Issue date: 10/15/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Spencer Selvidge Dianna Pfenninger, goalkeeper for The University of Texas, pleads with the referee about the call made following her collision with Aggie forward Melissa Garey. [Click to enlarge]

When it comes to sports fans, Texas A&M and Texas are considered by many to be among the best schools in the nation. The Lone Star Showdown in soccer Friday was an occasion for both groups of fans to showcase their passion and intensity for the rivalry. A&M won the game 2-0 on the field, but there was also a game in the stands, where fans tried to keep up with the pace of the game.

The No. 5 Aggies did not waste time jumping ahead of the No. 4 Longhorns. Six minutes into the game, A&M senior midfielder Amy Berend scored the first goal of the game. There was a pulse of energy from the 5,500 fans at the Aggie Stadium.

Aggie fans dominated the stadium, and it showed after every close call. A&M midfielder Allison Martino was given a red card, meaning ejection from the game, at 32 minutes. The call drew the ire of the A&M fans, but a replay showed that Martino elbowed a Texas player.

"I think a couple of the calls are questionable, but we've been playing really well," said A&M junior history major Joel Pettigrew.

Reese Ochoa, an undeclared sophomore at Texas, made the trip to College Station to see the match. Ochoa, like many Texas fans, was visiting friends who attend A&M.

"A&M is actually pretty impressive," Ochoa said. "I didn't think they would be this good."

Some fans have turned cheering into a science. A&M sophomore general studies major Matt Weaver does some research before every game.

Continued...

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