Los Angeles ? Any tears shed by Kansas University’s soccer players following Friday’s 1-0 season-ending loss to No. 2 UCLA were either non-existent or very well hidden.

The No. 16-ranked Jayhawks (18-6-1) had few reasons to sob, junior goalkeeper Meghan Miller said. They won more games, earned a higher national ranking and had a higher Big 12 Conference finish (third) than any team in KU history.

Also, no Kansas team ever had won a postseason game, let alone gone three rounds deep in the NCAA Tournament or come so close to the Elite Eight.

Not a bad run for a team that loses just one everyday starter — senior defender Maggie Mason — and will return two First Team All-Big 12 selections and six freshmen who saw playing time in the Sweet 16.

“It’s the most fun I’ve ever had as a soccer player,” Miller said. “I never would’ve dreamed that I’d be playing in the Sweet 16.

“There weren’t many tears, and there’s nothing to be sad about here. We battled our butts off all the games that we’ve played this year, and I think that’s why you don’t see us crying so hard.”

Few gave Kansas a chance at the beginning of the season –the Jayhawks were picked to finish seventh in the Big 12 Conference in the preseason coaches poll.

“I told the girls at the end, ‘You guys have raised the bar for our program,'” fifth-year coach Mark Francis said. “We graduate four players and have three very good players coming in next year.

“Next year’s team could be better than this year’s team, so I think the future looks pretty good.”

KU’s talent carried it a long way, but the loss to UCLA (19-1-3) exposed the fact the Jayhawks will need to get stronger if they want to take the next step in 2004. Regardless, there won’t be any sulking when they look back on their accomplishments.

“There’s a lot of teams that have been done two or three weeks now, and tonight’s our last night,” sophomore forward Caroline Smith said following the loss to UCLA, “but when you think of how many teams make it this far, there’s only 16 in the country, and that’s not very many.”