SUMMARY
- Elizabeth Lambert was involved in an infamous incident in November 2009 which ruined her reputation.
- She was extremely violent in a college soccer game.
We often see soccer players getting rough on the pitch, but one such notable incident occurred in 2009. Elizabeth Lambert, the name that made headlines in every part of the world that year.
The match between Brigham Young University (BYU) and University of New Mexico Lobos women’s in the NCCA women’s soccer on November 5, 2009, became the most-viewed match of the season. Let’s find out what Lambert did made her earn all the negative fame.
What did Elizabeth Lambert do?
Top seeds BYU faced fourth-seeded New Mexico in the NCCA women’s soccer tournament. The match transformed into a national tragedy due to its violence and rough play on the field.
Elizabeth Lambert’s video that went viral in 2009 showed the New Mexico junior player kicking, tackling, pushing, and punching her BYU opponent. She was even seen dragging one player, Kassidy Shumway, down to the field by her ponytail.
The video which received more than two million views in just three days elucidated the pugnacious play of Elizabeth Lambert.
She just got a yellow card in the 76th minute for tripping a player maliciously. The number of cynical fouls she committed in the game was just abysmal, as her other actions were ignored.
Elizabeth Lambert’s apology after the violent incident didn’t help her regain respect among fans
After this historic event unfolded into a national concern, Elizabeth didn’t take much time to apologize in front of the whole world. She did apologize, but all six million viewers saw what she did in that video.
In an interview with the New York Times, she said, “I take full responsibility for my actions and accept any punishment felt necessary. I am a female, and it made me feel more at ease than if it had been done by a male. It’s more expected for men to go out there and be rough. We’re still looked at as, oh, we kick the ball around and score a goal.”
“But it’s not. We train very hard to reach the highest level we can get to. The physical aspect may have increased over the years. I’m not saying it’s for the bad or that it’s been overly aggressive. It’s a game. Sports are physical.”
Furthermore, she added, “I look at it and I’m like, ‘That is not me.’ I have so much regret. I can’t believe I did that. I think the way the video came out; it did make me look like a monster. That’s not the type of player I am. I’m not just out there trying to hurt players. That’s taking away from the beauty of the game. And I would never want to do that.”
Did Elizabeth Lambert face any punishment?
As we all know, Elizabeth Lambert was out of sorts in the Mountain West Conference Semi-Finals by attacking innocent BYU players. According to various reports, she was banned and suspended from all team activities.
Elizabeth, who was pursuing an occupational therapy degree, was eventually suspended for two games following her horrendous behavior in the semi-final match. She was not eligible to take part and return to the field until 2010. Lambert had been banned from every practice, game, and training session.
Lambert attempted to improve her public image through community service
After her public image was ruined due to her on-field actions, Lambert attempted to make things right by her work off the field. She indulged in community service as she tried to give back. Lambert donated a portion of her hair toward wig-making for cancer patients.
She participated in the ‘Locks of Love’ event, according to KOAT news channel. Lambert explained how she has done community service before and her parents have also participated in it. She said, “I have hair to give to the children that don’t have the availability to it.” According to the video, Lambert was expected to come back and play soccer again, however, not much is known about it.
Where is Elizabeth Lambert in 2024?
It has been over 14 years since the infamous incident unfolded in 2009. Lambert indulged in community service and kept herself away from the cameras as she received a ban following the incident. She has also been absent on social media. Her last post on Facebook dates back to November 18, 2009.
Her act of rough play and dragging a player to the ground by her ponytail just attracted a yellow card from the referee. At the time, she was earning fame as one of the most violent and unsportsmanlike women in America.
Elizabeth Lambert’s exact location in 2024 is unknown. Some reports state that she continued to earn her occupational therapy degree and went on to work in the field giving up soccer.
Who is Elizabeth Lambert’s husband?
Elizabeth Lambert has been hiding since that terrible incident. She still hasn’t been seen for a long time now. As a result, not much information has been released publicly or is known to the public about her.
Does anyone have the real social media accounts of the Savage soccer player Elizabeth Lambert? I'm so in love right now.
— Garry Tonon (@Garry_Tonon) January 8, 2018
There had been speculation that she was married, but no information on her husband or marriage is known to us. Still, we don’t have any news on whether or not she has kids.
Unless and until Lambert makes herself available publicly, it’s unlikely that these details will be disclosed to the world. One could guess where Elizabeth Lambert currently is.