www.gohuskies.com for a Q&A.

Gohuskies.com: What is a pet peeve of yours?

Taylor Mueller: "I can't stand bad drivers."

GH: What is your pre-game superstition?

TM: "Just listening to certain music before we head out."

GH: What is the best present you have ever received?

TM: "My car."

GH: If you were trapped on a desert island with one teammate, who would you want to be stranded with and why? TM: "Either Stephen Fung because he's an island boy or Tyler Klein because he's a natural handy-man."

GH: What's your favorite board game?

TM: "Apples to Apples."

GH: Why should others become involved in the great sport of soccer?

TM: "It's a game that you can have fun with for a whole life time and that is expressed in large populations world-wide. The sport is followed by such a strong positive fan base that where ever you go in the world soccer is known (hence the world's sport)."

GH: If you could train with any professional athlete who would you chose and why?

TM: "Wayne Rooney (Man United) or Puyol (Barcelona) because both are athletes that are very resilient and hard working. It would be very good for me to see and experience firsthand how they train to get at their skill level."

GH What is one of the most important things your parents did in your upbringing?

TM: My parents always taught me to do things properly and not with half effort. In other words put full effort into every element of my life."

GH: What don't people outside of your hometown know about where you grew up that you think they should know?

TM: "I have two older sisters and if it wasn't for them playing soccer in their youth then I probably wouldn't have played soccer so much at my young age (they're 9 and 10 years older)."

GH: What do you know now about the game of soccer that you wish you would've known when you started playing the sport?

TM: "That the sport requires more patience than I imagined."

GH: What is one characteristic a person needs to be a champion?

TM: "Tireless perseverance."

GH: What do you want to leave as a legacy at UW?

TM: "Getting back to the playoffs and a Pac-10 Championship trophy."

After an impressive upset over then-ranked No. 15 Portland last Saturday, the Washington men's soccer team is receiving votes in the NSCAA/HendrickCars.com National Poll. The Huskies are receiving four votes for the first time this season.

The men are also receiving votes in the Soccertimes.com Top 25 poll. They are receiving two votes in that poll.

The women's soccer team is also ranked in the TopDrawerSoccer Tournament 64 rankings. The Huskies are ranked No. 23 with 27 votes.

HELP SUPPORT THE HUSKY BAND AND CHEER SQUAD!

For all you diehard Husky Fans, if you love the RAM and you love the UW Husky Band and Cheer Squad, then you'll definitely want to stop in for a "spirited" dinner at the U-Village RAM Restaurant and Brewery on Wednesday night, September 22nd. That's right! The RAM is showing their support for these hard working students by holding its first annual HUSKY NIGHT at their U-Village location at 2650 University Village. Anyone who stops in for dinner between the hours of 5-9PM, 10% of your total bill will be donated back to the band to help support their operating expenses during the 2010 football season. UW Cheer and Pom squad members will be making an appearance at 6:30PM, the Husky Drumline at 7PM and a contingent of the Husky Band at 7:30.

So tell all your friends and family to gather at the RAM on the 22nd and show your support for the kids who year after year get you fired up for another exciting season of Husky football!

Freshman Lindsey Bos (Snohomish, Wash.) has already been outstanding in the first eight games of the season with the Husky women's soccer team. The defender has played and started all eight games and been a force in the back with seniors Kendyl Pele and Hannah Greig. She sat down with www.gohuskies.com for a Q&A.

Gohuskies.com: What is a pet peeve of yours?
Lindsey Bos: "Getting my food last when I am really hungry."

GH: What is your pre-game superstition?
LB: "I need to listen to loud pump-up music!"

GH: What is the best present you have ever received?
LB: "My car for my 16^th birthday."

GH: If you were trapped on a desert island with one teammate, who would you want to be stranded with and why?
LB: "Brianna Sweeney--she is a nature woman and would help me stay alive in the wild."

GH: What's your favorite board game?
LB: "Sorry."

GH: Why should others become involved in the great sport of soccer?
LB: "Soccer is more than just a sport. Just like anything else, what someone retrieves from the sport depends on how much time and effort they put into it. Soccer has the potential to build a person mentally and physically, while at the same time create success, friendships, and memories."

GH: If you could train with any professional athlete who would you chose?
LB: "Mia Hamm."

GH: What is one of the most important things your parents did in your upbringing?
LB: "My parents have never failed to support me in every aspect of my life. Because of their constant love and support, they have set a positive example to me on what it means to be a good citizen all around, with consistent love for everyone and determination to excel in life."

GH: What don't people outside of your hometown know about where you grew up that you think they should know?

LB: "I live in Snohomish, which is known for its constant smell of cow manure and endless farmlands."

GH: What do you know now about the game of soccer that you wish you would've known when you started playing the sport?
LB: "The friendships, opportunities, positive memories and rewarding moments it gives."

GH: What is one characteristic a person needs to be a champion?
LB: "Heart/passion."

GH: What do you want to leave as a legacy at UW?
LB: "Win a national championship!"

With a 3-0 record at last weekend's Pittsburgh Blue & Gold Invite, the Husky volleyball squad saw its first real gains of the season in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top-25, moving up two spots to seventh. That is a new season high for the 11-0 Dawgs.

Washington moved ahead of Illinois and Texas, both of which suffered losses this past weekend. Stanford remains No. 1, nearly unanimous, with a 9-0 record. The upcoming Pac-10 season is loaded with intrigue as usual, as five of the six undefeated teams in the AVCA Top-25 call the Pac-10 home. Stanford, No. 6 USC, No. 8 California, and No. 15 Oregon are all unblemished through non-conference action.

Opening weekend of Pac-10 play will feature the Huskies and Cougars traveling to the Oregon schools, the Bay Area schools visiting the Arizona schools, and UCLA on the road at USC.

Click here for the full Top-25.

This week, women's soccer senior Kendy Pele talks about the offsides rule.

The beauty of soccer lies in its simplicity. There's no holding penalties, foul balls, or traveling calls. There are the occasional questionable fouls, but for the most part soccer is a relatively easy sport to enjoy and understand... With one exception of course: offside's.

For a forward, offside's is your worst enemy preventing you from the game winning breakaway. For a defender, offside's is your best friend having your back when you mess up and helping you out when you need it the most. For a referee ,offside's is like taking care of a three year old toddler that you constantly have to watch, and no matter what you do will always throw a temper tantrum. And to a coach offside's is like your ex-wife that who you love one minute and then hate the next. Since offside's has many interpretations and calls can potentially impact the outcome of a game (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmPMswnB5I4) it is important to have a clear understanding of what constitutes offside's in soccer.  

To make the game fair offside's prevents the opposing team from hanging out by the goal all game. Basically offside's occurs if an attacking player is in the opposing half and is behind the last defender and the ball. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For example a player may receive the ball behind the last defender as long as they were onsides before the ball was played. Also, offside's does not apply to throw-in's, meaning players may be behind the last defender while the ball is being thrown.

Since offside's is based on timing and positioning determining whether a player is offside's can be a close call to make. All calls depend on the referee's judgment, and like any court ruling the final decision always ends up making one side angry. Unfortunately in the game of soccer there are no appeals and the final ruling always stands.

The Husky women's soccer team signed autograph's for fans after the Cleveland State game. Look at the pictures below.

Former men's soccer student-athlete Brett Hite didn't always know he wanted to be a musician. He came to Washington as a freshman in 2004 focusing on playing soccer for head coach Dean Wurzberger.

Out of University High School in Spokane, Wash., Hite played two seasons for the Huskies and missed his junior year due to an injury that ended his soccer career.

In 2005 he earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 honors. He scored two goals and tallied two assists in his two seasons.

After his injury his junior season, he traveled the coast played in coffee shops for fun, still with no desire to make music his career.

He returned to UW to finish school the next year and after college he coached at Whitworth for a year. While in Spokane he worked part time in a coffee shop and realized he wanted to do something he loved.

Hite moved to LA tried to work his way in the industry and meet anyone he could. He ended up moving back to Washington to save money and just released his newest album. He currently is playing shows all over the Pacific Northwest.

Fans can find his music on myspace and ITunes.

www.myspace.com/bretthite or www.itunes.com/bretthite

The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and USA Softball look to surpass $50,000 in total donations to Central Oklahoma affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® foundation as it will launch its third eBay auction beginning September 17 at noon CST and concluding September 27 at noon, with over 60 pink items up for bid. Both the USA Softball National Team and the Futures Team donned pink uniforms, apparel and equipment in two "Pink Out" games during the KFC World Cup of Softball presented by Six Flags, July 22-26, at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla., to honor breast cancer survivors and create awareness for breast cancer research.

