News

Four players charged for criminal trespass in hockey incident

Players benched for game after announcement

By Matthew Conyers

Posted on Nov. 21, 2005, at 12:00 a.m.

The University of Maine men’s ice hockey program continues to suffer repercussions for an incident that occurred last weekend.

Thursday, the Orono Police Department charged four more Black Bears in connection with the incident, which saw junior Mike Hamilton of Victoria, British Columbia, and Wes Clark, of Oakville, Ontario, allegedly attack a UMaine baseball player inside his apartment.

The police delivered summonses to Travis Wight of Fannystel, Manitoba; Brent Shepheard of Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia; Bret Tyler of Maynard, Mass.; and Rob Bellamy of Westfield, Mass. Each student-athlete was charged with criminal trespass, a class E misdemeanor. Hamilton and Clark were charged with assault and aggravated criminal trespass on Monday.

While Hamilton and Clark are suspended indefinitely from the team for games and practices, the other four received one-game suspensions for Saturday’s exhibition game against the U.S.-under 18 national development team. The only player of the four to garner more punishment than the lone game is junior Brent Shepheard, who will be out for the next three contests. However, Shepheard will be able to practice with the team during his suspension.

Interim athletic director Blake James issued the punishments Thursday evening.

“I am disappointed in their actions, and there are consequences for those actions,” said James.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred last Sunday at 9:30 p.m. According to police and witnesses, the six players, accompanied by several other students and team members, arrived at the Washburn Place apartment complex in Orono to confront the UMaine baseball player who had been involved with Hamilton’s ex-girlfriend. Having broken up with the female the night before, Hamilton challenged the victim to fight upon learning of her presence in the house.

After arguing for several minutes, Hamilton allegedly assaulted the man in the doorway of the apartment. The fight quickly spilled inside the man’s kitchen, where the two grappled for two to four minutes. With the fight having slowed, Clark, Wight, Shepheard, Tyler and Bellamy jumped in. It is at this point that police and witnesses say Clark punched and kicked the victim.

According to police reports, the five continued to grapple for three to five minutes. At the conclusion of the brawl, the hockey players and others left the apartment, while the injured baseball player proceeded to have his friends drive him to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, where he received stitches over his left eye and was released.

At approximately 12:15 a.m. Monday, the victim arrived at the Orono Police Department to press charges.

Hamilton and Clark spent last Monday morning at the Penobscot County Jail and were released on $5,000 personal recognizance bail, a jail official said.

The police have said that witness statements and admissions from some of the players led to the additional charges.

“We will continue to evaluate the situation,” said James.

As of now, all six players will make their initial appearances in 3rd District Court in Bangor on Dec. 23.

James said that the one-game suspensions are in line with the punishment outlined for this type of violation in the student-athlete conduct code.

The six now await their fate in court and with dean of students Robert Dana, who oversees the administration of the student conduct code. The dean has already said all players involved will be treated as students. There will be no different treatment because they are athletes, he said.

Hamilton and Clark have already received allegation letters, which lay out what areas of the conduct code were broken. The student conduct code operates on a point system that places value on many common violations of university rules and Maine laws committed by college students.

James has been in communication with Dana on all the announcements from the police department.

In addition to the future decision by Dana, all six players could face a longer suspension if warranted.

However, as of now, James believes the punishment placed on the four players on Saturday is the proper treatment.

Maine head coach Tim Whitehead also said more decisions will be made when the case is resolved with Hamilton and Clark.

The athletic department has advised all players, both hockey and baseball, not to comment on the incident.

The loss of Hamilton and Clark comes at a time when both athletes are dealing with knee injuries. While Clark is on the road to recovery, Hamilton is considering arthroscopic knee surgery. Clark hadn’t played this season after suffering a broken leg during training camp.

The absence of Shepheard for the next three games, four in total, leaves Maine without its likely replacement for the hole on the first line. Both Hamilton and Shepheard had played on the Black Bears’ top line with Michel Leveille and captain Greg Moore. Hamilton had registered three assists in nine games, while Shepheard recorded a goal and two assists last Friday against UMass-Lowell.

The four players who were charged with criminal trespassing played steady time for the Black Bears.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 21st, 2005, 12:00 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.