New Hampshire has suspended eight players for two games, and they will not travel to this weekend’s Punch Imlach College Hockey Showcase tournament in Buffalo.
The eight players — seniors Nathan Martz and Tyler Scott, juniors Matt Hoppe, Tyson Teplitsky, and Robbie Barker, sophomores Andrew Leach and Mark Kolanos, and freshman Brett Hemingway — were disciplined for violation of team rules on Oct. 16, when a riot broke out on campus in the aftermath of Game 7 of baseball’s American League Championship Series.
“While not directly involved in the disturbance on the UNH campus that took place … the student-athletes were asked by [coach Dick] Umile to stay away from the downtown area,” the school said in a news release. “However, the players were present as bystanders during the incident on Main Street.”
Six other students face criminal charges as a result of their actions that night, none of which were athletes.
“This program has a history of service to the campus and the broader community,” Umile said. “We would rather continue in that role, than be the audience to those who choose to be disruptive and disrespectful to the community.”
Said UNH athletic director Marty Scarano, “Our student-athletes are role models and are held to a higher standard and their actions are a reflection of UNH athletics, their teams and the University. On this particular night some of our student-athletes made poor choices.”
Martz is leading the Wildcats with four points this season.
