The weekend did not start off as badly as it ended for the USF women?s soccer team as the Bulls finished their first air trip of the year by losing 4-0 in Cincinnati Sunday, after opening with a 2-2 tie Friday in Chicago against DePaul.

The Bulls headed into Cincinnati Sunday to take on one of the top three teams in Conference USA according to preseason polls.

And the Bearcats proved why they were listed as one of the favorites, wasting no time as senior Leah Polaski scored her first goal of the 2001 campaign after 1 minute, 42 seconds.

The Bulls were able to hold off the Cincinnati attack until the 37th minute, when sophomore Kristina Wilson converted a perfectly executed corner kick by Rachel Lieberman. Wilson earned her first goal of the year.

The half ended with the Bearcats ahead 2-0, and they duplicated that score in the second half within a 23-second span through goals from senior Ann Thomas and sophomore Tasha Wagner. It was Thomas? team-leading third goal and Wagner?s first of the season.

?The kids want to win the conference and I think it?s a realistic goal,? said UC coach Meridy Glenn. ?I was happy that we played as strong today as we did on Friday (a 3-0 win over Southern Miss), but we had other players step in today.?

Friday?s match with the Blue Demons started off with a bang as both teams netted goals within the first two minutes of action.

Kelly Kammer put DePaul on top 1-0 with a goal 54 seconds into play as she came up with the ball on a scramble in front of the net and slid her shot past Bulls? goalie Breck Bankester.

However, 57 seconds later, Bulls? freshman forward Rachel Thjomoe was able to answer with a goal of her own.

The Blue Demons struck again in the second half with a goal from Ogonnaya Dotson-Newman in the 47th minute, but the Bulls were able to draw even in the 72nd minute when Jen Stahl tied the game at two.

Chris Lemke