UW fans can find the jerseys of Ashley Charters, Shawna Wright and Niki Williams, along with signed cleats, knee pads and batting gloves from Charter's.

View all of the jersey's here: http://shop.ebay.com/softballoutlet/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25.

In 2008, $25,000 was raised and in 2009, $12,500 was raised. With over 60 items up for bid, the most in three years, the ASA/USA Softball hopes to raise its biggest donation yet. The auction includes the game-worn jersey from each player on the National team and on the Futures Team. Also featured are more than 25 items that were specially made for the USA Softball Players to wear during July's pink game at the World Cup. There is also a bat signed by the entire National Team, a glove signed by the entire Futures Team and a banner signed by the National Team that was presented to breast cancer survivors before the USA vs. Japan game. 

Log on and bid on great collector items as well as help out the Central Oklahoma Susan G. Komen Foundation. All items being sold by the ASA to benefit Susan G. Komen are listed at http://myworld.ebay.com/softballoutlet. Any items not listed by Softball Outlet are not a part of the charity auction.

Jon Brockman has not even played a game for Milwaukee, but he is already a favorite in the community.

AJ Bombers, a restraunt in Milwaukee, has a burger called the Brockness Monster. It's a double burger with the fixings...including peanut butter. For every burger sold over the next week, Brockman will donate $10 to charity.

To read more and see photos of the burger, visit Percy Allen's blog on the Seattle Times ... click here.

Jamie Finch (Bothell, Wash.) is a junior defender for Dean Wurzberger's men's soccer team. This season, he has played and started in all four games and fired one shot. He sat down with www.gohuskies.com for a Q&A.

Gohuskies.com: What is a pet peeve of yours?

Jamie Finch: "People being really late."

GH: What is your pre-game superstition?

JF: "I don't really have one."

GH: What is the best present you have ever received?

JF: "A Race car bed."

GH: If you were trapped on a desert island with one teammate, who would you want to be stranded with and why?

JF: "Ty Klein because he is the handyman on the team and can fix/make anything."

GH: What's your favorite board game?

JF: "I feel like a girl but, Apples to Apples."

GH: Why should others become involved in the great sport of soccer?

JF: "Because you don't have to be a freak athlete or really tall to be good at soccer. And a couple billion people can't be wrong."

GH: If you could train with any professional athlete who would you chose and why?

JF: "Messi. This is probably a common answer but just to see his speed and skill on the field would be amazing."

GH: What is one of the most important things your parents did in your upbringing?

JF: "Not letting me watch much TV, made me go outside and find better things to do."

GH: What don't people outside of your hometown know about where you grew up that you think they should know?

JF: "There is another UW campus in Bothell."

GH: What do you know now about the game of soccer that you wish you would've known when you started playing the sport?

JF: "10. That soccer was the only sport I had a future in because I was too short to play baseball and basketball."

GH: What is one characteristic a person needs to be a champion?

JF: "A willingness to work hard even when people aren't looking, or it isn't required."

GH: What do you want to leave as a legacy at UW?

JF: "Pac-10 Championship."

Check out the interview with freshman gymnast Lara Albright after her first practice.

Senior women's soccer captain Kendyl Pele blogs about last weekend's trip to Portand, Ore.

The Nike Invitational hosted by Portland is a tournament that we attend every year. I was excited this year because we were going to be facing two very strong opponents. So with the promise of a competitive weekend and Remember the Titans on the tv screen we all left Seattle in high spirits.

The relaxed mood from the bus ride carried on throughout the night as we dined on authentic Italian food at Britney's (Davis Roberti) cousin's restaurant. Although we didn't get any dessert we were treated to a special show of Lesle playing flick the cork at the end of the night (plus Kate (Deines) and I discovered the complimentary cookies served at our hotel).

With the fun aside, come game time the next night we were all ready to play. We didn't know much about Penn State, but we used that as our advantage to focus on ourselves. The strategy obviously worked because from the kickoff we took control of the game. As we kept Penn State at bay defensively, our attack kept pressure on up top. It didn't take long for the hard work to pay off as Jane (Mitchell) got on the end of a loose ball in the box, bending it into the far post next. With our 1-0 lead we continued to build in our attack and create dangerous chances for ourselves. We were rewarded towards the end of the half with a free kick 40 yards out. Since our team is dangerous in the air I teed up the ball and aimed for a group of gold jerseys jockeying inside the box. Out of the group attacking, Kate won the ball placing it first time in the back of the net giving us a 2-0 lead going into halftime.

While we were happy with our 2-0 lead, we were anything but comfortable. In fact it is common fact that a 2-0 score is one of the hardest to defend against, which proved true in our last 45 minutes of play. With nothing left to lose, Penn came out of the gates flying putting us under high pressure. Although we were facing a very fast and skilled team, we were determined not to lose our lead and bunkered in to weather the attacks up front. With minutes remaining in the clock Penn found a late goal off of a deflection in the box. Now only with a one goal differential and the clock slowly winding down, our opponents desperately threw everything but the kitchen sink at us. But after a last few hard defensive battles we breathed a sigh of relief when the clock stopped with the score standing 2-1 UW.

After we cleaned up and showered we celebrated our victory with dinner at BJ's while our coaches stayed to watch the next game. After dinner we once again headed back to the field to round up the coaches, but kept ourselves plenty entertained by exercising our choir skills. Although I fancy myself a darn good singer I think our bus driver Gary was regretting handing me the microphone after a few numbers of Whitney, Mariah and Run DMC.

After a light practice Saturday morning we headed to Brittany's house to watch the Husky game and have dinner. We enjoyed a nice home cooked meal and celebrated our football team getting their first W of the season. Afterwards we headed back to the hotel and relaxed the rest of the night to prepare for the next day.

Sunday games are always rough on away trips, which is why our coaches put an extra emphasis on having a good warm up and staying focused. By the end of 30 minutes everyone was well prepared and ready to start the game. Walking up for the coin toss I was feeling pretty good myself... that is of course until I saw that the center referee was none other than my old arch nemesis, but I turned my focus back on the game.

Our focus and determination was evident from the beginning, as we once again took control of the game. Similar to our start on Friday, we dominated in attack and kept Rutgers out of our defensive half for the majority of the half. Unfortunately, no matter how much we kept possession we couldn't seem to find the back of the net. The second half continued in the same manner, with us dominating most of the play, but unable to finish up top. With time running down, it seemed unbelievable that we still had not scored. But the thing about soccer is that no matter how many opportunities you have it only takes one chance to change the game, or rather a lucky hit to the back of the head. In our case it was the latter scenario that proved true, as a deflected corner kick hit the back of a Rutgers player head, to give them the lead. With time running out we pressed forward even more, but despite our attempts we still couldn't find an equalizer.

Growing desperate for a goal we knew we had to keep everything going forward. With only two minutes left I won the ball on the backline and with no one in front of me and plenty of space I dribbled the ball up the middle. After scoring a goal the week before and assisting a goal on Friday, I wouldn't say I was cocky but I definitely wouldn't have minded adding another glory moment to my dismal stat sheet. So with almost no time on the clock and open space ahead of me, I thought to myself that "this could be it!" Unfortunately, the eyes in the back of my head weren't working that day because if they were I probably could have avoided the sniper tackle to my right ankle. As I rolled around on the ground in pain I wondered to myself if someone had jokingly placed a kick me sign on my shoe. Not wanting to repeat my performance from last week I laid on the grass determined to keep control of my growing anger.

I quickly reentered the game determined to play to the end, but less than a minute later the final whistle blew with the score remaining at 1-0. We walked off of the field with our heads down because we all knew that we should have won. The coaches weren't angry with us, and in fact thought that we had played one of our better games. While Lelse told us to be proud of the way we played she also reminded us that this is what happens when we don't capitalize on our chances at goal or have a moment lapse on defense. Just because we out play a team doesn't mean we should assume we will win. We all realized that to be a great team, we all have to do a better job of doing the extra work and take advantage of every opportunity given to us. Moving forward to our one game weekend at home against another unfamiliar opponent we plan to put this new lesson into practice and do everything it takes to win!

Junior forward Sarah Martinez (Des Moines, Wash.) has been a key player for the Huskies off of the bench. She has appeared in all seven games this season and fired seven shots. She sat down with www.gohuskies.com for a Q&A.

