Sports
The Battalion
Page 1B • Thursday, November 7, 2002
Soccer team begins run in Big 12 Tournament
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By Troy Miller
THE BATTALION
, —™ The No. 3 Texas A&M women’s soc-
1 ' lt Tllmaulingaij certeam (15-3-1, 9-0-1) is looking to
ahomaSoonersfo defend its 2001 Tournament title and its
regular season championship this
week in San Antonio at the Big 12
Championship Tournament. The last
time the Aggies won a regular season
was in 1997, when they went on to
win their first-ever tournament crown.
The 2002 season has been full of ups
land downs. The Aggies have a 14-game
[unbeaten streak, which is a team record
for consecutive games without a loss.
The streak started after dropping three
matches in a row, which is the team
record for most consecutive losses.
With the Aggies 2-1 win against No.
5Texas Friday, giving them the regular
season title, the Aggies secured the first
end of the Big 12 Championship dou-
-dip. Now that the first goal has
been met, the Aggies are moving on to
the next step in their quest.
“We’re reassessing our goals for the
rest of the way,” said head coach G.
Guerrieri. “We consider (the Big 12
Tournament) to be a season unto itself.”
The Aggies enter the tournament as
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the number one seed by virtue of their
first place finish in the regular season.
They begin by facing off against the
eighth-seeded Oklahoma State Cowgirls
who are making their program’s first
Big 12 Tournament appearance.
The Cowgirls are coming off a 3-2
win against archrival Oklahoma. OSU
sophomore Jeni Jackson scored a hat
trick, or three goals, in the last six min
utes to overcome a 2-0 deficit and give
the Cowgirls their first Big 12
Tournament birth.
“(OSU) is going to be a hungry
team,” said Big 12 Offensive Player of
the Week Emma Smith. “It’s going to
be a good game for us to go in and play
first. It’ll be a good hard game.”
Smith has picked up her game as she
has scored six goals in the last six
games and is on a current six-game
point streak. Coupled with sophomore
Linsey Woodard, whose 13 goals lead
the Big 12, the Aggie offense is running
on all cylinders.
“(Our midfielders) have been unbe
lievable at getting behind people and
sending in crosses,” Smith said.
Freshman Kati Jo Spisak, the Big 12
Newcomer of the Week and First-Team
All-Big 12 selection, has continued to
improve her aggressiveness in the net.
Spisak made six saves against Texas,
including a save on a penalty shot.
The rest of the defense, anchored by
First-Team All-Big 12 selection Jessica
Martin, has forced opponents away
from their strategies.
“All over the field everybody,
throughout the season, has stepped up,”
said senior midfielder Heather
Ragsdale. “As a team we have started
to play a lot better overall.”
The competition in the Big 12
Tournament should be fierce. Texas,
the No. 2 seed, did not lose a game
until it faced the Aggies. No. 3
Nebraska won the Big 12 Tournament
in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000 and No.
4 Missouri has netted 13.9 percent of
its shots.
“We should be nothing but confi
dent,” Guerrieri said. “The players
should have experienced the satisfac
tion of what hard work brings, and
they’ve worked hard.”
The Aggies begin play at 11 a.m. on
Thursday against Oklahoma State at
Blossom Field in San Antonio. The
winner of that game will take on the
winner of Missouri vs. Colorado in
Friday’s semifinal.
JOHN C. LIVAS • THE BATTALION
A&M sophomore Linsey Woodard battles for the ball against Texas last week.
Texas baseball team given probation for coach’s violations
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that F ° rexarn P le ’ y° u might simply say, "I read an interesting article
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un der to have an abortion.
j * a ' so didn’t realize before how much they feel judged and con-
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it tT t0 COm P^ e ^ e the healing process. Did you know that on average
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P as t abortion?
8°od news is that there are a lot of new programs now to
Pwoiricn and men who are dealing with post-abortion problems,
for ^ S ^ ^° U ^ ave planted the seeds. Perhaps someone will ask
pub| T '° rC ' n * orrna D° n > in which case you can give them a copy of this
•cation or refer them to a post-abortion ministry in your area.
Us t rc member these three key words: understanding, compassion,
auu hope.
3T>e first step, expressing understanding, respects the mind,
e second step, expressing compassion, soothes the emotions.
e third step, offering hope, feeds the spirit,
sow i° U ^ n * our wor ld be a better place if everyone would begin to
e seeds ol understanding, compassion, and hope?
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oo r~ • ■
• Do listen patiently. They are trying to sort out their feelings.
Verbalizing them with someone who will listen helps. Expect and
allow them to repeat themselves ond to bring the subject up again
later. Listen for clues to their deeper feelings to which you can
respond later.
• Do reassure them that we all make mistakes, and all religions teach
that our mistakes/sins can be forgiven. God wants to forgive us. All
we have to do is to admit that we need and desire it.
• Do reassure them that their feelings are normal. Others have experi
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that they can be healed and reconciled with God and their child in
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• Do allow them to regret their choice. Remind them that we all learn
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Even a negative experience can be used to help others.
• Do encourage them to entrust their child completely to the care of
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porary. Someday they can be with their child in heaven, and they will
be able to ask for, ond receive, their child's forgiveness.
• Do give them o copy of this publication, on 800 number to a post
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hove if on bond, promise to get it to them within the week. Then
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• Do show that you care by keeping in touch and continuing to be a
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DON’T
• Don't shut them off by changing the subject.
Don't condemn them for making a bad or immoral choice.
Texas had done
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fron H USe ^ 0 °1- some extra copies of this publication to leave
0r wh SCfl ° o1 or at wor k* to place in the literature rack at your church.
If ^ ,ncoura S c your friends and family to read it.
win u i 18 Plication has opened your heart or mind in any way, it
Wl11 help others, too.
INS
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Ho
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* ND Healing
Don't deny thot they lost o child
• Don't encouroge them to blome others for the abortion.
But don't push them to forgive others either, especially
when they are in the initiol stages of venting their anqer
and rage.
Don't insist that they did the "right thing" or the "best
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■ Don't suggest thot having another child "someday" can
moke up for the one that was lost. Future children ore a
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who was lost.
Don't leave them without encouraging them, over and
over again, to find and accept the help of post-abortion
counselors or peer support groups.
Please Help To Spread Hope
This paid advertising insert has been brought to you by donors to the Elbot Institute’s
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Millions of people feel trapped by the secret grief of a past abortion. They need to discover that
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fterabortion.org