Canisius announced Friday that sophomore forward Mike Ruberto, sophomore defensemen Matt Ruberto and Craig Nooyen and freshman goalie Ryan Hatch have been dismissed from the hockey team for violations of that college’s athletics department policies.
“The Department of Athletics has a clear set of expectations for all of our student-athletes,” said Canisius director of athletics Bill Maher. “Unfortunately, coach Dave Smith and I have determined that the seriousness of this situation necessitates the student-athletes’ dismissal from our hockey program.”
Maher added, “The college is not at liberty to release information about the specifics of the violations because student educational records, including disciplinary records such as this, are subject to the non-disclosure provisions of the federal Family Educational and Privacy Rights Act (FERPA).”
Mike Ruberto was tied for second on the team in scoring with 12 points on six goals and six assists in 12 games. He played in 47 career contests and posted 15 goals and 19 assists. Matt Ruberto tallied an assist in 10 games this season. He played in 39 career contests and posted two goals and 10 assists.
Nooyen collected two assists in nine games this season and registered one goal and seven assists in 41 career games. Hatch played in five games and compiled a 3-1 record with a team-leading 2.73 goals against average and a .904 save percentage.
The dismissals come after a tumultuous 2004-05 season during which multiple incidents of player misbehavior put the Golden Griffs in the headlines, including shenanigans at a Grand Forks, N.D., hotel room that led to property damage as well as an injury to one player. In a separate incident last season, another Canisius player was suspended after a fight at a local restaurant.
Longtime head coach Brian Cavanaugh was fired last December amidst an apparent player revolt, and athletics director Tim Dillon stepped down in January partly in the wake of the North Dakota hotel-room incident.