Gohuskies.com: What is a pet peeve of yours?
Sarah Martinez: "When the Starbucks people don't stir the bottom of my iced coffee. If you know me you know how upset this makes me! :)"

GH: What is your pre-game superstition?
SM: "About 30 minutes before our pregame meeting, I always sit outside the locker room by myself for about 10 minutes to clear my head."

GH:  What is the best present you have ever received?
SM: "My IPod adapter for my car and my collage I got last year. Love my teammates!"

GH: If you were trapped on a desert island with one teammate, who would you want to be stranded with and why?
SM: "Hannah because she can't reach the food so then there will be more for me!"

GH: What's your favorite board game?
SM: "Pictionary or Scrabble!"

GH: Why should others become involved in the great sport of soccer?
SM: "Soccer is so amazing for the reason that it's never the same. Each time you step on the field you have so much freedom, nothing can compare."

GH: If you could train with any professional athlete who would you chose and why?
SM: "Probably lance Armstrong just because he is known to work SO hard!"

GH: What is one of the most important things your parents did in your upbringing?
SM: "They let me play as many sports as I wanted and didn't pressure me to choose one."

GH: What don't people outside of your hometown know about where you grew up that you think they should know?
SM: "That it's not ghetto and I love it more than anywhere!"

GH: What do you know now about the game of soccer that you wish you would've known when you started playing the sport?
SM: "I wish I would have known the importance of foot skills starting when I was five."

GH: What is one characteristic a person needs to be a champion?
SM: "Heart and competitiveness."

GH: What do you want to leave as a legacy at UW?
SM: "Definitely hard work and dedication!"

The women's gymnastics team gets their gear during the first day of practice. Video recorded by assistant coach David McCreary.

I do know that Washington's players believe - make that, know - they can.

"We can play with them," senior linebacker Mason Foster says.

"We're the ones up at 6 a.m. lifting weights," senior safety Nate Williams adds. "We're the ones staying late at night working and studying film. Whether the whole world is against us or not, we know what we're capable of doing."

And that's Steve Sarkisian's biggest accomplishment in his one season plus two games coaching the Huskies.

The progression from hope to mere faith to having real reason to believe is the process of revival at Washington. Sarkisian and his staff have taken the Huskies to this final step - legitimized belief -- while bringing Washington football back from an abyss with a five-win improvement in 2009, upgrading the athleticism in all three phases of the game, attracting recruits and exciting fans.

Other than that, Sark and his pals haven't been doing much at Montlake.

Of course, all teams say they believe they can win all games. When's the last time you heard a player in any sport at any level say "We have no chance this week"?

But these Huskies have legitimate reasons to believe they can make a national statement on their revival against the Cornhuskers. They are in dogged pursuit of Washington's first bowl game since 2002.

I was struck by their how much they believed in themselves in the locker room, inside a cramped media room and on the way onto their buses on a hot night in Utah earlier this month. After an opening loss at Brigham Young in which the Huskies mainly beat themselves, Sarkisian and his players spoke of a 13-game season. That, of course, means a bowl game.

Even at the height of their frustration after a mistake-filled night, they believed big.

"The best thing about it is our players won't be in awe of the moment. We won't be in awe of them coming out or their helmets or their fans," Sarkisian said of facing Nebraska on national television inside a likely-to-be-sold-out Husky Stadium. "Our players have been there before."

Almost 12 months ago to the day, in fact. Washington was 1-1, just as it is now, early in 2009 entering what is a recent habit of facing a titan in Week 3. Those Huskies said, albeit with less gusto than now, that they could compete with third-ranked USC. That was faith talking, the product of Sarkisian's complete remodel of the psyche, environment and makeup of the roster and the program. Their only win under Sarkisian to that point was at home against Idaho in a shaky defensive day.

Then Washington went out and stopped the Trojans' vaunted offense, did just enough against what Sarkisian called the nation's best defense at that point in '09 - and beat USC 16-13.

The Huskies, not accustomed to the heady national ranking that win earned them, then played poorly at Stanford in losing the following week and didn't rebound until late in the year. But that win over the Trojans is why the Huskies believe they can beat the Cornhuskers on Saturday.

It's refreshing and uplifting, this believing with a legitimate foundation. Sure beats hollow faith.

That's what 2008 felt like, among other things. The loss that accelerated the debacle of that '08 season season and the demise of coach Tyrone Willingham was a one-point home defeat to BYU, when Jake Locker was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct on what should have been his tying touchdown late. (I won't recount that in further detail. If you are reading this, you already know more about that than you ever wanted to).

Next it was time for the annual Week 3 behemoth, this time third-ranked Oklahoma. All that Locker could say that week was that "we made a lot of strides just in that belief that we're good enough" to compete with BYU.

Those Huskies had never won consistently in college. So they had no legitimate reason to believe they could beat Oklahoma.

Washington lost to the Sooners 55-14, the largest margin of defeat in a home game since 1929, and didn't win again until Sarkisian arrived.

He restored hope immediately upon his triumphant, energized arrival from being a perennial Pac-10 champion and national title contender while a top assistant at USC. Nine months later, the players began believing. Then came the upset of the Trojans, the signature win of Sarkisian's early tenure that legitimized their beliefs.

Another chance at a signature victory is there for the taking on Saturday.

"I'm a big guy in looking at facts and trying to find things that really matter that we can give to our team," Sarkisian said. "You look at our last three ball games at home, our opponents have had nine pre-snap penalties on offense - seven false starts and two delay of games. That's a tribute to our fans and the energy and enthusiasm they bring that not only does our team feed off of but also has an effect on our opponents.

"We'll be calling on all our Dawgs to bring it on Saturday."

Since Sark's into facts, here are some more than give Washington reason to believe it can beat Nebraska:

*The Huskies have outscored their last three home opponents - Washington State, California and Syracuse -- 131-30 dating to last fall's Apple Cup. OK, WSU is so awful that one shouldn't count. But that's still impressive and emboldening.

*Yes, Nebraska redshirt freshman quarterback Taylor Martinez has rushed for 284 yards and five touchdowns in two games. But Washington is not Western Kentucky or Idaho. And this will be a stern test for the kid, his first road start in front a packed, roaring crowd and frothing-at-the-mouth defense.

When Washington defense has had normal or advantageous field position this season, they've excelled. It was almost amazing BYU only scored 23 points with as much time as the Cougars spent in UW's end of the field, because of so many special-team errors by the Huskies. Syracuse took a 10-0 lead early in last week's game only because of more special-team mistakes by Washington. When it had more of the field to defend, the Huskies outscored the Orange 41-10 - and seven of those 10 points came late, after a UW fumble gave Syracuse the ball at the Huskies 14.

"We're playing at a better level than last year," defensive coordinator Nick Holt said, "because we know the defense better."

Wait, better than when Washington held USC to 13 points at this point last year?

Hey, there's another reason to believe!

Senior Matt Van Houten (Portland, Ore.) has high expectations for the men's soccer team in 2010. So far on the season, he has one assist and a team-high 13 shots. He will play his final regular season game as Husky in his hometown this weekend as UW faces No. 15 Portland at 7 p.m. on Saturday. He sat down with www.gohuskies.com for a Q&A.

Gohuskies.com: What is a pet peeve of yours?

Matt Van Houten: "Arrogant athletes."

GH: What is your pre-game superstition?
MVH: "I have to wear the same clothes, shin guards and cleats every game."

GH: What is the best present you have ever received?
MVH: "Original Xbox."

GH: If you were trapped on a desert island with one teammate, who would you want to be stranded with and why?

MVH: "Stephen Fung, because he is from the island and will know the terrain to survive."

GH: What's your favorite board game?
MVH: "Cranium."

GH: Why should others become involved in the great sport of soccer?
MVH: "Because it's the world's sport."

GH: If you could train with any professional athlete who would you chose and why?

MVH: "Robin van Persie, because he is fast, scores goals, and is Dutch (Netherlands)."

GH: What is one of the most important things your parents did in your upbringing?
MVH: "Always give 110% when I'm playing and give all the glory to God."

GH: What don't people outside of your hometown know about where you grew up that you think they should know?

MVH: "Beaverton, Ore., is the home of Nike."

GH: What do you know now about the game of soccer that you wish you would've known when you started playing the sport?
MVH: "Even when you outplay a team, you can still lose the game."

GH: What is one characteristic a person needs to be a champion?
MVH: "Competitive nature, always wanting to win."

GH: What do you want to leave as a legacy at UW?
MVH: "Pac-10 Championship."

Sophomore Jessie Young is a forward on the UW women's soccer team. Hailing from Surrey, British Columbia, Young played in 19 games as a freshman and scored one goal. So far in 2010, Young has seen action in three games. She sat down with www.gohuskies.com for a Q&A.

