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A spirit that is not afraid

Fans squeeze in the soccer complex

Fans cheer on the Auburn soccer team Friday night at the "Cram the Complex" event. The team beat Florida State 3-2 in double overtime. The team plays in Los Angeles tomorrow. (Emily Adams / PHOTO EDITOR)
Fans cheer on the Auburn soccer team Friday night at the "Cram the Complex" event. The team beat Florida State 3-2 in double overtime. The team plays in Los Angeles tomorrow. (Emily Adams / PHOTO EDITOR)

Hundreds of soccer fans began to "cram the complex" for the game against the Florida State Seminoles 6 p.m. Friday, reserving seats and sporting free promotional Auburn hats.

Parents, children and students dressed up in their favorite Auburn wear.

Coach Karen Hoppa said she hoped the event would draw a huge crowd to cheer the team on to victory.

"The fans were lining the fence, and they were cheering the whole time, and they encouraged us when there was a lull in the game," said Katy Frierson, junior midfielder.

There was also a group of six students who painted their bodies and dressed up for the game.

One man sported a Mohawk, and six friends had A-U-B-U-R-N spelled out on their stomachs in alternating orange and blue.

Drew Robertson, senior in industrial and systems engineering, said it took the group 45 minutes to get ready for the game.

"We were so excited," Robertson said. "There wasn't even a place for six of us to sit together in the stands. It was packed out--crammed, so to speak."

The lettered friends ended up lining the fence.

Robertson said he likes to support the girls' teams because they don't get enough credit for the amount of work they do.

"Just to look over in the crowd and see so much orange and blue and so many faces was really encouraging for us," Frierson said.

Before the start of the game, members of the Auburn soccer team stormed the stands.

They threw fans miniature white soccer balls with an Auburn logo and the individual's name and jersey number.

Children wrestled for the souvenirs.

"I think all the fans and players were really excited," said Sam Linhart, sophomore in exercise science. "Everyone was a lot louder and more interested in the game."

At halftime, Aubie danced his way through the stands.

The mascot took pictures with families and fans went out of their way to visit with him.

"It's great when we have fans," Frierson said. "It really just makes the game so much more fun, and it creates a different atmosphere, and it makes us play to reach the next level, and we hope they enjoyed it and that they will come back out."

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The "Cram the Complex" event was organized by the soccer team's marketing department.

"It was a great crowd, and it absolutely made a difference, and what a performance, and what a show the girls put on for that fantastic crowd," Hoppa said. "It made a huge difference for us."

The soccer team defeated Florida State University 3-2 in double overtime.

The game marked the first win against a top-5 team since the 2004 victory against Florida.

The victory was also the first against Florida State since 1995.


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