Decked out in an assortment of cardinal red T-shirts with the words "Tartan Army" scrawled in black Sharpie marker, they stand shoulder to shoulder—a wall of undergraduates 14 wide. They're watching intently as a soccer match plays out in front of them at Gesling Stadium.

Cheering on their classmates with each dribble, kick, and save, they know this isn't just another game. It's the first round of the NCAA Division III men's playoffs. The winning team will continue its quest for a national championship. The losers will go home.

For the Carnegie Mellon men's soccer team, it has already been a fantastic season. They enter the game against Thomas More College with an impressive 14-2-1 record. What's more, they are undefeated at home.

Talent and hard work have a lot to do with the team's success, of course, but just maybe the Tartan Army deserves some accolades, too. As the self-proclaimed soccer junkies band together near the stand's lower railing, they belt out an organized, European-style song for individual players (in faux Cockney accents, no less). They also find "appropriate" moments to give opponents and referees good-natured, sophisticated ribbing.

"We're trying to create an environment where it's not easy to play," says Vlad Bouchouev, a freshman cognitive science major from New Jersey and one of the Tartan Army's ringleaders. "We won every home game this year. ... I don't know if that's Tartan-Army-related, but we've been here for every game, and it's only our first year."

Spawned on the floors of Donner Hall, the Tartan Army fights an ongoing battle on campus, reminding everyone that there's more to being a Carnegie Mellon student than burying your nose in a book or a laptop.

"The worst excuse we hear is that someone has homework, and they can't come out to the games," says Bouchouev. "We get that a lot. But we have homework, too, and so do the players. The games are fun, and these guys deserve our support. You need to have some balance."

The Tartan Army may possibly expand its ranks and become a fixture at other varsity events. They already have a page on Facebook. "We're trying to be a connection for the students to let them know it's alright to have a good time," says Bouchouev.

On this day, the Tartan Army cheers in celebration as senior forward Pat Lutz scores the go-ahead goal against the Saints, a match the Tartans win handily, 4-2, to advance to the second round of the tournament the following day. They win then, too. In fact, before being eliminated, the soccer team made it all the way to the Sweet 16—the university's best showing ever.

"We'll be back next year," promises Bouchouev.
Chris A. Weber