Oct. 31, 2002

EVANSTON, Ill. - With a Big Ten Tournament berth out of the question and a .500 record an impossibility, the prospect of hanging heads and melancholy would not be hard to imagine as the women's soccer team takes to the road this weekend for matches at Wyoming (Friday) and Colorado College (Sunday).

Instead, as the team gathered at Patten Gym to board the bus for O'Hare Airport, laughter and shrieks of delight filled the air: the Wildcats had used the Halloween Day departure as an opportunity for a costume party.

No doubt heads will be turning the rest of the day.

"The women have had a great attitude all week in practice," said head coach Jenny Haigh, who with her assistants Jennie Altherr and Chuck Codd remained costume-free. "Obviously we'd love to be playing beyond this weekend, but we've come to terms with the situation and we're looking to end the season on an up note."

The possibility is certainly there. The Cowgirls of Wyoming hold a 4-11-1 record entering the weekend, while Colorado College -- a perennial NCAA Tournament team not too long ago -- are right at .500 (7-7-1).

However, don't for a second think the Wildcats (4-8-4) have a free pass.

"We see this as a chance to end with a couple of wins," said Haigh. "But I'm sure those teams are looking at our record and seeing the same thing. So I expect both of our games to be pretty tough. They're looking for the same thing we are -- a win to close the season."

With such a young team, Haigh expects to use this weekend as the first step in beginning preparations for the 2003 campaign.

"Definitely, that is one thing we're thinking about," she said. "We have a lot of players who will be back next year, and we want them to come back looking ahead to next season. If we can end this season with a positive feeling, that will make it a little easier to build their excitement."

Friday's match will begin at 3 p.m. in Laramie, while Sunday's match in Colorado Springs takes place at noon.