Isaac, I agree that the coach should have benched Lambert after her multiple aggresive acts. But it is important to remember, that much like the referee, the coach doesn’t always see everything that happens on the field. Being that it took a while for Lambert to even recieve a yellow card, it is difficult for a coach to decide to bench a player who is having an impact on the game. Also, even if a coach does encourage physical play, it is not the coach who is on the field doing the acts, and I have never heard of a coach telling his or her players to do anything close to Lambert’s level of aggresiveness. Lambert is old enough and has been playing soccer long enough to take responsibility of her own actions (which she has.) In the end it is the player who was out of control, regardless of what the coach may or may not have said prior to the game.

Isaac. You said it better than anyone has. Kit Vela likes her players aggressive like many college soccer coaches do. Vela does see what goes on in these games and she does encourage all of it. I have witnessed it first hand. But she will throw her players under the bus. She is paid to wim games

Here are some keys to understanding Lamberts thuggery:
1. there are at least 4 officials on the field who should have caught the violent behavior.
2. there are at least 10 coaches on the two teams who could have put a stop to it.
3. there were 10 other UNM players on the field who could have exercised adult supervision.THEY CHOSE TO TRY TO WIN AT ANY COST!
4. I am sure the AD was represented at the game. same story WIN!
5. lambert chose to repeatedly violate the spirit of the game in a violent manner with intent to “send a message”
6. the unm coach needs help to face the facts and change her tactics!
7. check this teams cards over the season…aggressive!

The lame “apology” of Lambert’s is woefully inadequate. This was a shameless intentional foul, and it highlighted the university in the worst possible way on national media. College is to teach more than just academics, otherwise a trade school would suffice. Values matter, ethics matters, professionalism matters. Unless and until this major negative is turned into a positive by making an example of the offender, closure will never take place. The media will stalk NMU at every event, nor reporting sports but reporting the appropriateness of the school’s response. Govern yourself accordingly, NMU.

ha ha. Isaac…it’s so funny to go from having a high school class with you, where you were relatively quiet, to being the opinionated sports columnist. Keep up the dopeness. Love your writing man.

Excusing Lambert’s behavior in the first few lines of this article ignores the fact that, ultimately, it is LAMBERT who REPEATEDLY engaged in all of the conduct shown on the videotape. The coach may also have culpability, but in the end it is the athlete who agrees to behave in that way. Perhaps the best way to look at it is that the coaching staff allowed Lambert to show her true colors.

If you look at the tape you she she was elbowed first, punched first, grabbed first. Does this justify a hair yank to the ground, no. Does this justify a game suspension, maybe. Does this justify the whole world wanting her head on a platter, NO!

From her bio she seems like good kid. I’d want her on my team any day….

I hope she can still play her senior year and I hope her coach and AD don’t pile over react just because this made youtube and ESPN.

I went to UNM in 1970’s. Lobo sport teams always have been and always will be L-O-S-E-R-S.

First: her actions were out of line. There is a difference between being aggressive in a physical game like soccer and resorting to cheap shots when you can’t ge the job done any other way. Being on the losing end of a game does NOT justify losing self-control and turning to MMA style moves to try to gain a competitive edge on the other team. Yes the one girl did give her an elbow, however, possibly to get Lambert off her back. And 21 did give her shorts a little tug, but did not throw her to the ground by her shorts. Lambert’s actions were out of control, showing she was frustrated and knew she was not going to be able to compete adequately in a fair manner.

Second:The “responsible adults” present all did fail. The repeated cheap shot actions from Lambert throughout the game and all she received was a yellow card? Really, come on officials. And as for the UNM coaches…allowing her to continue to remain in the game cheap shot after cheap shot says something about what is being coached in the program (and its not good).

Lastly: While she is indefinitely suspended,” this seems more like an act to cover the butts of the athletic program. Her actions are publicizing the sports program, and while the publicity is not necessarily good, it is giving the program more national attention, something they have not received by winning conference. Due to this, I’d bet she’ll be allowed to play again. And as for her “apology,” sounds like something the department drafted up and asked her to sign off on…

You have hit the nail on the head regarding the coaches but it goes a bit further than this.

Every action has an equal & opposite reaction. I don’t condone Ms. Lamberts response to the fouls against her and her team but she is not alone in the blame. There is plenty to go around – the coaches yes but also the refs who lost control of the game & didn’t call obvious fouls on both teams.

