After two straight seasons of carrying a No. 1 ranking into the national championship game only to lose, it didn’t take long for the Stanford women’s soccer team to regain its familiar position at the top of the pack. Just seven games into the 2011 season, the Cardinal (6-0-1) is atop the national voting with a whopping 824 points.

The ranking is no doubt encouraging, but Stanford fans know all too well that it’s only a number. Head coach Paul Ratcliffe is concerned with his team proving itself on the pitch, something the otherwise stellar squad has failed to do when it really counted in recent years.

“I honestly don’t really look at it until the end,” Ratcliffe said of the ranking. “That’s where it counts, where you get seeded for the playoffs. That’s the only significance for me.”

Stanford lost in the NCAA College Cup by 1-0 scores to both North Carolina in 2009 and Notre Dame in 2010. But the team can take a bit of solace, perhaps, from its come-from-behind victory over the No. 12 Fighting Irish (3-3-1) in the Stanford Nike Invitational over the weekend of Sept. 9. The 2-1 thriller, along with a 2-0 win over No. 15 UC-Irvine two days later, sealed the tournament for the host Cardinal. Then-No.1 North Carolina (5-1) did its part to make it Stanford’s lucky day as well, collapsing against unranked Texas A&M after holding a 3-1 advantage. That knocked the Tar Heels down to No. 7 and made Stanford the obvious choice for the top spot.

“It’s a reward for our consistency, that we’re winning a high percentage of our games,” Ratcliffe said. “Because at the end of the day, it can change next week you lose one and someone else wins a big game. It just shows that we’re consistent over a stretch of time. That’s where it’s rewarding.”

If the team’s nonconference season was any indication, Ratcliffe has plenty to be happy about. Apart from a scoreless draw against then-No. 5 Maryland, Stanford won its first seven matches by three or more goals, outscored its opponents 23-4 and outshot them 71-33. Senior forward Lindsay Taylor, a former Pac-10 Freshman of the Year who has battled various ailments for the last two seasons, is leading the offense with six goals and 34 shots.

Younger, less experienced players are making an impact as well. The Cardinal’s starting 11 have a new look this year, most notably in the form of standout freshman Chimoa Ubogagu. The rookie forward hasn’t missed a start so far, posting four goals and as many assists in her first seven games. Sophomore Sydney Payne, after just four starts last season, has opened every game alongside Ubogagu and Taylor this season and is fifth on the team in points with five. On defense, junior Madeleine Thompson has already started six games matching her total from 2010 and knocked in her first collegiate goal against Northwestern on Sept. 4.

Rounding out the Cardinal’s fresh blood are rookie forward Alex Doll (seven games played, one assist), rookie midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta (six games played, no points) and redshirt freshman defender Kendall Romine (six starts, no points). In all, 15 different players posted a goal or an assist over the team’s first seven matches.

The Cardinal might owe even more to its young players than expected this season, as junior central defender Courtney Verloo was sidelined after tearing a meniscus in her left knee before the season opener. The converted forward was invaluable to Stanford’s run at the College Cup last season, starting 24 games and battling for important opportunities that can’t be reflected on a stat sheet.

Looking ahead, Stanford turns its attention to a newly elongated conference season. The transition to the Pac-12 introduces Utah and Colorado to Stanford’s run of annual opponents, a pair of matchups that will begin in the Cardinal’s newly renovated stadium this October. The team to beat in the Pac-12 this season is perennial powerhouse UCLA, ranked at No. 4 after matching Stanford with a 6-0-1 record to open the season. Rival Cal (6-1-0) snuck into the rankings last week as well, at No. 22.

First up, though, is the conference opener against Arizona, a team the Cardinal defeated 3-0 on the road last season. Stanford hosts the Wildcats in a one-game weekend this Saturday, kicking off at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium at 7 p.m.