Remember Elizabeth Lambert? Better question: will you ever forget Elizabeth Lambert?

Well, 2.2 million YouTube views (random estimate) and a two-game suspension later, and Lambert was reinstated last Tuesday clearing the way for her return to the field.

Lobos head coach Kit Vela held a brief meeting with a select group of reporters and talked about turning the page, and that was that.

While eligible to play Friday against Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Lambert sat the pine but logged her first 12 minutes of the new season in a 1-0 overtime victory over Marquette on Sunday.  

She has switched her number from 15 to 19 this season, possibly symbolic of a new beginning.

Marquee Match: The sequel of last season’s women’s national championship game took place Friday when North Carolina and Stanford battled to a 2-2 draw.

Trying to earn a measure of revenge for their loss in the final, the Cardinal twice went ahead on goals by Christen Press and Teresa Noyola, but the Tar Heels answered each time with scores from freshman Kealia Ohai and sophomore Amber Brooks.

Rumor has it, that the programs so thoroughly enjoyed their reprised match that they may just do it again in November.

Beat down of the Week: A moment of silence please for Cal Poly’s defense which gave up a touchdown to UCLA in a 7-0 loss Aug 22. The Bruins’ Sydney Leroux had little shame in scoring four goals in the game. That’s just cold.

Working Overtime: The Virginia women logged some serious minutes this weekend. First, they went the two-overtime distance in a draw with Penn State on Friday and then needed two additional overtimes to outlast Connecticut 1-0 on Sunday. Think coach Steve Swanson will give the team the week off from practice? Me neither.

Free Falling: IUPUI(w) (which is short for Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, just in case you were interested) began our rankings at No. 55 but has started the season a dreadful 0-3 while being outscored 8-0. Their staying power on our rankings does not look good.

Fashionably Late: The Ivy League might be the standard for academic excellence, but when it comes to getting their women’s soccer season up and going they’re a little – dare we say – slow.  Harvard, No. 45 in our rankings, finally gets under way Friday and the rest of the esteemed league also starts this week – well behind the majority of the country.

On tap: Speaking of arrivals, the men get the party started this week and officially begin their season. The matchup of the week is No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 2 Akron. Can’t get any better than that.

Women’s Top 20 Action

1. North Carolina tied Stanford 2-2; def. Missouri 6-1
2. Stanford tied North Carolina 2-2; def. Duke 2-1
3. Notre Dame was idle
4. Boston College def. Hofstra 5-0; def. Central Connecticut State(w) 3-0
5. Florida State def. Stetson 6-0
6. Portland def. SMU 2-0; def. Oklahoma State 1-0
7. Texas A&M(w) def. Virginia Tech 5-3; def. Washington State 1-0
8. UCLA def. Wisconsin 1-0; lost to Northwestern 1-0
9. Virginia tied Penn State 1-1; def. Connecticut 1-0 (2OT)
10. Santa Clara tied California 0-0
11. Maryland def. Tennessee 3-1; def. Kennesaw State 4-0
12. Florida def. Florida Atlantic 3-0; def. San Diego State 1-0
13. Duke def. Missouri 3-1; lost to Stanford 2-1
14. Wake Forest lost to UNC Greensboro 2-1; def. East Carolina 2-1
15. Virginia Tech lost to Texas A&M(w); lost to Long Beach State 2-1
16. South Carolina lost to Louisville 1-0; def. Ohio(w) 2-0
17. Oregon State was idle
18. USC def. TCU 1-0; tied Texas 1-1
19. Penn State tied Virginia 1-1; lost to William & Mary(w) 2-1
20. Oklahoma State def. Oregon 1-0 (2OT); lost to Portland 1-0