In this case, the response was more than equal – you elbow me, I’ll punch you – you pull & poke at my shorts & crotch, I’ll pull your ponytail and slam dunk you to the turf – you go up in the air for the ball with hands & arms swinging, so will mine, but mine will hit you in the face in the form of an open handed B-slap – you slide tackle me and roll up on my legs, I’ll slide tackle you – and come up with the ball! That was priceless! You run my goalie – keep your head up if you come near my space! Etc., etc. I’m sure the verbal taunting was non-stop – the pointing at the scoreboard, etc. For the record, the ball kick to the face wasn’t Ms. Lambert, it was Ms. Lambert that sent the player to the ground prior to the kicked ball to the head.

The other team is not innocent in all of this. The BYU Coach is very much aware of this as can be seen from her post game interviews and response. The BYU Coach really doesn’t want the tape & the actions of her team scrutinized too closely, now does she. There is also obviously a history between these 3 primary players from previous games as well.

The part that I find the most bothersome is NMU & her coach hanging Ms. Lambert out to dry as a form of damage control due to the exposure this is getting! Take some responsibility Coach & stand behind your player. It is apparent Elizabeth & her teammates are playing the way you have coached them to play, based on your post game comments!

I have been disappointed by the number of people that have sought to justify Lambert’s actions. We’ve seen nothing that would excuse repeadly kicking a player that’s down, punching a player’s throat, and violently dragging another player to the ground by her hair.

As for her coach, surely she should be disciplined for allowing Lambert to engage in behavior that was clearly intended to inflict injury.

i bet this elizabeth lambert is real enthusiastic in bed.
playboy should get her to pose nude.

What would this crazy bitch do if her bf cheats on her?
kill the other woman?

Shouldn’t know you a LITTLE bit about SPORTS to write and ARTICLE about SPORTS? Did this person even watch the whole game, or like the rest of country, watch the whole 3 minutes on the biased ESPN?

This game was out of control the FIRST time they played, the second time it continued. The BYU girls taunted many of the UNM players, and not only laughed after they fouled many of the players, but fouled them on purpose, just as Ms. Lambert did. Lambert was elbowed, had her women parts grabbed, had her shirt pulled up almost all the way, taunted, laughed at, ECT! I know, being a women, if someone else grabbed my women area, I probably would of responded the sameway! No one, ANY GENDER, wants their privates grabbed, ANYTIME! Watch the WHOLE 90 minutes of the game! #23 was taken out from behind(automatic yellow card), #13 was BLATANTLY pushed down with a full out straight arm, #25 was pushed down, had the back of her shirt and hair grabbed, #1(the keeper) was taken out TWICE along with all the taunting and foul mouths of the BYU girls, much of what they got, they deserved! A yellow card, if not two or three, is issued in almost EVERY game of women’s soccer. Women’s soccer is an aggressive sport, don’t like it, don’t watch! And FINALLY, no another UNM player did not PURPOSELY “boot the ball directly into the BYU player’s head”..be serious! SHE IS A DEFENDER, THE BYU GIRL FELL DOWN AS SHE KICKED THE BALL AWAY FROM THE NET, HENCE GETTING THE BALL AWAY FROM A SCORING OPPORTUNITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A DEFENDER’S JOB IS TO CLEAR THE BALL!!! Wow, stupidity?

No, I do not condone Lambert’s actions but they weren’t just an “out of control action” that happens in every game. BYU tried to get under her skin, they did, she responded! Yes, the coach should of pulled her out of the game and yes, she should take some of the blame but obviously, she doesn’t teach her players to play this way, NONE of the other New Mexico girls reacted this way when they easily could of.

This DOES NOT show the true character of Ms. Lambert. This DOES NOT make her a bad person. This DOES NOT make her deserve the awful comments, remarks, and treating her as she murdered someone on the soccer field. I’m sure this she is a LADY and portrays herself as a LADY anytime other than this incident. She APOLOGIZED, she ACCEPTED her mistakes and takes RESPONSIBILITY for her actions. Give her, her teammates, and her coach a BREAK!!!!

YOU KNOW CAPITALISM IS FINISHED WHEN THIS GIRL IS BANNED. WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN? – HAVE A REMATCH – ON LIVE TELEVISION WITH HER PLAYING. OH YEA – HAVE TONYA HARDING IN THE STANDS AND HAVING THE CAMERAS CATCHING HER SMILING. WATCH THE RATINGS. WHAT A LOST OPPORTUNITY – MAKE SURE SOME OF THE PROCEEDS GO TO SOME CHARITY – ONE WITH THE HIGHEST OVERHEADS. OH WELL!

