Ah, yes, the college season has returned and so have we. If you’re a regular you know the drill; if not, catch up. This week we review some major comeback stories and key matchups from the opening weekend of college soccer.

Welcome back: The start of the 2011 season marked the return of some game-changing players who were beset by injuries in 2010. Atop the list are Florida State’s attacking combo of Jessica Price and Tiffany McCarty. The top two goal-scorers for the Seminoles in 2009, both players were forced to red-shirt last year after season-ending injuries. Well, so much for rust. Price scored the lone goal in her team’s 1-0 win over Oregon State on Friday – on a score set up by who else, but McCarty. McCarty followed up the effort with a goal scored in her team’s 2-1 loss to No. 6 Portland on Sunday.

Other notable returns to the field included Penn State defender Lexi Marton (missed most of last year with a torn MCL); Oklahoma State midfielder Annika Niemeier (red-shirted after torn ACL last year), and San Diego State midfielder Cat Walker (red-shirted because of torn ACL) who scored two goals during the weekend to earn Mountain West Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Belated debut: Kellie Welch is entering her third season at Washington yet she has yet to log one minute of regular season match action for the Huskies. That would be due to the fact that Welch has suffered a torn ACL on three occasions in the past few years. But the persevering midfielder has worked her way back and played for the Huskies during spring action. While she didn’t see time in Washington’s season-opener against BYU on Friday, just her being on the roster was proof enough that she’s one tough competitor.

Marquee Match: The first heavyweight bout of the season unfolded on Sunday when No. 6 Portland took down No. 8 Florida State 2-1. Two programs that should factor heavily in this year’s NCAA Tournament, the Pilots earned an early statement win on a couple of unanswered goals from Danielle Foxhoven.  

Salute the finish: Army pulled off a fantastic finish in their 1-0 win over Appalachian State on Sunday, converting a penalty kick in the 88th minute to earn the triumph. Sophomore Joey Molacek netted the score after Errin Helbling drew a foul in the box. The win helped the Black Knights rebound from their season-opening 2-0 loss to No. 11 Duke on Friday.

Record-tying performance: Adrianna Franch tied the Oklahoma State school record with her 21st career shutout on Friday in the Cowgirls’ 1-0 win over TCU. Franch has been arguably the top goalkeeper in the Big 12 since she stepped on the pitch as a freshman. Now just a junior, she seems destined to smash the Oklahoma State mark and set a new standard for goalkeeping at the program.  

Mouthwatering matchup: No. 2 Notre Dame is set to take on No. 4 North Carolina this Friday at the Carolina Nike Classic in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. As if this showdown needs any explaining whatsoever, let’s provide a little context: These two programs have more national titles than any other (with the Tar Heels responsible for the vast majority). The Fighting Irish knocked off North Carolina last season en route to their national championship. And if that isn’t good enough, both programs have a stable of impact freshmen ready to step onto the ultimate stage. This is a can’t-miss showdown.

Women’s Top 20 Action:

1. UCLA def. CSU Bakersfield 4-1; def. Cal State Northridge 2-0
2. Notre Dame def. Wisconsin 2-0
3. Stanford def. Penn State 4-0; def. Pacific 5-2
4. North Carolina def. Nebraska 2-1
5. Virginia def. West Virginia 2-1; def. Richmond 6-0
6. Portland def. Florida State 2-1
7. Boston College tied Boston University 1-1; def. Fairfield 1-0
8. Florida State def. Oregon State 1-0; lost to Portland 2-1
9. Maryland def. Minnesota 1-0; def. Loyola (MD) 9-0
10. Ohio State def. Xavier 1-0; def. Radford 4-0
11. Duke def. Army 2-0; def. South Carolina 2-0
12. Florida def. Miami (FL) 2-0; def. Florida International 2-0
13. Wake Forest def. Auburn 4-1; def. UCF 1-0
14. Georgetown def. George Washington 3-0; def. American 4-0
15. Marquette def. Western Michigan 1-0; def. Northwestern 1-0
16. Oklahoma State def. TCU 1-0; def. UAB 4-1
17. BYU tied Washington 2-2
18. Texas A&M def. Fresno State 4-2; lost to UC Irvine 1-0
19. Washington tied BYU 2-2
20. South Carolina def. East Carolina 4-0; lost to Duke 2-0