After one of the most successful campaigns in recent history, the men’s ice hockey season ended in a bout of frustration and controversy. Due to a preseason sincident in which underage members of the team were photographed drinking with upperclassmen, 10 of the 12 senior players on the roster were deemed ineligible to compete in the final two regular season games, and the team was forced to forfeit their seed in this weekend’s NESCAC playoffs.
The infractions revolved around a pre-season gathering that took place in a wood frame house weeks before the current coach was appointed. At the event, digital pictures were taken of team members, including images of freshman drinking alcohol. A member of the team posted images of the gathering on his AOL Instant Messenger Profile, and at some point, members of the Administration were made aware of the photos and enacted the suspension.
“We are talking about discipline within the athletics department that is based upon evidence that has come to light,” said Director of University Communications Justin Harmon. “It has more to do with fact finding within the department and ultimately a decision that seems appropriate administratively.”
Members of the team expressed frustration over the administration’s decision.
“We did have 12 seniors on the team, most of us having played since we were five,” said Al Shaine ’04, one of the suspended members. “We turned this program around in all sense of the word. We got the program national respect. As seniors we lose our last three games and no one wants to go away without closure.”
Other members asserted that part of the problem stemmed from the lack of communication between the Administration and the team.
“The Administration told the seniors to bring their equipment on the bus [for last weekend’s games], as if they were going to allow them to play,” said Steve Binswanger ’06. “Everyone was really excited and we thought the hours that we had put into resolving the situation were going to pay off. Unfortunately, once we got there, we found that it was a no-go. The seniors sat and watched the minutes of the last game of their career pass by.”
Both Athletic Director John Biddiscombe and men’s ice hockey coach Chris Potter declined comment.
While no actions have been taken, the Administration has hinted that members of the team may be brought before the Student Judicial Committee on individual charges of serving alcohol to minors.
“What we are seeing is a conviction that we have to get the message across to students in all contexts that drinking games and group behaviors that put the health and safety of some students at risk are utterly unacceptable,” said Harmon. “As a community we can’t have students putting other students at risk. There are groups on campus where there is social pressure [as well as] direct and indirect pressure and we need to send a message that is clears to everybody that it is not okay to put pressure on someone.”
Some members of the hockey team had a different take.
“It is relevant and significant that the whole group was not pressured to participate and in fact at least one freshman chose to refrain [from drinking] without any consequences to his being a member of the group,” said Will Bennett ’07. “This would indicate that the event was neither an initiation nor required for admission into the group. Rather it was a voluntary bonding experience. No one was confined or assaulted. No one ingested any unsafe substances and no one became ill as a result of any of related activity. No one was subject to any mental stress-in fact it was fun, not scary.”
Even with the suspensions, the team managed to eke out a victory against Conn. College on Friday.
However, with only fourteen players dressed, the team was severally undermanned, and after Dan Lee ’06 suffered a broken tibia, University trainers suggested that the team forfeit their final game against Tufts to prevent further injury.
“The guys who went out there played the most inspired game I have ever seen,” Shaine said. “These events really did bring us together.”
Some team members have questioned if athletes are held to a different standards than members of other groups on campus.
“There are cultural issues,” Harmon said. “The fact is, teams party together. One of the strengths of having a team atmosphere is that there is a social aspect that goes along with that. If you are involved in a show with someone you are with them for a period of weeks and not four years. The networks are different and the pressures are different. In the abstract, no it doesn’t matter if it crops up around a team or in another activity. In practice it operates in ways that reflect social pressure to drink in team situations”
Despite the disappointing ending to their season, Shaine stressed the drinking incident will not be the lasting impression of this team.
“Coach Potter is a class act and we all know we are a good group of guys. When recruits come and see us they will get a good idea of what our program is all about.”