OPENING NIGHTMARE: A strange first day to the college season saw the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 teams fail to win. Top-ranked North Carolina needed a 73rd-minute Alyssa Ramsey goal to gain a 1-1 tie at No. 11 Nebraska on Friday. No. 2 Portland was upset at BYU, 2-1, on two Jeni Willardson-Viernes strikes, the winner in the 87th minute. No. 3 Santa Clara celebrated its 2001 title, then was routed by No. 7 Stanford, 3-0.

Portland followed with a 2-0 loss Sunday at Utah, with former Santa Clara associate coach Rich Manning winning in his Utes debut. Carolina beat USC, 2-0, on Sunday.

The Tar Heels, Pilots and Broncos all were missing key players at the FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship in Canada. In addition, North Carolina's and Santa Clara's first foes were coming off extended preseasons and training treks to Europe.

Throw in No. 23 Florida's 0-2 start, with losses at Michigan and Cincinnati, and the 2001 College Cup final-four field was 1-5-1 the opening weekend.

ROMPS: No. 4 Virginia, No. 6 Penn State, No. 9 UCLA and No. 12 Washington romped to wins on opening weekend.

Penn State's Christie Welsh became the 32nd player in the NCAA Division 1 40-40 (goals-assists) club in a 7-2 rout of Pitt on Sunday. Mexican national-teamer Iris Mora scored twice, in 24 minutes of play, in her UCLA debut, a 6-0 destruction of San Diego.

IMPORTANT WINS: No. 8 Notre Dame opened its season with a pair of Big East Conference victories. The Fighting Irish topped host Providence, 3-0, on Friday and beat up on visiting Virginia Tech, 5-0, Sunday with Amy Warner, Randy Scheller and Mary Boland scoring in both matches.

EVEN: Jenna Ainsworth answered Elizabeth Bogus' goal to give No. 20 Pepperdine a 1-1 tie at No. 22 Arizona State in 100-degree heat. The Waves and Sun Devils won their second games.

RISING DEVILS: Casey McCluskey's golden goal carried No. 21 Duke past No. 15 Tennessee, 2-1, on Friday. The Blue Devils ended Tennessee's season on penalty kicks in an NCAA tournament opener last fall. Duke fell at No. 5 Texas, 2-1, on Sunday as Kati McBain scored one goal and assisted on another.

TWO AND OUT: The Longhorns (over New Mexico and Duke) and No. 10 Texas A (over Rice and SMU) captured two home victories before heading west for showdowns with Stanford and No. 14 California this weekend. A needed Kristen Strutz's overtime goal to beat SMU.

Cal was impressive in shutout triumphs over Ohio State and Purdue but lost its best defender, senior Kim Stocklmeir, with a broken collarbone late in the opener. She may be finished for the season.

No. 16 Clemson edged Georgia, 3-2, on Sarah Turner's OT goal, then beat Wofford, 2-0. Midfielder Sarah Popper was the tournament MVP as No. 19 Connecticut won its adidas Classic with wins over Hartford and Maryland.

EARLY STRUGGLES: No. 17 West Virginia dropped its opener at Auburn, and No. 18 St. Mary's looked disconnected as it fell to Purdue in the opener at the California Invitational in Berkeley. No. 13 Florida State got off 23 shots against Oregon State but settled for a 0-0 tie. No. 24 Rutgers also went 0-0 in its first game, falling on penalty kicks to James Madison in a Wanchovia Challenge semifinal in Richmond, Va.

How the Top 25 fared:

1. North Carolina (1-0-1)
8/30 at Nebraska (1-1); 9/1 vs. USC at Nebraska (2-0)

2. Portland (0-2-0)
8/30 at BYU (1-2); 9/1 at Utah (0-2)

3. Santa Clara (0-1-0)
8/30 vs. Stanford (0-3)

4. Virginia (1-0-0)
8/31 vs. St. Joseph's (7-0)

5. Texas (2-0-0)
8/30 vs. New Mexico (4-0); 9/1 vs. Duke (2-1)

6. Penn State (1-0-0)
9/1 vs. Pittsburgh (7-2)

7. Stanford (1-0-0)
8/30 at Santa Clara (3-0)

8. Notre Dame (2-0-0)
8/30 at Providence (3-0); 9/1 vs. Virginia Tech (5-0)

9. UCLA (1-0-0)
8/30 vs. San Diego (6-0)

10. Texas A (2-0-0)
8/30 vs. Rice (4-1); 9/1 vs. SMU (2-1)

11. Nebraska (1-0-1)
8/30 vs. North Carolina (1-1); 9/1 vs. Wisconsin (1-0)

12. Washington (2-0-0)
8/30 vs. Arkansas (4-1); 9/1 vs. Colorado College (5-0)

13. Florida State (1-0-1)
8/30 vs. Oregon State (0-0); 9/1 vs. Oregon (2-1)

14. California (2-0-0)
8/30 vs. Ohio State (2-0); 9/1 vs. Purdue (2-0)

15. Tennessee (1-1-0)
8/30 at Duke (1-2 OT); 9/1 vs. North Carolina State at SAS Stadium, Cary, N.C. (2-1)

16. Clemson (1-0-0)
8/30 at Georgia (3-2 OT); 9/2 Wofford (2-0)

17. West Virginia (1-1-0)
8/30 at Auburn (0-2); 9/1 vs. Jacksonville State at Auburn (5-0)

18. St. Mary's (1-1-0)
8/30 vs. Purdue at California (0-1); 9/1 vs. Ohio State at California (3-1)

19. Connecticut (2-0-0)
8/30 vs. Hartford (3-2); 9/1 vs. Maryland (3-1)

20. Pepperdine (1-0-1)
8/30 at Arizona State (1-1); 9/1 vs. Long Beach State (4-1)

21. Duke (1-1-0)
8/30 vs. Tennessee (2-1 OT); 9/1 at Texas (1-2)

22. Arizona State (1-0-1)
8/30 vs. Pepperdine (1-1); 9/1 at New Mexico (2-1)

23. Florida (0-2-0)
8/30 at Michigan (0-2); 9/1 at Cincinnati (1-2)

24. Rutgers (1-0-1)
8/30 vs. James Madison at Richmond (0-0); 9/1 vs. American at Richmond (4-1)

25. Penn (0-0-0)
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