Gohuskies.com: What is a pet peeve of yours?

Jessie Young: "When you go to get your socks and you only have one, or when your towel goes missing. That's always a bummer."

GH: What is your pre-game superstition?

JY: "I always wear ankle socks under my soccer socks."

GH: What is the best present you have ever received?

JY: "My dog!"

GH: If you were trapped on a desert island with one teammate, who would you want to be stranded with and why? JY: "Hillary, she could act as my shelter."

GH: What's your favorite board game?

JY: "It's called Mole Hole. It's dumb but so much fun."

GH: Why should others become involved in the great sport of soccer? 

JY: "It's very rewarding and you get to meet the most amazing people."

GH: If you could train with any professional athlete who would you chose and why?

JY: "Bobby Orr. He is the ultimate athlete."

GH: What is one of the most important things your parents did in your upbringing? 

JY: "Always made me make my own decisions. I didn't like it at the time, but now I see why they made me."

GH: What don't people outside of your hometown know about where you grew up that you think they should know? JY: "Canada is only an hour and a half away!"

GH: What do you know now about the game of soccer that you wish you would've known when you started playing the sport? 

JY: "Running aimlessly all over the field gets you nowhere."

GH: What is one characteristic a person needs to be a champion? 

JY: "Heart."

GH: What do you want to leave as a legacy at UW?

JY: "A National Championship!!!"

Read freshman Michael Harris' blog about the Fullerton trip this past weekend.

Sept. 10th

Wake up call was at 8:35 a.m. and everyone went down for breakfast at 9 a.m. For breakfast they had personally made omelette's with ham, cheese, onions, mushrooms, peppers, and salsa. There were also waffles, cereal, fresh cut fruit, hot oatmeal and bacon, sausage and potatoes.

After breakfast we went to Fullerton to check out the field for a couple minutes. First impressions were that it was a huge stadium with seating on both sides. The field is long and narrow and the grass is very short.

11:10 a.m. - Had a team meeting in preparation for the game this afternoon. Talked about our strategy for the team and what we need to do to become successful. We are adjusting our formation for this team to allow us to be in a better position to stop their chances of scoring.

2:30 p.m. - Departed for the game and had our pre-game speech from coach Dean and our own routine. Most people enjoy listening to their IPods alone concentrating. Some players had to get taped from the trainer. Forty minutes before kickoff we get out on the field and start our warm-up. Five minutes before game time all the players return to the locker room and put on the game jerseys and get ready for walk out.

4:00 p.m. - Kickoff and the beginning of the game against CSUN. The game went to overtime and finished in a 0-0 tie. Overall a disappointing result because we were dominating play and had tons of chances, just could not finish.

After the game we ordered pizzas to share between two of us while we watched the following game between San Jose State and CSUF.

Sept. 11th

Wake up call at 8 o'clock this morning to get up and enjoy another great breakfast at the hotel before heading off to a short practice session.

9:00 a.m. - At Fullerton we had a practice session that had lots of skill work to get our feet moving, small possession games to get the heart rate up, and 4 v 3 attacking towards goal to work on finishing and defending.

11:45 a.m. - The team met downstairs in the lobby to go out to lunch. The choices were Chipotle, Subway, or Quizno's; just a light lunch to help recover and get ready for the game tomorrow. After lunch we returned to the hotel and had a nice break and enjoyed the college football games being played.

5:45 p.m. - Buca De Beppo! The team departed for dinner and we were all excited to enjoy a huge carbo-filled meal with chicken, spaghetti, lettuce, bread and lemonade. Everyone enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere.

8:00 p.m. - Defenders had a short video session to talk about points from the previous game to work on. Some points were defenders having to communicate to one another, forcing a forward out instead of in and clearances going up and away instead of down the middle.

8:30 p.m. - Forwards had a video session to help improve and help them with runs, working off of the ball and putting themselves in better positions to score a goal. These video sessions are a great way for the players to see what they did and how to improve while the previous game is still fresh in our minds.

Sept. 12th

9:00 a.m. - Wakeup call before our game. All of the players had to wear their UW polo because it was a pre-game meal and try to look like a team and start being unified off the field before the game.

10:30 a.m. - The team tried something new and we went on a short walk together to get on our feet instead of lying in our hotel rooms all day. During the walk the coaches talked about their idea of confidence and how each player needs to try showing this in their life on the field as well as off.

Noon - Checked out of the hotel and left for Fullerton for our final game of the tournament against the host CSUF Titans.

2:00 p.m. - Kick off to the game and through the first half of play we were down 1-0, but had many opportunities and pressured the other team since giving up the goal midway through the first half. Second half comes around and it was a completely different UW team playing. Our guys were all over the place, winning tackles, connecting passes and getting many dangerous goal opportunities. We were playing so well that in the second half we caused a PK and connected two great passes to our forwards for goals and won the game 3-1.

5:00 p.m. - After the game Dean talked about how well we came out in the second half, kept our heads up and fought and deserved to get a win that afternoon. Then we all packed the vans and headed to LAX to catch our flight home.

11:00 p.m. - Plane lands in SeaTac airport. The mood was very happy during the flight and it was a great way to end a positive weekend for the UW men's soccer team.

For the first time since 2007, there's a new No. 1-ranked team in women's volleyball. Stanford shook up the volleyball world this weekend by sweeping Penn State, the three-time defending NCAA Champions, in a tournament in Florida. That pushed the previously second-ranked Cardinal into the top spot, though puzzlingly Penn State still received two first place votes and Stanford the remaining 58.

The Huskies remain ninth in the poll after adding three more wins to their total last weekend in Athens, Georgia. Washington will meet Stanford for the first time this year on October 15 down in Palo Alto. Last season, Stanford beat UW, 3-2, in Palo Alto but the Huskies got revenge with a 3-0 sweep in Seattle. Whatever the rankings may say, it's bound to be an exciting match but there are a number of critical matches still between now and then.

AVCA Top-25 Poll For Sept. 13

Husky freshman Annie Sittauer, a forward/midfielder from Everett, Wash., has played in all six games so far in the 2010 season, she has one goal and one assist. She sat down with wwwo.gohuskies.com for a Q&A.

Gohuskies.com: What is a pet peeve of yours?

Annie Sittauer: "I hate when it's raining outside and the bottom of my jeans get wet."

GH: What is your pre-game superstition?

AS: "I always put my right shoe on first."

GH: What is the best present you have ever received?

AS: "The necklace my mom gave me for my 18th birthday."

GH: If you were trapped on a desert island with one teammate, who would you want to be stranded with and why? AS: "Lindsey Bos because she would just laugh the whole time!"

GH: What's your favorite board game?

AS: "Settlers of Catan."

GH: Why should others become involved in the great sport of soccer?

AS: "Because it is a great way to stay in shape and meet tons of great people."

GH: If you could train with any professional athlete who would you chose and why?

AS: "Christiano Ronaldo...do I really need to say why?"

GH: What is one of the most important things your parents did in your upbringing? T

AS: "They raised me to have really good morals."

GH: What don't people outside of your hometown know about where you grew up that you think they should know? AS: "My high school mascot was a mighty seagull!"

GH: What do you know now about the game of soccer that you wish you would've known when you started playing the sport?

AS: "To not just follow the ball wherever it goes!"

GH: What is one characteristic a person needs to be a champion?

AS: "Determination."

GH: What do you want to leave as a legacy at UW?

AS: "A national championship."

Former UW hoops standout Nate Robinson had his number 2 retired on Friday by Rainier Beach High School. He is the third player in the Vikings history to be so honored -- joining Jamal Crawford and Doug Christie in the rafters.

Robinson led Rainier Beach to the 2002 Washington High School Championship.

For more on the event, visit the Seattle Times ... click here.

Photo Gallery

On Friday, Sports Radio 950 KJR AM -- the flagship station for the Washington ISP Sports Network -- held its KJR Kares A-Thon at Anthony's on Pier 66.

Several Huskies -- including hoops star Isaiah Thomas, men's crew coach Michael Callahan, men's tennis coach Matt Anger and cross country and track coach Greg Metcalf -- all made the trek to downtown Seattle for an appearance. The annual event, hosted by KJR personality Mike Gastineau, is held to raise money for several Seattle-area charitites.

Under an unusual interview format, all four Husky representatives took the stage at the same time for the interview. The segment started with all three coaches making their argument for which of their sports Thomas would be best suited to play if Lorenzo Romar let him tryout.

It was discovered that Isaiah played tennis while in prep school, so I think Matt Anger won out on the argument.

