A women’s college soccer match erupted into chaos on Sunday, August 25, when a confrontation between players escalated into a physical altercation following a tackle.
During the afternoon game between Rutgers and UMass, the incident occurred after Rutgers’ Gia Girman committed a foul from behind on a UMass player in the 55th minute. As UMass’s Ashley Lamond attempted to take a quick free kick, she and Girman became entangled while trying to retrieve the ball.
The situation quickly escalated when Lamond shoved Girman, leading to a flurry of punches and Girman throwing Lamond to the ground. The altercation continued with Girman hitting Lamond while on top of her, and Lamond pulling on Girman’s hair.
Players from both teams rushed in to break up the fight. Following the incident, both Girman and Lamond were sent off, leaving both teams to play with 10 players for the remaining 35 minutes of the match.
UMass ultimately secured a 1-0 victory with an 81st-minute goal from Bella Recinos.
