A Pine Forest goalie, who was suspended for tackling an opponent, has yet to explain her action. As soccer fans were waiting for the last seconds of the match to wear out, goalkeeper Cassie Sturtz, who thought she was in the NFL, ran and tackled sophomore forward Riley Barrett, who stayed on the ground twisting in pain.
A Pine Forest goalie has been suspended for at least two games for a very unexpected action. On Thursday night, friends, family, and soccer lovers gathered in Southern Pines in Moore County, North Carolina to watch Pine Forest from Fayetteville take on Pinecrest from Southern Pines.
It was a very entertaining match where Pinecrest players, Grace Anne Longfellow scored two goals, Sophie Casey, and Caroline Howery added a goal apiece for a total of four goals. The game finished with the young ladies from Southern Pines winning with a score of 4-1. The loss is Pine Forest’s first of the season.
As the last seconds of the soccer game were winding down, sophomore forward Riley Barrett had the ball to her feet and was moving dangerously to the goal – what happened next is beyond strange. Pine Forest goalkeeper Cassie Sturtz made zero effort to stop the ball. Instead, she ran toward Barrett with a full tackle and took her down.
Barrett stayed on the ground, twisting and rolling in pain as her teammates rushed to her side. According to local media, many people at the event were heard expressing their frustration and anger at the goalie, but for some unknown reason, coaching staff, or the referees, who should have called for a red card, took no action on the play.
Hours after the video went viral, Bob Christina, Pinecrest Principal, said:
“I have contacted Pine Forest administrators and had been told that Sturtz had been suspended two games for a flagrant foul.”
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA)’s rules clearly state that the punishment for the foul is missing the team’s next two games. Christina added:
“I emailed the NCHSAA more information about the situation that they might want to take into consideration.”
What are your thoughts on the suspended Pine Forest goalie?