Each coach gave an update of their sports and what's going on this fall and Thomas talked about his team. There was a nice amount of purple being donned by the crowd in attendance, so the Huskies were well-represented off stage as well.

Also in attendance were former Husky basketball great Mike Hayward, UW quarterback legend Hugh Millen and football and hoops play-by-play announcer Bob Rondeau. It was a great time had by all and a good opportunity for the Husky family to help out their flagship station in the community.

For more info on KJR Kares A-Thon ... click here.

To listen to the interview and other segments from Friday ... click here.

Freshman Michael Harris, a defender out of Shoreline, Wash., earned the first Husky assist of the season in the season opener vs. Evansville on the John Crenshaw goal. He was named one of the Top 100 Freshmen by CSN.

Gohuskies.com: What is a pet peeve of yours?

Michael Harris: "A pet peeve would have to be chewing with your mouth full."

GH: What is your pre-game superstition?

MH: "I don't have any superstitions, but I try to stay on the same schedule each game to prepare myself."

GH: What is the best present you have ever received?

MH: "A pair of 10th anniversary Nike Vapor III's from my dad for Christmas."

GH: If you were trapped on a desert island with one teammate, who would you want to be stranded with and why?

MH: "Stephen Fung because he's Hawaiian and wouldn't complain about being stuck on an island."

GH: What's your favorite board game?

MH: "Monopoly because my family used to play it all the time together."

GH: Why should others become involved in the great sport of soccer?

MH: "People should become involved because it is growing in popularity (especially in Seattle with the Sounders). More people are beginning to play so the competition is great, and it is a fun sport to play competitively and recreationally when you're growing up."

GH: If you could train with any professional athlete who would you chose and why?

MH: "Lance Armstrong so I could see his dedication for the sport of biking and the passion he puts into something he really cares about and how he struggles to overcome all the obstacles in his life."

GH: What is one of the most important things your parents did in your upbringing?

MH: "Put a sport court into our yard so I could grow up playing lots of different sports, and they put me in gymnastics which was really unique and helped with my balance and coordination."

GH: What don't people outside of your hometown know about where you grew up that you think they should know?

MH: "Shoreline is where I grew up and it does not have any part of land that is touching the shore. The nearest beach is part of the Richmond Beach area not Shoreline."

GH: What do you know now about the game of soccer that you wish you would've known when you started playing the sport?

MH: "I wish I would have known how far it would be taking me so I would be practicing a little harder and working on more skills at a younger age."

GH: What is one characteristic a person needs to be a champion?

MH: "The fight or the Will to Win and tenacity."

GH: What do you want to leave as a legacy at UW?

MH: "I want to be a part of a team that made a big impact in the future of soccer at the UW and hopefully one day my picture will be hung up on the wall of the locker room like the previous alum's in the professional soccer leagues."

Freshman Morgan Swanson, a forward out of Stadium High School in Tacoma, Wash., sat down with www.gohuskies.com for a Q&A.

Gohuskies.com: What is a pet peeve of yours?

Morgan Swanson: "When my room isn't clean... everything has to be in order or semi neat looking."

GH: What is your pre-game superstition?

MS: "Don't get a haircut the same day as a game, its bad luck."

GH: What is the best present you have ever received?

MS: "Surprises are my favorite types of presents!"

GH: If you were trapped on a desert island with one teammate, who would you want to be stranded with and why?

MS: "Hillary Zevenbergen, because she is tall and could be easier spotted by a plane or rescue ships and she can pick the fruit from the high branches of the coconut or mango trees."

GH: What's your favorite board game?

MS: "Cranium!"

GH: If you could train with any professional athlete who would you chose and why?

MS: "Hulk Hogan, because he is a beast."

GH: What is one of the most important things your parents did in your upbringing?

MS: "Told me I was able to do anything I wanted, as long as I was/am willing to put in the work."

GH: What don't people outside of your hometown know about where you grew up that you think they should know?

MS: "Tacoma Aroma is heavenly."

GH: What is one characteristic a person needs to be a champion?

MS: "You need to have heart in the game."

You already know all about Jake Locker. So let me tell you about the quarterback of the Huskies' defense, Cort Dennison.

Defensive coordinator Nick Holt calls the junior middle linebacker who will make his second career start at the position on Saturday against Syracuse in Washington's home opener "the blood and guts of our defense."

Our nation's military called Dennison one of the best young leaders in the United States. The Army wanted the Utah all-state tight end from Judge Memorial High School in Salt Lake City to play football at West Point, then lead men into war.

I know what it takes to even be considered for admission to the U.S. Military Academy. I graduated from there, in 1993.

I met with Dennison after practice inside Husky Stadium on Tuesday to find out what he thought of West Point. I always say it is a great place to visit, but not so hot a place for a college kid to live. You'll have to trust me on that one.

Then-Army football coach Bobby Ross, a former Super Bowl coach, loved Dennison enough that he ensured Cort in 2006 that he wouldn't have to go through the normal process of securing one of the few hundred annual Congressional appointments for admission to the Academy. That's the rout I and most of the approximately 1,000 new cadets take to join a student body of about 4,000.

I was a defensive end for Steubenville, Ohio, High School who started two state championship games inside Ohio Stadium - Ohio State's giant "Horseshoe." Yet I wasn't as accomplished a player as Dennison. Not only was Army courting Cort, then-Huskies coach Tyrone Willingham wanted the Utah state athlete of the year.

Plus, as Holt simply says of Dennison, "he is smart."

Then again, saying Dennison is "smart" is like saying the colorful, fiery, opinionated Holt--the Mr. Clean-looking menace who often barks at his defense from the numbers painted toward the hashmarks -- is "interesting."

Dennison had a 3.7 grade-point average in high school. He was not only a star in football but in basketball. He performed over 400 hours of community service in and around Salt Lake City while at Judge Memorial.

No wonder the Army wanted him to be a lieutenant leading soldiers into war.

"I took a visit back there and they pretty much told me they wanted me there really badly," he says now of West Point. "The next week, I came back and I was thinking about it - and Tyrone called me and he offered me on the phone "I jumped on it."

Dennison wanted to stay closer to home. He also loved the idea of playing in the Pac-10 while earning a degree from what he proudly calls "one of the best public institutions in the world."

That's not to say he didn't like West Point. He visited in early 2007. The coaches took him from the New York-area airport and drove him across the George Washington Bridge, through Times Square, to the Bronx and past Yankee Stadium. Heady stuff for a teenager from Utah.

Then they drove him about an hour up picturesque Palisades Parkway, through the sleepy village of Highland Falls to West Point. Dennison stayed in the Spartan barracks room of Army sophomore fullback Collin Mooney, an all-state high school player himself from Katy, Texas.

"It was a fun experience. It was something I've never experienced before," Dennison says of his stay at rugged point where the Hudson River bends upstream from New York City.

"I'm not used to the whole academy kind of a thing. And the tradition. I didn't realize how on point they were, how technical everything is, how first-class everything is."

Dennison saw how the "dorm" rooms weren't allowed to have televisions. He saw the beds cadets made so tightly each day that, yes, quarters really can bounce off them. (Actually, wiser cadets don't sleep under the covers, so all you need to do is tighten the bed each morning.) He saw the spit-shined black shoes and boots perfectly aligned beneath those beds.

He saw parade drills on "The Plain" in front of the giant mess hall, in which 4,000 cadets eat at the same time, family style. He went to classes, most of them in windowless rooms taught by uniformed, active-duty Army officers. They were no way optional. Miss one and you may be pacing Academy grounds carrying a rifle in full parade uniform for hours on end in discipline "tours" that weekend. Miss two and you may be through as a cadet.

Dennison saw room inspections, in which dust balls are viewed to be nearly as destructive as live grenades. He learned how the wool uniforms not only had to be hung, but the hangers' hooks had to be canted in the same direction. He didn't see baggy cargo shorts, sandals or stylish shirts you might wear to a bar. Underclassmen have to have those locked away downstairs in a storage locker.

He sure as heck didn't even see a bar. Like I said, a great place to visit but ...

So why wouldn't he have chosen that? Or better yet, you may be thinking right now: why would he?

"I didn't realize how many professional CEOs had graduated from the Academies such as Army, Navy and the Air Force," Dennison said. "It was a really eye-opening experience. Definitely, the education was top-notch.

"But I'm really happy with my decision," he says of Washington, "and I'm glad I'm here. I mean, I love Seattle. And I really didn't want to do the five-year service after."

Ah, yes, the service time.

