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New Mexico suspends hair-pulling soccer player

so what she has to sit out off season practices and conditioning? she should be suspended for the first 5 games of 2010 one game for each violent conduct she perpertrated on the BYU players. By the way i am a Ute fan!

I was at this game. It was physical on both sides and the ref missed a lot of calls. It's too bad things got out of control.

I completely agree with really? She should certainly be suspended for the first games of 2010. Her conduct was so inappropriate and the worst sportsmanship in soccer I've ever seen.

Now that NM has disciplined the player, it's time for the MWC step forware and discipline the game officials who allowed this kind of behavior to go on unchecked during the game!

Conference tournaments typically use the best officials and conference representatives are always present at tournaments. Where is the conference's response?

Appropriate responses so far from the UNM coach and school. Lambert's apology is appropriate too: direct and unconditional.

If these actions truly were out of character for her, then it is sad that she has done something that has tarnished her athletic career and her personality for quite a while.

Now let's see what the MWC does to ensure these actions don't happen again.

This girl says she let her emotions get the better of her. Really? It appears she played much of the game intending to injure opposing players. Either way, her behavior was disgraceful.

Have her coaches explained why they left her in the game? Have the referees explained why she wasn't removed from the field?

Incidentally, it appears BYU's players maintained their cool throughout. Lambert is probably fortunate she didn't try her tricks against a team that is less even-tempered.

I'm a Ute fan too...but this is too much.The ESPN analysts called it "MMA Quality". I'm sure there was some provocative behavior from the BYU players, but that was ridiculous.

indefinitely can mean forever, without a time limit. I don't think she's going to be playing soccer for UNM ever again.

She should be suspended for more than that. People like this have to be taught a lesson. A slap on the wrist won't do it. We keep giving sports players / athletes leniancy when they certainly need more harsh punishments. I saw what she did to that poor girl by pulling her pony-tail.....punching and slapping that other girl on the way down, and tripping and kicking that ball into the other girl's head. What kind of trash / dirty play is that? It's like watching a Tyson fight, or the Ravens hit helmet to helmet on every play in the NFL. She is getting away with murder. She says she's sorry. Why? Because your coach said you had to say it to be able to play again? She knew what she was doing and that wasn't the 'heat of battle on the field.' I'm tired of hearing that. Just like the FL player who tried to gouge the eyes of the other player. Get real! Sorry? Oh it was in the heat of the moment. I don't believe that one bit. Take away her right to play next season and see what happens.

When I saw the tease for the highlight on ESPN I could have sworn she played for the Utes :) . . . I mean, would there have even been a question if a dirty player wore the crimson?? Not at all . . .

Suspended for the rest of the season sounds big and harsh, but it's not -- this was the conference tournament. The season for New Mexico is nearly over at this point. Put some teeth in the penalty and take her out of some games next season.

After watching the video, I don't believe a single word of Lambert's apology. What she did was premeditated, nasty, and cheap -- and she did it all game long.

Sorry, girl, but when you play a whole game that way, it *is* indicative of the kind of athlete and soccer player you are. Which is to say you may be an athlete, but a sportswoman, you ain't.

Sad thing is, sometimes coaches tell their players to do this sort of thing--and more often, condone it. Better than suspending her afterward would have been to take her off the field.

Like any other match in the world she should have gotten red carded and the appropriate suspension. A review commission should determine the length of her punishment, not the coach.

close... but no cigar.

She needs to be kicked off the team and barred from NCAA sports period. Punching? Kicking? Hair Pulling? Tripping? If this would have happened in a more high profile sport, like basketball, she'd be out of school. Period.

If you look closely at the video, BYU player #7 elbows Lambert right in the gut just before Lambert punches her in the back. Is #7 going to be suspended too?

I am not a litigious person (I would love it if the Dems were brave enough to add tort reform in their attempt at health care take over)but if I was the parents of the BYU player that got her head snapped back I would file battery charges against Lambert.

I would never hit a woman, but this angers me.

The clips shown may be bad. But what happen the other 89 minutes of the game. Someone doesn't act like that, unless provoked. So, I imagine the byu players were purposely aggravating her. Is that good sportsmanship? Granted, Lambert PHYSICALLY retaliated. But I am sure this was a two-way street that was perpetuated by both sides. There is more than likely more blame to put on others. But unfortunately "a foul is not a foul, unless the referee blows their whistle."

Maybe the UNM player was a little out of control. But the elbow to the stomach from the BYU player needs to addressed as well.

Well you know what they say, "Like football coach, like soccer player"...er...something like that. What the heck are they putting in the water in New Mexico?

I'd blame it on 'roid rage, but the athletic performances have been awful enough to rule out any type of performance enhancing substances. Perhaps they SHOULD start thinking about juicing up. They already have the anger issues, they might as well get the muscles to go with it.

What did she do? I totally missed this and am in the dark. Anyone got a link to it?