JDOZ

Thank you for your comments “anonymous.” I’m guessing you are either the coach herself or a teammate of Lambert’s given your clinically insance reaction to the game and the attention it has garnered.

Lambert should be kicked off the team permanently. And Vela should be fired…if this is her example of a “quality” student athlete, I’d hate to see one who lacked quality.

And the refs who worked this game should be suspended.

Your article is spot on target. Ms. Lambert played the way she has been coached. She has accepted responsibility for her actions. But what about the UNM coaches? Vela’s post game comments incriminate her. Let’s see, when did Vela decide to do damage control and throw Liz to the media wolves? Wasn’t it after the Liz Lambert highlight reel went national Thrusday evening? Until then “trading punch for punch” was fine with Kit. Vela is trying to save her own job. Kit Vela and her assistant coach husband Jorge who focuses on the defense (hey UNM Human Resources, isn’t that nepotism?) would not pull their own player off the field to warn her to calm down and play soccer because they like “attitude” and aggressive play. If Kit and her husband did not see Lambert’s actions, then they are incompetent and should also be enrolled for the start of classes at the NM School for the Blind. What we have once again in UNM athletics is a failure of leadership. Add the Velas to the list of Locksley and Krebs. They all need to be given a bus ticket out of town and the sooner the better. President Schmidley, please clean up these leadership failures and send them packing.

this article is about Kit Vela’s responsibility in what happened. She owed it to everyone as the coach to pull this girl out until she settled down. Kit Velas would not have her players behave any other way. She says she likes them “chippy”. she likes it until the camera catches them…then she throws her players under the bus. Get rid of the coach and start over!!!

The player didn’t understand that her actions were wrong? What sort of ethics-deprived animals are being matriculated at this college? Ban the player, fire the coach.

Getting caught up in the moment? I’m sorry? Isaac, you’re a complete moron!! She appologized only after all of this public outcry. She’s a nasty thug who would never square off face to face. She did all of her attacks by blindsiding the other girls. Her whole family must be really proud of producing such pug. Are there anymore in her family? One could only hope her mother was spayed and her father neutered.

John Chaney is one of the greatest and most revered college basketball coaches in history. He’s in the Hall of Fame and has more accolades than your entire school’s athletic program combined. He is singelhandedly more important to college athletics than every person that has ever been affiliated with your entire university in its history. How dare you compare him to some unaccomplished, half-wit women’s soccer coach in New Mexico, you clown.

Elizabeth Lambert should be eliminated from the sports program and whatever she has as a college scholarship should be revoked.

There is no place in any sports program for this kind of behavior.

What goes around, comes around.

You will get what is coming to you.

What happened to personal responsibility?
Lambert committed the criminal acts not the coach. Yes, the coach’s main job is to build character and a moral code of conduct on his players but ultimately the guilt rests directly on the person that engaged in behavior that must not to be tolerated in a playing field.
If these actions had taken place in a different environment they would carry the charge of assault and battery. With video of the actual strikes so clearly depicting this despicable lack of regard for the damage done to another human being, the punishment should include fines and possibly jail. Yes, JAIL! Elizabeth you are a criminal. Football (soccer) is not the vehicle to get rid of your aggressions; have you considered joining the armed forces? Therein lies you niche. Peace and compassion for all.

It’s Vela – both of them – who should be relieved of their duties. Would you want your daughter to be coached by people who allow the behavior of Ms. Lambert? How safe is your kid if they choose to play within the rules and that is outside of the coach’s direction?

The Vela’s don’t recruit NM well at all and the women’s soccer hear is competitive regionally and nationally at the HS level, on occasion. The clubs don’t care for them because they behave the same way they have allowed Ms. Lambert to play.

It’s time for Tim Cass and Krebs to make the move and clean the house for women’s soccer – at least 3 years too late.

Elizabeth Lambert should be suspended from College Soccer for good, not just a few games and any scholarships revoked. The kind of anger/hate that she displayed during that game is unbelieveable. I can’t image the kind of arrogance she must have to think she can “act out” like that… that is the kind of behavior I punish a toddler for. She is an adult woman and should have more control over her actions… I would call her a lose cannon and that isn’t the kind of behavior her school should support.

