COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – After three home matches that have seen the attendance rise from 157 to 397, the Tennessee Tech soccer team has decided to reward its fans for their support with a section all their own.

The "Screaming Eagles" fan section stemmed from an idea from Golden Eagles assistant coach Corey Boyd, who looked to professional teams for inspiration.  

"Many soccer teams have supporters groups," said Boyd. "An example is Sam's Army, the U.S. National Team's supporters group. In Europe, these groups are called ultras. Fanatical groups that dress in the colors of their club and sing and chant from kick-off until the end of the match."

Junior midfielder Emily Homan is just one of several Tech players that have noticed the large crowds.

"We love when our stands are full," Homan said.  "It makes us all play better to hear people cheering for us.  Our level rises because of them."

"Our players love our fans," said Boyd, "so I wanted the fans to also feel that they are part of something, as well as being able to have a great time in the process."

Fans are encouraged to dress up, cheer, sing, and chant, provided its all clean and represents the team in a positive manner. The only restriction for the section is noisemakers, which are an NCAA violation.

The Golden Eagles will open their OVC schedule on Sunday when they host Jacksonville State in a 1 p.m. CT tilt on the Tech Soccer Field. The game will also be the team's annual Think Pink game in honor of breast cancer awareness, and will occur during the annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

Note: Some of the information in this story was provided by The Oracle.