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Dianna Pfenninger, goalkeeper for The University of Texas, pleads with the referee about the call made following her collision with Aggie forward Melissa Garey.

Rivalry weekend | A&M soccer prevails over UT

By: Daniel Magallanes

Posted: 10/15/07

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.

"I usually get the names and a couple of stats and I usually get stuff like No. 11 (Texas, Nikki Arlitt) is afraid of clowns," Weaver said. "We are trying to get an organization together, it's called Aggie Arsenal."

In the first half when Texas was attacking, Weaver and other students performed circus music.

A&M senior forward Ashlee Pistorius scored on a penalty kick at 72 minutes to become the career Big 12 leader in goals with 70.

The support showed by the fans did not go unnoticed by the players.

"It's unreal," said A&M sophomore goalkeeper Kristin Arnold. "There is not another college place that is like this. The 12th Man is amazing, and the tradition, and they are just always out here to support us and we love them, [they are] the best crowd in the nation."

Texas Head Coach Chris Petrucelli said that his team enjoys playing in front of a crowd like the one on Friday night.

"It's a place our kids enjoy coming to and playing at," Petrucelli said. "It's loud and the people are passionate."