I feel sorry for the teammates associated with Elizabeth Lambert. Her complete lack of self control is down right disgusting. I’ve never felt more upset or hurt for her opponent than I have after watching the sports footage. Never again should scholarship money be in the hands of this undeserving “athlete” in disguise.

I believe the suspention was appropriate for Ms. Lambert. She’s young and still learning. But that psycho b!%$@ of a coach has got to go! If I was on the board of trustees, I’d even give some thought to the UNM president’s dismissal. Moreover, why in the name of God are these officials still doing on the field?

As a competitive soccer player who has played in levels ranging from grade school club soccer to division one men’s college soccer, I must agree that Elizabeth’s Lambert’s actions were inexcusable. Regardless of fouls taken (and missed) a soccer player must rise above it all and retaliate not by dirty plays but rather by showing skill and finesse on the pitch. A suspension is appropriate and, in my opinion, in order. However, before we throw Ms. Lambert out of the game for life, I would suggest that we provide this young women another chance.

However, my experience is that players take the lead from the coaching staff. Any player who would behave in a matter consistent with Ms. Lambert’s actions does so under the culture of tacit support for rough and dirty play. Therefore, I would seriously consider evaluating the Lobo’s soccer coaching staff to see if there is a culture of support for such poor behavior.

vela sucks! lambert is a sore loser with no class whatsoever. SA007 would take her anyday. do you run a street gang? what are you going to do, jump her in? no class! Lobos SUCK!!!

GREAT ARTICLE!!!!!! It is so refreshing to see a coach called out. Vela should take the blame for this one.

UNM take a hard look at Vela, she is the architect.

We saw over here in Australia on our TV news the disgraceful incident with Elizsbeth Lambert and all that was needed was for one those girls on the other team to grab hold of her and “kick the shit” out of her. Maybe that is what she would have got if she played like that over here.

The students at UNM need to demand that strong action is taken. It’s their reputation that is at stake. Fair or not, many people worldwide now have a negative view of UNM. Demanding the dismissal of the coach would be a good start.

Money can’t buy what Elizabeth Lambert’s done for women’s soccer. I’ve developed a whole new interest in it myself. In fact, if I ever have any kids, I’m going to pay their way to the Liz Lam Lobo Soccer Camp.

99% of you didn’t even watch the game! Your idiots jumping on the media band wagon. And Isaac Avilucea it’s obvious Coach Vela cut you from the womans soccer team and your still bitter. Your a punk who probably had his hair pulled.

Disappointing, Isaac. Instead of having an interesting perspective, you jump on the bandwagon and show yourself to be nothing more than a no-talent hack hoping to get some attention. Isaac, you don’t have a clue, and you obviously are very bothered by aggressive female sports. I seriously doubt you would write such an article if this were a college football team. What happened in this game happens in every single game. Get to know the sport. Women play as hard and as aggressively as men. This team has gotten as far as it has because they are competitive. They want to win. BYU played just as aggressively. Before you write your next article, particularly on female sports, make sure you know something about it. Maybe even take in a game or two. Hey, light bulb moment: Why not go to the championship game? I guarantee you everyone will be on their best behavior, knowing they’ll be filmed and scrutinized. I guarantee you yellow cards will be given out. Then use that vivid imagination of yours and imagine what the game would be like without all eyes on it.

Connie, you’re as big an idiot as Isaac, and probably never kicked a ball in your life. Everyone has a bad view of NMU? Are you serious? If my daughter was a competitive soccer player, looking to get recruited to a competitive soccer program for college, you can be damned sure with everything else I know about that university, it would be one of my top pics BECAUSE OF AN AGGRESSIVE, COMPETITIVE SOCCER PROGRAM! Go back to being a couch potato. You, like Isaac, have never played a competitive sport in your life.

this episode (player, coach, administration) proves again that many Women’s college sports programs are a governmnet-forced, talentless hack excuse to give out scholarships. What is the purpose for having Lantham play? To improve her character? Apparently not. To give her some exercise? Just precisely why is the government (UNM) paying to have this woman commit assaults?

Promoters of women’s sports ask us real sports fans to attend and support teams. I wouldn’t attent a lousy UVM women’s “scholar ahtlete” event were I paid 5 grand for the ensuing boredom.

