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PROVO -- The University of New Mexico soccer player whose rough play against BYU became a viral video is talking about that game.
Elizabeth Lambert's actions during the Mountain West Conference semifinal game Nov. 5 in Provo were caught on tape and played repeatedly on ESPN and elsewhere.
Lambert now tells The New York Times she deeply regrets pulling down BYU player Kassidy Shumway by the ponytail and says she can't believe she did that. She calls her action indefensible and tells the Times, "I still deeply regret it and will always regret it and will carry it through the rest of my life not to retaliate."
But Lambert says other rough play on the video was taken out of context.
Video shows her elbowing an opponent in the back, tripping another player and apparently trying to hit a BYU player in the head. She tells the Times it happened during intense play that often is part of women's soccer and can be misunderstood by casual fans. She thinks some of the incidents were blown out of proportion because they happened during a women's game.
Lambert, a 20-year-old junior, was suspended indefinitely from the New Mexico team following the incidents. She says she's seeing a psychologist to understand why she lost control. She's also speaking to youth groups about acceptable behavior.
