Rochester Institute of Technology women’s coach Scott McDonald, who has already served a school-imposed one-game suspension, is reportedly facing a misdemeanor third-degree assault charge after an alleged Dec. 1 fight at a men’s recreation league hockey game, according to the Democrat and Chronicle.
According to court documents, Taylor Scott suffered three broken teeth and nerve damage to his jaw when McDonald punched him towards the end of the game, a game McDonald’s team was losing by five goals.
McDonald pleaded not guilty in Perinton Town Court on Tuesday.
“RIT handled this matter in December with the suspension of the coach,” school spokesman Bob Finnerty told the paper. “We have a code of conduct. He was suspended for those reasons. Now it will proceed in the courts.”
McDonald left court without comment. His lawyer, Brian DeCarolis, admits that his client delivered the punch, but doesn’t think criminal charges are necessary.
“If we’re going to start criminalizing one punch during a hockey game, I think Rochester police need to move their headquarters to the Blue Cross Arena for all the [AHL’s Rochester Americans] home games,” said DeCarolis to WHAM channel 13. “The sheriff’s office might want to move their substation to Thomas Creek because they have men’s league three or four nights a week there. I think it is a slippery slope to start getting inside the lines of the games that we play with what is acceptable behavior and at the end of the day, a penalty doesn’t make a crime.”