A cadet does not have to pay for his education - the government and tax payers do - in exchange for at least five years of service as an officer on active duty. I spent those years as a tactical intelligence officer, which basically means I learned and assessed for the battlefield commander what the bad guys have and how many there are coming against us. I had a tank, a Humvee, a pistol, I jumped out of airplanes - cool stuff.

I eventually got assigned to Fort Lewis outside Tacoma and fell in love with the Puget Sound area. That's how I found myself after my five years of service time was up in Seattle as the national sports writer for The Associated Press. I had spent a decade in the Bay Area first getting a master's degree from the University of California in Berkeley - sorry, Huskies, but I really only spent two years on campus; I'm barely an adopted Bear. I then covered the Oakland Athletics and Raiders for the Sacramento Bee newspaper.

Now I am the new Director of Writing for the University of Washington's athletic department. You will see me writing stories on all things Huskies athletics, including on a live chat during all football games this season. This is the debut of a column that will run each Wednesday highlighting the many remarkable stories among the UW's world-class athletes and staff. (Please bear with the "Unleashed" title - its creators love it.)

Dennison has one of these remarkable stories. I find it all the more so because when I signed up to be a cadet and then an Army officer, in 1989, our nation was at peace. The military was actually downsizing and wondering aloud why we have so much with no war in sight.

Dennison? He was a teenager faced with choosing military versus civilian life with our nation in not one but two wars.

"I mean, that weighed in a lot," he says. "The main factor was I just didn't want to do the five-year service after college football. I wanted to get on with stuff. I don't know, I just felt more close to home in Seattle. I love the decision. I'm really happy here.

"I mean, yeah, no one wants to ... I don't want to be stuck in war. I don't want to go put my life on the line when I am so young. I give all my respect to the people who do put their lives on the line. I have a tremendous amount of respect for them."

I sensed right there - with Dennison standing in the west end zone of Husky Stadium in his white Huskies practice uniform in full pads, carrying his gold helmet and still sweating from practice -- that he is still impacted by the concept of risking his life for his country, three years after he chose not to.

It's a choice tens of thousands of American teenagers - recruited athletes to the service academies, ROTC candidates, high-school students being wooed by enlistment recruiters - wrestle with each year.

"That's one of the things I realized when I went there, all these young people who have so much going for them are sacrificing their lives for our freedom. It just made me proud, because I couldn't do that, you know?" Dennison said. "Yet there are people my age who were out there in war. It just made me take my hat off to them for being so courageous. It made me gain that much more respect for them, because that could have been me.

"So I have a huge amount of respect to all those people who do that. But that probably wasn't my kind of a thing."

His kind of thing is smashing ball carriers and playing through a balky knee and running Holt's defense for rising program intent on reaching its first bowl game since 2002. Dennison also intent on not just graduating but excelling in the classroom. He's maintained a 3.2 GPA at Washington in communications, no small feat given the time commitments for a Division I athlete. He wants to be a broadcast journalist, or a sports agent.

He is still honored West Point wanted him.

"Yeah, it's an honor. I take pride in my academics, for sure," Dennison says. "I realize that football doesn't last. You have to have a good education. So as much time and effort that I have to take for school work, I'll do it.

"I put a lot of work into high school, and it's paid off."

TopDrawerSoccer.com just released its "College Freshmen Top 100 Women List" and Husky freshmen Lindsey Bos and Brianna Sweeney were each mentioned.

Bos is a mid/defender out of Archbishop Murphy High School in Snohomish, Wash. She has played and started in all five games in the back for the Huskies so far during her freshman campaign. In high school, she was named the Everett Herald's Player of the Year and a finalist for that paper's Woman of the Year award in sports. Bos helped her high school win two state championships and earned all-conference and all-state honors. She was named the 2A State Player of the Year as a senior. She was ranked No. 49 on the list.

Sweeney is a defender out of Woodinville High School in Woodinville, Wash. At WHS, she was named Second-Team All-KingCo 4A her senior and sophomore seasons. She has played and started in four games for the Dawgs. Sweeney was No. 87 on the list.

Check out the entire list here: http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/college-soccer/college-national-freshmen-top-100/women.

After a disappointing loss in Boston, we all wanted to make sure that our first weekend at home would be different. We knew that we had a lot of work to do which is why there was little complaining for our first practice back. The attitude in Monday's practice was impressive considering that that morning we had woken up in Boston at 5:30 am (2 a.m. Seattle time), flew for over five hours, and were expected to be ready to run... a lot. But despite the fatigue and mental exhaustion practice was competitive and sharp, which is more than we could say about our yoga session afterwards.

Monday's practice carried on through the week, with everyone motivated and excited for our first home game against Syracuse. The build up and anticipation we were feeling throughout the week was felt full force at 7 p.m. Friday night. From the beginning of the game we dominated. On attack we were quick and composed and defensively everyone worked to win the ball back. Syracuse was aggressive and physical which was evident in the two penalty kicks they gave up. The first of the game came from a foul on McKenna (Waitley) that Kate (Deines) expertly put away. However, Kate wasn't done because a minute later she was able to finish a shot by Kellye (Joswick) giving us a 2-0 lead going into halftime.

While it's common for teams to sit back on a 2-0 lead we were all still fired up and took the momentum from the first half into the second. Once again we took control of the game and with the support of our home crowd and cheers from the bench you could tell that something was in the air. It was the smell of a hat trick! Only a few minutes into the half (Alex) Webber was fouled in the box on a breakaway and once again the girl with the golden boot stepped up to take the shot. Anyone who knows soccer or watched the world cup this year would know that taking a PK is a pretty nerve wracking experience, but to take two in one night would make even the best players crack. Fortunately for us, Kate, "the great one," was on a role that night and perfectly placed the ball into the back of the net. From then on, we knew the game was ours. Annie (Sittauer) put another point on the board shortly after, giving us a 4-0 lead over the ladies in Orange.

Since we had a comfortable lead I knew we pretty much had the win in the bag and that we just needed the shut out to put the icing on the cake. However, Syracuse was an aggressive team and it was obvious that they were not going to go down without a fight. As the clock wound down the physical play increased on both sides of the ball. With only a few minutes left in the game, I was already thinking about what I was going to have for dinner. I wouldn't say that I was zoned out, but I definitely wasn't expecting what happened next. I received the ball from a Syracuse player, and decided to be safe so I turned to play a back pass for one of my defenders to clear. Now, in nature when confronted with a hostile animal experts say never turn your back on the wild beast because it leaves you vulnerable for a sneak attack. Well, I suppose the same concept could be applied to soccer because as I turned my back on the hostile orange I received a sniper shot to my right ankle. I like to think of myself as a relatively composed player, I've never been one to trash talk and I generally don't lose my temper in game, but when I went to the ground something inside me snapped. At first I thought it was my ankle, but in hindsight I think it was my sanity because I went nuts. Like a bull sees red, I was seeing orange. So I hobbled off to the sidelines to watch the remaining two minutes of the game. Bummed about my ankle, I eventually cooled off and rejoiced with my team at our first home win. Lesle and the rest of the coaches were proud of our play and how we were able to make such a turn around after the previous game.  However, Lesle wanted us to remember to relax and rest tonight and that we needed to save our energy for Sunday and our big game against Wisconsin.

Not only did I relax the rest of Friday night but continued on to Saturday as well. While everyone else practiced early Saturday morning I hung out with my new best buddy, Chris (the trainer), who was helping get my ankle to a normal looking size. By the end of my three hour treatment session I was feeling pretty good and was looking forward to watching the Husky football game that afternoon. Chris informed me to take it easy and stay off my ankle.

With another early treatment session before breakfast on Sunday my ankle was almost back to normal. Even after Chris mummified my foot with his tape job I was still feeling pretty good. However, Sunday games are notorious for being rough on a double header weekend, which was evident in our first half performance. Wisconsin came out hard and gave us some trouble in the start of the game. While we weren't playing as well defensively as we had two nights before, we still battled back and kept the Badgers at bay. Unfortunately with 10 minutes left in the half Wisconsin was able to follow up on a deflected save from Jorde (LaFontaine-Kussman), giving them the lead at halftime. Down by one goal for the second time this season, we knew that we couldn't let history repeat itself, which is why when we stepped onto the pitch in the second half we came out stronger and faster. Finally we were able to possess and keep the ball and after numerous attacks we knew that the Badgers had tired. But despite all of our efforts, we were still coming up short on goal.

