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Leah Hextall doesn’t have time to think about the history of it all.

It was announced on Tuesday that the Winnipegger will become the first woman to do play-by-play on ESPN for the NCAA men’s hockey championship this weekend.

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It’s a major step for Hextall, a 39-year-old originally from Brandon who has been been calling women’s hockey games on Sportsnet for the last two years, and for the advancement of women in a severely male-dominated industry.

But four days away from calling the East Regional semifinals and final in Providence, R.I., all Hextall was thinking about was the task at hand.

“It’s one of those things where I try not to really make (being the first woman) the focus,” Hextall said in Winnipeg Tuesday.

“I already feel enough pressure that I put on myself. This is going to be a tremendous challenge for me because I’m so new to play-by-play.”

“It’s something I’m trying to compartmentalize and put aside but at the same time I don’t want to disregard it. It is a true honour but more than anything it’s an opportunity and I hope it’s one where I can do well to open a door that will create more opportunities, not just for myself, but for many others who maybe have aspirations to do this.”