The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, November 18, 2002, Image 7

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Sports
The Battalion
Page 7 • Monday, November 18, 2002
occer team advances in thriller over SMU
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JOHN C. I.IVAS • THE BATTALION
b captain Andrea Sams celebrates after kicking the game winning goal
Ithe final penalty kick against SMU in Sunday’s second round action.
By Troy Miller
THE BATTALION
Aggie freshman goal keeper Kati Jo
Spisak came up big, saving three penalty
kicks to lift Texas A&M to the NCAA Sweet
Sixteen for the fourth consecutive season.
After battling to a 1-1 tie after two over
time periods with Southern Methodist
University, Spisak saved three consecutive
penalty kicks to give the Aggies a 3-2 edge.
“I was just thinking that if I save one, we’ll
win,” Spisak said. “I ended up saving three.”
A&M head coach G. Guerrieri could not
say enough about the outstanding efforts of
his freshman keeper.
“For Kati Jo Spisak to save three penalty
kicks is almost unheard of at this level of
play,” Guerrieri said. “She’s a clutch kid. As
an old goalkeeper and as someone who has
been recruiting goalkeepers all the time, as
I’ve gone around the country one of the things
that really stood out to me about Kati Jo is that
she is brilliant at penalty kicks.”
Laura Probst and Becky Olson, both fresh
men as well, stepped up to keep the Aggie
hopes alive after A&M had its first two penal
ty shots blocked.
Probst and Olson buried their shots
while Spisak denied the Mustangs. With the
penalty kicks tied 2-2, senior captain
Andrea Starns buried the shot to give the
Aggies the win.
“I’m very mentally focused,” Starns said.
“I eat that kind of stuff up. (Guerrieri) asked
who could take a PK and I said I would, and
he said ‘you ok with being fifth?’ and I said
bring it on.”
The first 80 minutes of the match were a
stalemate as both teams were fighting through
a 0-0 draw. The Aggie offense posed prob
lems for SMU, but could not find the net.
Play increased physically as Aggie sopho
more Amanda Burke and senior Juli Coin
were helped off the field with injuries. Junior
Martha Moore also left after being shaken up
in the 77th minute.
Then the game turned interesting as the
Aggies scored the first goal of the match in
the 83rd minute.
Starns fed sophomore Emma Smith on the
right flank. Smith crossed to a wide-open
Ragsdale who was perched eight yards in front
of the goal. Ragsdale’s header hit the crossbar,
then bounced down across the goal line.
Four minutes later. Mustang sophomore
Jill Heinemann shot from 20 yards out.
The shot hit the crossbar and bounced in
front of Spisak.
“You don’t see that happen usually more
than two times a year,” Guerrieri said. “They
happened twice in the same 45 minutes.”
The game went into overtime and both
teams played a scoreless twenty minutes
before going to the penalty kick shootout.
“I don’t think anyone has ever come in the
same weekend and beat Texas and Texas
A&M,” said SMU head coach George Van
Linder whose team advanced to the second
round by beating No. 8 UT 2-1. “It was a
tough bracket.”
This is third straight overtime game
between A&M and SMU. A&M won the pre
vious two matches, 2-1.
The Aggies will now travel to Los Angeles
to play the seventh-seeded UCLA Bruins,
who beat Southern California 1-0 in double
overtime to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
Slocum deserves blame for Aggies 5 flat start, loss to Missouri
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■The 2002 Texas A&M football
son has seen everything impossi-
l| finding a way to become reality.
A week after beating the No. 1
im in the nation for the first time
in school history, the Aggies
pped their fourth home game of
the season to a 4-6 team and every
one who still considers themselves
an Aggie fan should still be won-
pring what actually happened.
I For his part, head coach R.C.
Slocum said everyone could
C’draw their own conclusions” as
to what happened.
[ So, here are my conclusions.
|| The Aggies came out flat
against Missouri because they
believed after beating Oklahoma
they would easily be able to domi
nate a Missouri team that had only
recorded one Big 12 victory, which
came over lowly Kansas.
For what it matters, wide
receivers Greg Porter, Bethel
Johnson and linebacker Brian
Gamble all seemed to agree.
“We weren’t ready to play like
we should have been,” Porter said.
“I think we were a little dead.”
But, of course, Slocum didn’t
think that was the problem at all.
That would make sense because
it is his job to motivate the team.
Nobody who watched any of the
first half of Saturday’s game could
say with a straight face that the
Aggies were motivated.
If the football team and Slocum
can’t get up for a game where
nearly 80,000 fans are cheering for
them, there seems to be a problem
at the top.
Whatever happens in Austin
(and the way this season has been,
there’s no telling what will hap
pen), should not have any impact
on R.C. staying at A&M.
He has failed the team, the
fans and the school and it is time
for a change.
Losing four games at Kyle
Field, which used to be one of the
most challenging venues for an
opposing team to come to, is
absurd and unacceptable.
With Mack Brown in Texas
and Bob Stoops in Oklahoma try
ing to recruit the same players as
A&M, a 7-5 or 6-6 season will
destroy A&M’s hopes of compet
ing for serious players.