In the 80^th minute we were awarded a free kick outside the box near the sideline. While there was debate on who was to take the kick, in the ended Kellye was the number one nominee. Generally on corners and free kicks I'm sanctioned to the backline, but since we were down and were pressing for a goal I moseyed my way up to the front. Getting ready for the kick Sarah (Martinez) and I planned out our runs. Since in another life Sarah was most likely an aerial performer she has the advantage of being better at winning headers then most people. For this reason we planned that she would attack the ball. Since I stand at 5 ft 9 inches I have the advantage of being taller than a lot of people. For this reason I planned to stand in front of the keeper. With a clear plan of attack we set ourselves up to get ready for the kick. When Kellye's hand rose to signal that she was about to cross I spun around my mark and ran back post towards the keeper. The main job of the person who marks the goalie is to block their view or get in front of their hands so they can't make a save on the ball. However, as the ball sailed through the air it curled away from the keeper's hands and was making a bee-line for my head. I don't know if it was because I couldn't believe that it was actually happening or if I was praying I wouldn't screw up, but with nothing but open net I closed my eyes tight and made contact with the ball. Before the ball even landed I knew that I had just scored my first goal of the season. I grabbed the closest purple shirt next to me and screamed for joy. As I ran around hugging everyone I almost forgot my promise at the beginning of the season to do "the Dougie" in the unlikely event that I scored a goal. Although it wasn't my best performance I ran my hands through my hair with a stupid grin on my face and did my long awaited celebration dance.

With the score tied up and momentum on our side we continued to press until the final whistle blew. Even during two 10 minute overtimes, we were still looking to get another goal, but after nearly 110 minutes of playing we walked away with our first tie.

Although we wanted the win and felt that we had outplayed our opponents in the end, we were all proud of the way we had battled back from being down a goal. The coaches were happy with how we rose to the challenge and remarked on how we had shown a lot of character as a team. However, our coaches always expect the best out of us, and a tie against a team we should have beaten is not a good enough result. Once again we have to learn to take each game as a learning experience in order to keep improving. Although it is still early in our season as a team we have already taken away valuable lessons from every game. Against Seattle U we learned how to be ourselves, in Boston we were taught that we can never give up, and the lesson that this weekend provided me was to "Teach me how to Dougie!"

-Kendyl Pele

Gohuskies.com sat down with freshman Spencer Richey (Seattle, Wash.) for a Q&A following his first collegiate win and shutout against Northern Illinois.

Gohuskies.com: What is a pet peeve of yours?

Spencer Richey: "I hate when people wear mismatching socks."

GH: What is your pre-game superstition?

SR: "I don't really have any."

GH: If you were trapped on a desert island with one teammate, who would you want to be stranded with and why?

SR: "Nick James because he has good survival instincts and can make animal noises."

GH: What's your favorite board game?

SR: "Sorry."

GH: Why should others become involved in the great sport of soccer?

SR: "Because it's the world's game."

GH:  If you could train with any professional athlete who would you chose?

SR: "Iker Casillas."

GH: What is one of the most important things your parents did in your upbringing?

SR: "Allowed me to move to Florida on my own when I was 15."

GH: What do you know now about the game of soccer that you wish you would've known when you started playing the sport?

SR: "The best players in the world do the easiest things the best."

GH: What is one characteristic a person needs to be a champion?

SR: "Relentlessness."

GH: What do you want to leave as a legacy at UW?

SR: "I want to be a champion."

One of the top websites covering the sport of track and field and cross country, Flotrack.org finished up a countdown of the top-five women's teams to watch in the current season, ranking the Husky women No. 2 on that list.

The video does a nice job showcasing some of the returning Huskies as well as a few newcomers with interview and race highlights from the Flotrack archives.

Flotrack's Teams To Watch list began with No. 5 Florida, moving on to No. 4 Oregon, No. 3 Florida State, the Huskies at No. 2, and the defending champs from Villanova at No. 1.

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

Check out the pictures below of your UW gymnastics team tubing over the summer!

Freshman Hillary Zevenbergen has appeared in two games already as a Husky. The forward from Woodway, Wash., sat down with www.gohuskies.com for a Q&A.

Gohuskes.com: What is a pet peeve of yours?

Hillary Zevenbergen: "Aggressive bikers."

GH: What is your pre-game superstition?

HZ: "Right cleat goes on first."

GH: What is the best present you have ever received?

HZ: "Easy-Bake oven."

GH: If you were trapped on a desert island with one teammate, who would you want to be stranded with and why?

HZ: "Faustine Dufka, because she could probably figure out how to speak the language of the natives and keep us from being eaten."

GH: What's your favorite board game?

HZ: "Guess Who, Candy Land...anything BUT Monopoly."

GH: Why should others become involved in the great sport of soccer?

HZ: "It is AWESOME."

GH: If you could train with any professional athlete who would you chose?

HZ: "Cristiano Ronaldo."

GH: What is one of the most important things your parents did in your upbringing?

HZ: "If Mom says no ask Dad."

GH: What don't people outside of your hometown know about where you grew up that you think they should know?

HZ: "Edmonds is the proud home of Rick Steves."

GH: What do you know now about the game of soccer that you wish you would've known when you started playing the sport?

HZ: "I had no idea how many doors it would open and how many people I would get to meet."

GH: What is one characteristic a person needs to be a champion?

HZ: "You have to be able to laugh at yourself!"

GH: What do you want to leave as a legacy at UW?

HZ: "Win an NCAA championship!"

Once everyone was on the ground, the team headed over to LaVell Edwards Stadium for a walk-through. The key was to acclimatize the student-athletes to the advanced altitude and get them used to new environs. A few Huskies fans greeted the team as the buses pulled up to the scenic stadium, which is set in view of the picturesque Wasatch Mountains. While the team got a chance to stretch out their legs, a few staff members met with the talent/producers from CBS College Sports, the broadcast unit who will air the Huskies-BYU game Saturday evening. Later, the talent met with QB Jake Locker and Coach Steve Sarkisian to discuss some broad parts of the upcoming game.

In total, the Huskies spent just over 30 minutes at LES. The majority of the real work was done at a walk-through on Friday morning in Seattle.

After the walk-through, the buses headed south (facing traffic) to dinner at Magleby's in Springville, Utah. What greeted the team was a spread of BBQ ribs, prime rib and penne pasta.

The group made short work of the meal before heading to their hotel and gathering for position meetings. Following meetings and a snack, the Huskies have lights out. Because the day has been so eventful, the goal is to keep the players rested and off their feet at night.

With Hurricaine Earl bearing down on the East Coast, the 99-man field at the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston beat the weather and completed the first round.

The tees were moved up in anticipation of the expected high winds, but the terrible conditions never really came to fruition. Eighty-three of the golfers took advantage of the shortened course and tallied under-par rounds. 

Former Husky All-American Alex Prugh was among the golfers in the red, carding a first round 3-under 68. He was poised for an even lower score, but a double-bogey on the sixth hole cost him two strokes. He had teed off his round from the 10th hole and was three-under after the turn.

Jason Day and Zach Johnson each shot 8-under 63 in Friday's first round to share the lead. Eight golfers were at 7-under, including Tacoma's Ryan Moore. Tiger Woods struggled in the first round ending up +1.

To see the leaderboard ... click here.

To see Prugh's scorecard .... click here

Gohuskies.com sat down with senior goalkeeper Stephen Fung (Honolulu, Hawai'i) who is playing

 in his first last game as a Husky tonight for a question and answer session.

Gohuskies.com: What is a pet peeve of yours? 

Stephen Fung: "Dirty teammates."

GH: What is your pre-game superstition?

SF: "I don't have one."

GH: What is the best present you have ever received?  

SF: "Every present I have ever received has been nothing short of awesome."

GH: If you were trapped on a desert island with one teammate, who would you want to be stranded with and why?

SF: "Ryan Moore. From what I've seen on the discovery channel, desert climates turn sub zero at night, so warmth is key and we would find a way to survive."

GH: What's your favorite board game?

SF: "Chess."

GH: Why should others become involved in the great sport of soccer? 

SF: "It can provide a lot of great opportunities, such as college."

GH: If you could train with any professional athlete who would you chose and why?

SF: "Kobayashi because I could eat all day."

GH: What don't people outside of your hometown know about where you grew up that you think they should know?

SF: "The beaches are real nice so they should come visit and help boost our economy."

GH: What do you know now about the game of soccer that you wish you would've known when you started playing the sport?

SF: "I should've tried other positions when I was younger."

GH: What is one characteristic a person needs to be a champion?

SF: "Don't make excuses."

