The action on the pitch got mighty physical during a women's soccer match between Rutgers and UMass on Sunday afternoon. During the second half of the match, a player from each team was ejected for their roles in a brief fight that occurred at Rudd Field in Hadley, Massachusetts.
In the 55th minute, the teams were tied at 0-0 when Girman was whistled for a foul on a physical sliding tackle. When Girman was on the ground, UMass' Ashley Lamond tried to snatch the ball away from Girman's hands. As a result, the two began shoving one another, and Girman ended up throwing a punch.
A fight broke out during Rutgers women's soccer's loss to UMass this afternoon.
— Brian Fonseca (@briannnnf) August 25, 2024
Scarlet Knights senior forward Gia Girman is likely to receive a two-game suspension for her involvement in the squirmish. pic.twitter.com/k7fbHkYPFO
The two went to the ground wrestling each other before teammates separated them a few moments later. Both Girman and Lamond were awarded a red card as a result of the fight and were ejected from the match.
Rutgers has yet to announce an official punishment for Girman, but it's likely that she'll receive a two-game suspension. According to the NCAA rulebook, fighting is defined as "a deliberate strike or punch or an attempt to strike or punch another player, official, coach, or bench personnel in a malicious manner. This behavior results in an ejection and a two-game suspension."
UMass ended up winning the match 1-0 after scoring a goal in the 81st minute.
