KEVIN KLAUS/Arizona Daily Wildcat Redshirt freshman Kelly Nelson and freshman Erin Clewett celebrate after taking a 1-0 lead against Cal Poly on Sunday. Nelson's goal was the only score the Wildcats would need to earn UA's second straight shutout victory of the weekend.

Go ahead and pick your jaw off of the ground because, yes, these women are more than they appear to be.

The 2002 UA women's soccer team has opened its season with a statement, taking the Wildcat Invitational title with a 1-0 win against visiting Cal Poly on Sunday and a 2-0 win against Drake on Friday.

Despite being out-shot 17-7 in Sunday's game, the Wildcats put the ball where it needed to be ÷ in the back of the net.

The only goal UA needed came in the 69th minute when redshirt freshman Kelly Nelson put the ball past the Mustang keeper off a pass from freshman Erin Clewett.

"I played it to her," said Nelson. "Then she found me on a layoff and it went in, 1-0 us. This is the best we've ever played."

Cal Poly has won its division two of the past three years while Arizona is 8-27-3 in the last two years.

The Arizona defense was truly tested in the second half when the Mustang offense took over, out-shooting a lackadaisical Arizona attack, 11-3. Freshman goalkeeper Amanda Martin managed to preserve her second shutout in as many games behind a dominating defense.

"The energy out there was amazing," Martin said. "We figured out how to keep them out; my defense is amazing."

Martin is the first UA goalie since 1999 to log more than one shutout in a season.

The defense, led by senior Tymarie Novak and anchored by sophomores Lindsey Peeples and Vanesha Bailey and freshman Althea Jones, never gave Cal Poly much room to work with. Many of the Mustang shots were not scoring opportunities.

Although the Wildcats were out-shot, more of their chances checked the Mustang defense. Senior Naomi Chu and freshman Mallory Miller each tallied two shots on goal.

"We played with pride and that's what we really needed," said Chu. "We changed it up, then we put it on them."

Miller said she feels that there is more to come.

"We played really well but we have room to improve," she said.

Head coach Cathy Klein was just as thrilled after her team beat up on Drake on Friday night.

"We're excited with the potential that we have, based on fresh young players," she said.

Friday against Drake was the first time Arizona has taken the field since an exhibition game versus UTEP, in which the Wildcats fell 6-2.

"They worked as hard as anyone ever has off the field," said Klein. "We made adjustments from what happened to us in the UTEP game."

It showed, as the Wildcats subjected the first-time Bulldogs to an introduction to the world of college soccer with a 2-0 victory.

Novak opened the Wildcat scoring in the 43rd minute with a boot from 25 yards out as she caught the Drake keeper out of position and sent a curveball into the top corner of the net.

"I saw that the keeper was out," Novak said. "It was very fortunate."

Freshman Lisa Kosena added a goal in the 52nd minute.

Kosena went to ground as she kicked the ball off the Bulldog keeper's hand and into the corner of the goal.

"I got it and it went in," Kosena said. "That's all that counts."

Arizona out-shot the Bulldogs 20-7.

The Wildcats are on the road next week competing in the Iowa State Cyclone Classic where they will face Wisconsin on Friday and Northern Iowa on Sunday.