More Prefer Cassie Sturtz Be Banned Rather Than Receive 2-Game Suspension


Bleacher Report writes that a high school goalkeeper was handed a 2-game suspension after what they refer to as a horror challenge.

The “horror” being the apparent brutality of the tackle from the Pine Forest Trojan goalkeeper Cassie Sturtz, who is now banned for two matches, after committing what the article refers to as a “brutal foul” in the closing play of a 4-1 defeat to Pinecrest Patriots, in North Carolina.

The “challenge” referred to is likely the loss to the other team, but The Fayetteville Observer, who report on these matches and filed the initial report, says that the officials did not call her on a “flagrant contact foul” during the game.

HSXtra provided some details on what happened.

“… Sturtz left her penalty box to stop what appeared to be a breakaway by Pinecrest’s Riley Barrett in the closing moments.. although the linesman’s flag was up for offsides on the play.”

The Fayetteville Observer reports that the tackled Patriot Riley Barrett, was able to walk off the field by herself.

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The Pinecrest High School Facebook page posted the footage, and one person who appears to know the details, says that Barrett is fine and likely, woke up sore the next morning.

In the comments section of the post, more details are revealed about the call and what the referees did or did not do.

“Refs claim they didn’t see anything,” or “The ref was running directly to the play…not sure how he didn’t see it…,” and “She is going to seriously injure a player if she is not stopped. She did receive a 2-game suspension and supposedly the refs conferred after the game and agreed Sturtz should have been called for a flagrant contact foul.”

According to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s rules, a flagrant foul calls for a 2-game suspension.

In many comments sections for the reports, some have even gone as far as to say that Sturtz should get more than a 2-game suspension and be banned for the rest of the season.

The Pine Forest goalkeeper was recorded in May of last year, and asked about the work that goes into her position by The Fayetteville Observer.

“The toughest thing about my job is, probably seeing my own players get hurt, just because; I am, I’m number one goalie in the county but that’s not just because I myself am good. It’s because the players in front of me and the players defending my goal are beyond like, what I could ask for and to see them get hurt is the hardest part of my job.”

The comments on Dead Spin called for more than just the 2-game suspension as well.

Even more, MSN Sports suggests that Sturtz might have been upset that her team Pine Forest was about to suffer their first loss of the season, and decided to take it out on Barrett.

They’ve also said that even though she did get a 2-game suspension, that there is a investigation likely to open to look into the incident.

While many are either in support of the 2-game suspension, or demanding further action; some have sided with the goalkeeper.

While the discussion is sometimes centered around whether Barrett was outside as she was leading the ball down the field, most of the comments are focused on the tackle itself.

Some of the comments express confusion as to why Sturtz didn’t stop the ball rather than “clothesline” Barrett instead.

Currently there is no report on what the status if for Sturtz, outside of the news over the 2-game suspension. Pine Forest High followed their game against Pinecrest the next evening, with E.E. Smith.

[Image via Shutterstock]

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