OK, those of you in denial can now attack what you assume to be my politics, wrong as you are…

“99% of you didn’t even watch the game! Your idiots jumping on the media band wagon. And Isaac Avilucea it’s obvious Coach Vela cut you from the womans soccer team and your still bitter. Your a punk who probably had his hair pulled.”

Yup, because MEN get cut from women’s sports teams. uh-huh…
oh, and “your” is supposed to be “you’re”
You may think Isaac is a punk, but you are a dumba$$

Cheers!

Connie, great point. The Today Show was not very forgiving when it came to their opinion of Lambert’s debaucheries.

“Everyone has a bad view of NMU? Are you serious? “

First of all, I thought this was UNM, not NMU. I’ve never heard of that school!
Secondly, she said ‘many people worldwide now have a negative view of UNM’. That’s not ‘all’ that have a bad view of UNM.

Go NMU LOBOS!

great article. I watched this game and noticed her aggressive behavior from the get-go. I wouldn’t say it’s enough to suspend Lambert. When you get your head in the game and that testosterone is flowing in women (maybe more than it should) it’s hard to restrain that. Ask any guy, in sports or not, who has let their manly-man side come out, wrong or right time.

Just think, UNM doesn’t fire coaches who punch their co-workers, why would they even care about what happens AT ALL outside of the bureaucratic upper administration?

Okay, I’ve seen the videos, I’ve read the articles and the blogs and the only thing I kept thinking during that time was, “If they put her on the football team, would they finally win a game?”

I’ve played my share of rough, physical and what I thought of at the time as dirty soccer matches but this is a disgrace to women’s athletics and the University of New Mexico. The coach’s lack of action during the match and evasive and irresponsible comments after further the point that there exists a culture of tolerance if not support for this kind of embarrassing behavior. The coach and the athletic department leadership are equally to blame for the backlash that is being felt now, and stronger action needs to be taken all around.

Someone please follow up on this.

Last week I researched the box scores of the NMU games this season. As I counted it there were 17 yellow cards for NM and the collective total of the oponents yellow cards was 5.

My question is the 17 cards significantly more than the top finishers in the conference as certainly it seems as though it is a lot versus the competition?

Just wondering.

If I’m not mistaken Elizabeth Lamberts is not only a Student-Athlete but also a MWC all academic conference athlete that means the lady has a some type of brain and any hypocrite trying to parade as a former or current student athlete on this forum knows very well THAT’S A VERY HARD THING TO DO to continue to get excellent grades and remain an active player, THAT’S TOUGH. You don’t believe me? Ask Michael Jordan about his degree in Geography (US Geography mind you).
So all this non-sense about the player and the coach is nothing but garbage the blame rest solely on the referee nothing prevented him from issuing a red card anytime or at least a yellow card followed by another yellow (instant red card) particularly when the other team was the almighty BYU who according to MWC officials should be treated with silk gloves (God forbids they don’t make it to the NCAA tourney)
The ref blew it don’t blame the player make that THE KEY PLAYER who was all over the area trying to control the skillful cougar team all by herself and taking all those taunts and verbal abuse the cougars are known for. Anybody who doesn’t know anything about the MWC (the Utes and the Cougars hate each other practically to death) shouldn’t even opine because according to MWC history it all always goes back to the cougars being the aggressors and as you can see (if you know anything about the game) even the tainted video manipulated by ESPN shows that Elizabeth was merely reacting to the actions of the BYU players.
Did Elizabeth go too far? She has acknowledged that much herself. What do you want besides blood you idiots? If you have to blame someone blame the refs, they are good for nothing.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/sports/2009/11/09/moos.meanest.soccer.player.cnn

http://us.cnn.com/video/?/video/sports/2009/11/09/lemon.soccer.suspension.cnn

Nice article—in depth, telling it like it is without a M.O.
Lambert, good luck living past this.

i’d like to bang this lambert chick. i bet she does everything in bed. she must be a kinky slut

funny stuff..on the website UNM athletics,women’s soccer..under personal…they removed her parents names…every other player has them listed…but i guess lambert’s parents don’t want to be harrassed so they removed it…next step is to remove everything else about lambert from the website as she should be suspended for life.

The first sweet little “victim” was throwing around elbows and the second “victim” was holding the defender by her shorts before taking that drama-queen swan dive to draw the penalty.

Elizabeth is not the worst soccer player, just a tough one. And maybe just a little bit too pissed off over the Utes’ shenanigans.