A change must be made and a
real coach must take over the reins
and keep A&M from becoming
another Baylor or Kansas.
Slocum has always said that
half the teams in the nation lose
every week.
Sorry coach, but A&M should
not be in that half of the teams.
This school and its fans have
given exceptional support for your
program, and it seems to be a poor
investment from where I sit.
When a company fails to get a
return on investments, the heat
falls on the CEO. Slocum is the
leader of this football program and
is without a doubt failing to return
on all of our investments.
As Gamble said following
Saturday’s game, “It’s been a frus
trating and wacky year.”
Yes it has and hopefully Gates
and his new athletic director will
make a change to get this team
back on track and make it a
national power once again.
ALISSA HOLLIMON • THE BATTALION
A&M head coach R.C. Slocum reacts to questions after the game.
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Fitness & Classes
1 American Aerobic Association International (AAAI)
Yoga Instructor Certification November 23—24 at the Rec
Center. $125 For more information, please contact DeAun
Woosley at 862-3995 or the national line at 609-397-7683.
* MASSAGE THERAPY AT THE REC CENTER—Spend an
hour in total relaxation with a Rec Center Massage Therapist.
Massages are performed by licensed therapists at unbeatable
prices. Sian up at Member Services to make an a PP 0 ' n ^ n [j’® n |/
* DON'T LET THOSE HOLIDAY POUNDS SNEAK UP ON
YOU! Stay in shape with the motivaton of a Personal Trainer. On
your own or with a friend, ifs the best way to stay fit and trim. Visit
the Member Services Desk for more information.
1 DO YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING EARLY—Buy Rec Sports
Gift Certificates. Available for massage, personal training, group
aerobics, climbing/equipment and outdoor trips. Get yours today
at the Member Services Desk.
k THANKSGIVING FITNESS CLASS SCHEDULE:
Wed, Nov. 27 Cardio Party in 301 last class® 1:45 p.m.
Sat, Nov. 30 FREE Cardio Party in 301 1 2:00 p.m.
NO classes Thursday or Friday!!
Sunday, Dec. 1, Classes resume as normal
A Great Deal @ the Golf Course
It's a great time to play! So many changes are under
way at your A&M Golf course-paved cart paths, ful practice
facilities, improved course conditions. Student and twilight rates
available, along with a full line of golfing apparel in the Pro
Shop. OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. Call 845-1 723 for tee times.
Intramurals
Intramural participants please remember that registration ends at
6:00 p.m. Please visit the Member Services Desk to sign up for your
favorite Intramural sport.
Program Registration Price
College Football Bowl Challenge Dec. 9—17 FREE
Walk of Champions
Aggies get your discounted Walk of Champions brick for $100
before you leave Aggieland. For more information on ordering
your personalized brick, visit our web site at http://recsports.
tamu.edu. Order forms are available. The holidays are coming
fast-Walk of Champions bricks make fantastic gifts.
Join us in the Great Outdoors
Program Registration Event Dat<
Bouldering Extravaganza Nov. 4-Dec. 7 Dec. 7
• One-day bouldering competition for local fanatics. Don't miss
out on tne fun! $10 guarantees your spot in the competition, an
event t-shirt and your name in the drawing for door prizes.
• Rec Center Rock Wall—Now is the time to renew your Rock
Wall pass. Classes are held at 3:00 p.m. and at 7:00 p.m.
Monday-Thursday and at 3:00 p.m. on Friday for only $5.
Sports Club Events
► W. Soccer, Nationals, Nov. 20—23, TBA @ Bakersfield, CA
•M. Soccer, Nationals, Nov. 20—23, TBA @ Bakersfield, CA
>Handball, Aggieland Classic, Nov. 22—23, all day @ Read
»M. Rugby vs. Rice, Nov. 23 @ Rugby Pitch
*W. Volleyball, Texas A&M Classic, Nov. 23, all day @ Read
* Sailing, Aggie Fall Regatta, Nov. 23, all day @ Lake Bryan
reesports. te/n//. e/fu
Student Rec Center etc,
Division of Student Affairs Information Center—Located
in the lobby of the Student Rec Center, visitors can obtain infor
mation about the departments within the Division. Brochures are
available. The Information Center hours are Sun.-Thurs.,
3:00—9:00p.m. & Friday, 3:00—7:00p.m.
JOIN THE STUDENT REC CENTER STAFF—Now accept
ing applications for facility receptionists/attendants. Apply in
Office 202 of the Rec Center. Interviews will take place
Dec.2—Dec 4.
Rec Sports Medics—Medics needed to work the Depart
ment's facilities. Apply in room 158 or call 862-4145 for infor
mation.
THANKSGIVING HOURS
Rec Center
Read
Nov. 26
6:00a.m.-midnight
closed
Nov. 27
6:00a.m.-9:00p.m.
closed
Nov. 28
closed
closed
Nov. 29
3:00p.m.—8:00p.m.
closed
Nov. 30
noon—9:00p.m.
closed
Dec. 1
noon—midnight
closed