It will be a battle of strengths.

The No. 18 Michigan women's soccer team had a successful opening weekend of play, winning two games, including a shut-out victory over No. 13 Florida. But it may not have run so smoothly if it were not for the heroics of freshman forward Therese Heaton, who scored the Wolverines' (2-0) only two goals.

The Penn State football team was not the only team on campus to play its home opener on the East Side this weekend. The women's soccer team opened its 2002 campaign on Sunday afternoon against the University of Pittsburgh at Jeffrey Field.

The game plan heading into a game against the Penn State women's soccer team for every opponent is to attempt to contain Christie Welsh and shut down Heidi Drummond.

Entering the season opener, the Penn State women's soccer team will have one thing in common with its opponent, Pittsburgh.

In a season that starts by taking them to the West Coast and a Big Ten schedule that fills the middle with a healthy dose of the midwest region, the members of the Penn State women's soccer team are hoping that the 2002 season culminates in the south with the College Cup in Austin, Texas.

Any thoroughbred racehorse or Olympic runner knows that conditioning is the key to being successful.