Lambert is the best thing to happen to UNM soccer. Why don’t you let her play football?

There is no “I” in “Team”, every one works together to win the game and shares the blame when they lose the game. Miss Lambert’s teammate’s should also partially share the blame in this incident along with the UNM coaches. Where’s the team captain’s leadership questioned in all this? Where were here teammates to offer a quick word of help to settle Miss Lambert’s emotions, which she said got the best of her. The team practices hours and hours together and everyone gets to know what everyone’s personalities are like on and off the field. They know what will make their teammates laugh and what will piss them off. They must have known that Miss Lambert could get turn from aggressive to volatile since she’s a junior and not a freshman and they could have steered her clear of the latter. BYU players equally could have kept a healthy distance rather nudging and grabbing which only served to provoke. From the expressions on the BYU players faces they looked like they could have been trying to provoke Miss Lambert. Coaches and players alike on both teams are to blame for the escalation of events. The bottom line is that coaches should ultimately be responsible for the players actions while on the field. Coaches MUST set the tone for the team.

Elizabeth you’re out, your 15 minutes are up. No style, finesse, class or brains. You think we can’t see through your spoilt ways and bullying? You think we’re dumb compared to you? The team will be better off without you, the coach can pay attention to others now instead of making you the center of everyone’s attention. Back off, walk away while you can before someone pulls you off your feet.

While it’s easy to paint Liz as some brutal soccer psycho loose cannon hell-bent on wreaking havoc on all who cross her path, she deserves to be seen as a fierce competitor looking for an advantage. Is Elizabeth just a sweet little misunderstood darling whose performance was blown out of proportion? Absolutely not! She gave back exactly what she got from the other side. If you’re going to blame anyone, blame those ignorant dipsticks called officials! If you’re still looking for fodder, blame coach Kit Vela and her husband (who’s her assistant.)

Before she hit one in the back, that girl elbowed Lambert in the chest. And if you look carefully, right before the hair pull, the other girl intentionally reached back – without turning around – and yanked Lambert’s shorts up at the front, clearly meant to inflict pain. That looked like a well practiced and calculated move, perhaps one that she’s been able to use effectively in the past without being seen.

Incidentally, money can’t buy what Elizabeth Lambert’s done for women’s soccer. I’ve developed a whole new interest in it myself. In fact, if I ever have any kids, I’m going to pay their way to the Liz Lam Lobo Soccer Camp. You go girl. Carpe diem.

I know of folks in Richmond, California that like to play like Elizabeth does, maybe she should pay there.

Neither LAMBERT nor VELA deserve ANY KIND OF BREAK!

…I have seen more than my fair share of ‘rough play’…there is no excuse for acting like a complete jerk…MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE SAME GAME! Players push and shove…sure. PULLING ANOTHER PLAYER DOWN BY THE PONYTAIL? PUNCHING SOMEONE IN THE BACK? Lame, lame, LAME! This type of play is for the weak, poorly-trained hooligan…not a college athlete.

By the sounds of things, it’s Coach Vela’s ‘style’ to allow…even commend her players for such assclownery. If Lambert had not received a card in every game leading up to this, you could try and pin it on a bad day. Nope…this is just a case of a jerk of a soccer player thinking she can get away with something. …and then there is the other issue of sad leadership by Vela, which UNM should be QUICK to distance themselves from.

This pretty much sums it up accurately:

www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/11/10/crimesider/entry5601480.shtml

Coach Kit Vela should be FIRED immediately for her deliberate thug tactics.

Her coaching style is unacceptable.

Vela has tarnished the reputation of the University nationwide.

Vela has made a mockery of the school.

Get rid of Vela now.

I agree with the author, totally! Vela has embarassed the school – should be dismissed. Also, how do you UNM parents feel knowing some of your hard earned tuition money is going to Elizabeth Lambert? They should pull her scholarship ASAP!!!The university should do something – you looks like idiots suspending someone once the season is over – fire the coach and yank the scholarship

“What would this crazy bitch do if her bf cheats on her?
kill the other woman?”

Boyfriend? Are you kidding me – I don’t think this chick likes the boys …

out of 60 comments… only one person has brought up the most important point in all of this:

- Locksley got 10 days and one game, and he is supposed to be the dammed ROLE MODEL!

If Lambert gets more punishment than Locksley, then UNM has lost absolutely all credibility in relation to athletics. (if they even had any to begin with)

open your eyes you damn sheep.

