OUT WEST: No. 2 Stanford put on a clinic in capturing its Nike Invitational, notching impressive 4-0 victories over previously unbeaten Oklahoma and No. 24 Florida. The Cardinal got two goals from Marcia Wallis in its opener and a dominant performance from central midfielder Callie Withers in the rout of the Gators.
Stanford's defense, with Natalie Spilger and Alisan Pabon leading a superb back line, has surrendered only one goal — and just 10 shots on goal — in six games against mostly first-rate competition.
Florida rallied for a 2-2 tie with No. 7 Santa Clara in the tournament's first game. The Broncos drilled Oklahoma, 4-0, Sunday as Kristi Candau and Leslie Osborne scored twice.
Washington won its first Nike Husky Classic in six years, topping Portland on goal differential after each beat Harvard and UC Irvine.
BACK EAST: Top-ranked North Carolina and No. 13 Virginia, considered the top two clubs in the Atlantic Coast Conference — although Duke and Wake Forest may argue the point — claimed tournament titles over the weekend.
The Tar Heels weathered an early Cat Reddick red card to beat Marquette, 4-1, then routed struggling Florida International, 6-0, to win Duke's adidas Classic. The host Blue Demons, ranked 11th, handled FIU but were upset by Marquette in the finale. They were without goalkeeper Thora Helgadottir, who was playing for Iceland's national team in a World Cup qualifying loss to England.
Virginia won the Nike Tribe Invitational by beating George Mason and host William & Mary, claiming the crown on Noelle Keselica's OT goal. W&M held No. 18 Pepperdine to a 2-2 tie Friday; the unbeaten Waves handled George Mason, 3-0, on Sunday.
WIN-WIN: Fewer showdowns among the elite teams meant 18 of the Top 25 squads won both (or its only) games this week. Six teams — including five of the Top 9 — didn't give up a goal.
Ninth-ranked Notre Dame — missing injured defenders Vanessa Pruzinsky (ankle) and Gudrun Gunnarsdottir (foot) and defensive midfielder Ashley Dryer (ankle) — benefited most greatly from its defensive play, eking out 1-0 Big East Conference victories over visiting Rutgers and Seton Hall. Amy Warner's 101st-minute goal toppled Rutgers; Mary Boland's first-half header beat the Pirates.
No. 13 West Virginia and No. 14 Connecticut also swept their Big East matches. The Mountaineers ended Villanova's unbeaten campaign with a 1-0 win in Morgantown; UConn pulled out its showdown with Boston College, 2-1, in Storrs.
No. 3 Texas, No. 4 UCLA, No. 6 California, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 20 USC and No. 25 Denver also enjoyed perfect weeks.
OPENERS: Leah Gallegos netted a hat trick, the finale in overtime, to life Florida State past No. 17 Clemson, 4-3, in a wild ACC opener. No. 15 Wake Forest won its ACC opener, beating Maryland, 3-1, as Katherine Winstead scored twice.
No. 10 Penn State and No. 21 Michigan captured their Big Ten openers. The Nittany Lions won at Northwestern, 3-1. Michigan swept Iowa and Illinois.
IMPERFECT: No. 23 Auburn dropped its first game of the season in a UMass Classic opener. Melanie Kasparek scored goals less than six minutes apart to lift Rhode Island to a 2-1 victory. No. 19 Nebraska was held to a 1-1 tie by in-state rival Creighton.
How the Top 25 fared:
1. North Carolina (7-0-1)
9/20 vs. Marquette at Duke (4-1), 9/22 vs. Florida International at Duke (6-0)
2. Stanford (6-0-0)
9/20 vs. Oklahoma (4-0), 9/22 vs. Florida (4-0)
3. Texas (5-2-0)
9/20 vs. Vanderbilt (1-0), 9/22 vs. Rice (7-0)
4. UCLA (6-1-0)
9/20 at Fresno State (3-0), 9/22 vs. Cal State Northridge (4-0)
5. Portland (7-2-0)
9/20 vs. UC Irvine at Washington (2-0), 9/22 vs. Harvard at Washington (2-1)
6. California (5-1-1)
9/22 at Fresno State (4-1)
7. Santa Clara (4-2-1)
9/20 vs. Florida at Stanford (2-2), 9/22 vs. Oklahoma at Stanford (4-0)
8. Texas A&M (5-3-0)
9/20 vs. Florida Atlantic (4-0), 9/22 vs. Idaho State (6-0)
9. Notre Dame (6-2-0)
9/20 vs. Rutgers (1-0 OT), 9/22 vs. Seton Hall (1-0)
10. Penn State (5-1-1)
9/20 at Northwestern (3-1), 9/22 at James Madison (4-2)
11. Duke (5-3-0)
9/20 vs. Florida International (5-0), 9/22 vs. Marquette (1-2)
12. Tennessee (6-1-0)
9/20 vs. South Alabama (2-1)
13. West Virginia (7-1-0)
9/18 at Pittsburgh (4-2), 9/22 vs. Villanova (1-0)
14. Connecticut (7-1-1)
9/20 at Syracuse (3-0), 9/22 vs. Boston College (2-1)
15. Wake Forest (8-0-0)
9/20 vs. Maryland (3-1)
16. Virginia (4-2-1)
9/20 vs. George Mason at William & Mary (2-0), 9/22 at William & Mary (2-1 OT)
17. Clemson (4-4-0)
9/20 at Florida State (3-4 OT)
18. Pepperdine (6-0-2)
9/20 at William & Mary (2-2), 9/22 vs. George Mason at William & Mary (3-0)
19. Nebraska (4-2-2)
9/17 vs. Drake (4-0), 9/20 vs. Creighton (1-1), 9/22 vs. Indiana State (2-0)
20. USC (3-3-1)
9/21 vs. Brigham Young (1-0)
21. Michigan (7-1-0)
9/20 vs. Iowa (2-1), 9/22 vs. Illinois (4-1)
22. Washington (5-2-1)
9/20 vs. Harvard (3-1), 9/22 vs. UC Irvine (3-0)
23. Auburn (7-1-0)
9/20 vs. Rhode Island at Massachusetts (1-2), 9/22 at Massachusetts (6-2)
24. Florida (3-4-1)
9/20 vs. Santa Clara at Stanford (2-2), 9/22 at Stanford (0-4)
25. Denver (4-1-2)
9/20 vs. Maine at Colorado (2-0), 9/22 vs. Eastern Illinois at Colorado (4-3)