On Saturday we were all still feeling good from Friday night's game and looking forward to some free time in Boston. We were given the afternoon to explore the city so me, Sarah (Martinez) and Kellye (Joswick) met up with our parents for some sightseeing. We did all of the touristy things like riding the subway, visited Boston yard, walked around little Italy, ate at the famous Cheers bar, but by far the most memorable stop had to be Paul Revere's house. I don't really consider myself a history buff, but I admit that I enjoyed seeing all of the historical landmarks that Boston had to offer. Apparently, Kellye didn't share this same interest because as we set our path towards the home of one of the most famous patriots in American history she unknowingly asked, "Does he still live there?" I can't quite remember if I reacted by laughing or rolling my eyes, I'm sure it was a combination of both, but Sarah and I knew that the historical significance would be lost on our good friend. So, instead we explained that he was a player for the Boston Red Sox. Just in case anyone else skipped out on their American history class Wikipedia can fill you in: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Revere . Sorry to disappoint you Kel, but Paul Revere did not in fact play first base...

After our adventure around downtown Boston our team reconvened for a late practice to prepare us for Sunday night's big game. With a solid training session and a good meal after, everyone went to bed feeling good about the upcoming match. Sunday matches are typically played early in the morning, but because of schedule conflicts with Boston U, our game wasn't to be played until 8 pm that night. Thus, we spent most of Sunday keeping ourselves busy waiting for night to come.

When it was finally game time, I was shocked at the stark contrast in atmosphere compared to Friday's game. Our game happened to fall on the day before school for Boston U, and was to be a tailgating event for the University. In the past our team usual thrives in intense atmospheres and after a sharp warm up we felt confident heading into the match. However, from the first whistle we seemed off. Passes weren't connecting as they were the previous game and we weren't winning balls on defense. We did however, create a few dangerous chances on goal, but weren't able to capitalize. As the half went on and things still weren't going our way, the play became more individual. The clock was winding down to the final minutes when BU was able to take advantage of our defensive breakdown which gave them a 1-0 lead going into half.

As a team we pride ourselves in working hard and never giving up, so when we were faced with the challenge of being a goal down, I think everyone assumed we would bounce back and come out hard for the last 45 minutes. However, we couldn't quite shake the lull we had in the first half and started the second half in a similar fashion. At the time it seemed as if things just weren't going our way but looking back I think everyone realized as a team we had given up. It seemed as if we were going through the motions of playing, but never really putting in full effort to comeback. Unfortunately at this level and against a good team you can never take a break and sit back, which we ended up learning the hard way.

When the whistle blew we gathered up our things and headed back for our hotel, disappointed in the result and our performance that night. Back in the hotel lobby Lesle explained how it wasn't the score or the loss that was upsetting, but watching us as we gave up on a game we should have had. She reminded us that because our season is so short every game is important and that we have to take advantage of every opportunity. Though we will never be able to get this game back, the good thing about opportunities is that they come around again.

While we could dwell on this early loss, our coaches have taught us the importance of learning from our mistakes. It's like anything in life, in order to prevent history from repeating itself you have to learn from the past. So looking forward to our first home game of the season, our Boston trip provided all of us a new learning experience where we all realized that we can't take any games for granted. For me, I realized that you can't change history, but like my favorite Red Sox player Paul Revere has taught me, you can certainly create a new one!

Coming off our first win of the season, we were all excited for our double header weekend in Boston. Although Seattle U was technically an away game, our trip to Boston was considered our first road trip, which could explain why no one remembered to load the balls and equipment onto the bus. Fortunately our handy dandy trainer, Chris, caught the error just before we were about to pull out onto Montlake. However, it wouldn't be long until we faced another problem on our journey across the country. This time that problem presented itself in the form of a 3 ft, 30 lb, screaming toddler. Now, a five hour flight at 8 o'clock in the morning is not my idea of a fun time, but when you throw in a shrieking monster I can safely say it made the experience a million times worse. Even the best headphones could not block out the blood curtailing cry produced by this little boy, but at least I was a safe five rows back while Louise, Jim and Rose got the full surround sound experience. By the time we finally landed in Boston we were all relieved, exhausted and rethinking any future plans of having children. 

Since we had been sitting down most of the day traveling, once we arrived at the hotel we went on a team run to get our legs moving. It might have been the time difference, the air travel, or the fact that our "light jog" turned into a marathon race, but for whatever the reason we were all physically and mentally ready to call it day.

By the next day we were all rested up and ready to train. We headed the short distance to Harvard for practice and afterwards toured the campus for a while. It was a gorgeous day outside and everyone enjoyed exploring Harvard yard and seeing what the campus had to offer. Later, we ended the night with dinner downtown that left us with full bellies and our coaches' with empty pockets. In hindsight our expensive meal was worth it because when Friday night rolled around we were ready to play.

When we arrived at U Mass we were taken back by a few things. First, the field seemed more like a cow pasture than an actual soccer field. Second, the warm up CD had the most bizarre compilation of songs possible. It was so strange that I think that it must have been made as a strategy to confuse and bewilder opponents, how else can you explain the lion-king rap remix? And finally, while we were all trying to guess what the Massachusetts mascot was we discovered that they were none other than Minutemen (enough said). The combination of these oddities momentarily threw us, but the coaches quickly set our minds back on track and refocused us back to the game.

From the start we took control of the game and quickly strung together passes and created dangerous opportunities. It wasn't soon before Mckenna received a threw pass from the midfield and put the ball away for her first goal of the season and our first goal of the game. The next goal didn't come to long after as (Lindsay) Elston beat her opponent down the flank (a few times) and served a cross to Kellye (JoswickK) who headed it into the back of the net.

Going into the second half we were up by two, but were still looking to press forward for another goal. Kelsea Brajkovich quickly put another away for us in a scramble play in the box that she was able to get on the end of. We continued to play well throughout the second and steadily tired out the Minutewomen who were losing stamina. We played skillful in the attack and kept the Minutewomen's shot count low with hard defensive pressure. By the end of 90 minutes the final score stood at 3-0, giving us our second win of the season!

- Kendyl Pele - women's soccer

Check back with the Dawg Blawg tomorrow for Kendyl's second blog from last weekend's trip.

A former All-American and member of Team USA, Tia Meza has been named an assistant coach on the Cal State Northridge softball program, head coach Tairia Flowers announced. Meza, formerly Tia Bollinger, will work with the Matador pitchers, help with recruiting and serve other administrative responsibilities.

"I am truly excited to add someone of Tia's character and experience to our program," Flowers said. "She brings a passion and knowledge of the game that will help the Matadors continue to succeed."

A four-year member of the University of Washington softball program, Meza was a two-time All-American and three-time All-Pac 10 selection while with the Huskies. She helped lead UW to two NCAA World Series appearances and also ranks among the school's career leaders in wins, innings pitched, ERA, saves and strikeouts.

She also served as a member of USA National Softball Team in 2001-02, helping the Americans to a victory at the Pan AM Qualifiers in Venezuela.

Most recently, Meza served as the Associate Athletics Director and Director of Softball at JSerra Catholic High School since 2008. At the school, Meza handled compliance issues and fundraising in addition to serving as the head coach of the varsity team.

Meza also spent a season as an assistant coach with LMU during the 2005 season, helping them to their first postseason appearance in school history.

Meza has also worked for Lehman Brothers as a loan administrator and for the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach. Originally from Newport Beach, Meza attended Mater Dei High School and was the 2000 Gatorade National Player of the Year.

Meza graduated from Washington in 2004 with a degree in Communications. She is married to Dane Meza and the couple has two children, daughter Riley and son Vince.

The Dawgs open the season this weekend at BYU before returning home to Husky Stadium on September 11. In anticipation for the first homecoming of the season, UW Athletics will be giving away a pair of tickets to the game! Dawg fans need to become a fan of the UW Athletics Official Facebook page and post your most spirited photo cheering on the Dawgs vs. BYU this Saturday. Let's see how you show your Husky Pride - whether it is in your living room, at the game or at a restaurant!  

Deadline for submission is noon on Tuesday, September 7. 

There are also tickets available for purchase through the Husky Ticket Office - purchase yours online at GoHuskies.com or by calling 206-543-2200.

Good luck, Dawg Fans!

Husky gymnastics fans be sure to watch America's Got Talent tonight as former UW gymnast Kelly McDonald will be performing with La Reve during the show. It begins at 9 p.m. on NBC!

Check out the story that was written on Kelly and Chelsea Bakken recently on gohuskies.com: http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/w-gym/spec-rel/082410aab.html.

Check out women's soccer senior Kendyl Pele's video of the team's trip to Massachusetts.