TZ, Is that you Coach Kit?
I bet they have your ip.

Over the past week or so, or since whenever this started, I’ve been following this story. I started by blaming Lambert and hoping they’d take her scholarship and kick her off the team, and then I watched the full game and the clips a few more times and- WHOA!- turns out BYU was playing dirty as well (just like the soccer team girls have apparently been saying). I’m not going to say this justifies the reaction, but it wasn’t an out-of-the-blue show of aggression on Lambert’s part. I wish when they run this story on the news they’d point out that in almost every case, she is reacting to some dirty move a BYU player pulled.

They definitely need to hold the coach and the refs accountable for not stopping this nonsense before it got taken too far. I’m not saying they’re solely to blame. As in everything, there’s enough blame to go around. But it is ultimately the coach’s job to step in if their players get out of control, and this coach failed miserably in that part of her job.

Instead of calling for Lambert to be kicked off the team or suspended or whatever these people are calling for, why not call for someone to look investigate why this happened in the first place? It was NOT all Lambert’s fault, not at all, and it’s unfair to pretend it was. Yes, she is ultimately the one who chose to resort to the actions she did. But she was let down by her coach and the refs who let the dirty playing on both sides get so out of control that one of the players felt she had to resort to such measures!

Ms. Lambert is made a scapegoat by the news media not showing who was retaliating against who. Ponytail girl was reaching up her soccer shorts when she got her hair pulled. And Blondie gave Ms. Lambert a shot in the boobs. If it had been me, I would have had Ms.Ponytail charged with sexual assault. It looks to me like the coach from BYU had a hand in the retaliation against Ms Lambert. Remember it takes two to tango, and BYU was dancing just as much. LOBOS staff and students should be rallying behind Ms.Lambert instead of making her the scapegoat.

In defense of soccer player Elizabeth Lambert: she was provoked: www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/11/10/crimesider/entry5601480.shtml

Anyone who says she was retaliating didn’t watch the whole game. Before the press snippet (which everyone sees), she clearly kneed blond #7 (which no one sees unless they saw the whole game) before #7 elbowed her and then she get’s caught (by the cameras) punching #7 in the back. Short grabbing is a common action in soccer as it is in basketball, when your not facing your opponent you use your hands to find them. So don’t give me that as a defense for her actions. She’s a thug/goon. Her coach recruited her because she likes thugs/goons. Look at some of Vela’s prior comments to the press. She see’s being a thug as being aggressive. Both coach and player know why she behaved this way and please don’t give me there’s nothing wrong with being aggressive. There’s a difference between being aggressive and being a thug!

Lambert initiated all of this! Look at the video closely. Pause the video a second before the shorts pull. You can see that Lambert ALREADY has ahold of the BYU player’s hair. So the BYU player is simply retaliating to Lambert’s aggression by tugging on her shorts in an effort to warn her off! Lambert, who was holding her ponytail BEFORE the shorts pull then immediatly slams her down by her hair.

Also Lambert tackles a BYU player viciously with high cleats and kicks at her legs from behind with no intent to get the ball.

Lambert also swings and hits a BYU player on the far side of the field with both fists and hits her on the head and throat.

And before the elbow from the BYU player Lambert comes up behind her and knees her from behind before she slugs her in the back! Lambert is a no thug who resorts to violence because sshe does not have the skill set to compete with the BYU players. She is a pathetic, out of control, angry, thug!

Lambert is a junior…20 years old, 21 next month. No matter what degree of responsibility falls to the coach and refs, she’s an ADULT responsible for her own actions. For her to say she didn’t recognize herself when she saw the video (the “that’s not me” ploy) is a laugher. The violence in her play throughout the game and the unbridled emotions on her face prove that that was indeed “all her”. She’s a brute unfit for the pitch. SUSPENSION FOR LIFE.

I tend to read the video of the BYU player who “elbowed her in the ribs” before Lambert punched her (not “elbowed”) her in the kidneys was probably being pestered physically in some way by Lambert before she used her elbow to get the woman off of her back. Lambert shows no shame. She’s shown regret. There’s a big difference between the two. I do agree that the coach is culpable. But ultimately, Lambert has been playing this game for nearly 20 years. She knew she was wrong before she threw the first punch, and her apology came with an explanation. An apology with an explanation is not an apology, it’s justification. Nothing justifies what she did. Otherwise, Lambert would have released her own highlight tape to make her case.