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Hockey Mom Scuffle Results In Serious Injury
Posted by Tom Paradowski at Nov 30, 2006 4:00PM PST
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Man's skull fractured as fans fight at ice arena - Two women charged with rioting after youth hockey game in Rome.
Monday, November 27, 2006
By Kathy Coffta Sims and Mike McAndrew - Staff writers
A melee in the stands at a youth hockey game left a man seriously injured and two women charged with rioting. Rome City Police said Raymond Pink, 52, of Rome, suffered a severe head injury during the brawl Saturday at Kennedy Arena. Police said the fight involved eight to 15 people.
Pink's wife, Michelle, said Sunday she and her husband went to the rink to bring coffee to a friend, and they had no children playing in the game between 13- and 14-year-olds. "We've never been to a hockey game before," she said. "We'll never go to another one." She said her husband was released Sunday from Crouse Hospital after being treated for a fractured skull.
Investigators are asking for the public's help to determine what caused the brawl, which began after the game between the Rome Grizzlies and the Whitestown Wolfpack. Rome police charged two women with riot in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor, in connection with the brawl, according to Commander Kevin Beach. Arrested were Christin J. Wilbur, 34, of 4288 Smokerise Drive, Stow, Ohio, and Diann M. Williams, 40, of 6815 Lake Shore Road, Verona. One of the women, Williams, is the mother of a Rome player, said Donald Van Dresar, whose son is Williams' fiancee. Van Dresar, who was seated near Williams during the game, said two women attacked Williams immediately after Whitestown won the game. He said Williams was sitting in the top row of the bleachers. One of the women grabbed Williams by the hair, he said. As he and other fans broke up that disturbance, he saw a man punching someone else lower in the bleachers, Van Dresar said. Williams was not involved in a fight with Pink, he said.
Rome police would not say how Pink was related to the teams. They also did not say how the women were connected to the victim or the teams. Police said further charges may be filed against Wilbur and Williams as well as others who were involved.
The teams were in hockey's bantam Division. Ross Bartell, a former Clarkson University hockey player, is coach of the Rome team. "The altercation had nothing to do with the players, the coaches or the game," Bartell said Sunday. "This stuff has no business in the game." Bartell said he has no idea how the fight began.
Robert Mercurio, president of Whitestown Youth Hockey, said Pink and the two women are not members of Whitestown Youth Hockey. "From our understanding there were no Whitestown players' parents or guardians involved in the altercation," Mercurio said in an e-mail to The Post-Standard. "We are cooperating fully with the authorities in the investigation of the incident."
Joe Eppolito, a local representative of USA Hockey, a national group that oversees area teams, said his organization is a strong supporter of parent education programs. Eppolito said there are no sanctions for teams or players in such situations because it is unfair to penalize players for parents' actions. "USA Hockey does not condone any of these types of incidents," Eppolito said. He said he was unsure if either team has had problems of this nature in the past.
Rome police are asking anyone who might have videotaped the game or who may have information about the fight to contact them at 339-7780 or 339-7712. Whitestown's coach, Ken Blum, did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment. Chip Travis and Colleen Horton, the president and vice president of Rome hockey, did not respond to phone and e-mail messages requesting comment.
Kathy Coffta Sims can be reached at 470-3253 or kcoffta@syracuse.com.
Remember, it is a GAME!
Monday, November 27, 2006
By Kathy Coffta Sims and Mike McAndrew - Staff writers
A melee in the stands at a youth hockey game left a man seriously injured and two women charged with rioting. Rome City Police said Raymond Pink, 52, of Rome, suffered a severe head injury during the brawl Saturday at Kennedy Arena. Police said the fight involved eight to 15 people.
Pink's wife, Michelle, said Sunday she and her husband went to the rink to bring coffee to a friend, and they had no children playing in the game between 13- and 14-year-olds. "We've never been to a hockey game before," she said. "We'll never go to another one." She said her husband was released Sunday from Crouse Hospital after being treated for a fractured skull.
Investigators are asking for the public's help to determine what caused the brawl, which began after the game between the Rome Grizzlies and the Whitestown Wolfpack. Rome police charged two women with riot in the second degree, a Class A misdemeanor, in connection with the brawl, according to Commander Kevin Beach. Arrested were Christin J. Wilbur, 34, of 4288 Smokerise Drive, Stow, Ohio, and Diann M. Williams, 40, of 6815 Lake Shore Road, Verona. One of the women, Williams, is the mother of a Rome player, said Donald Van Dresar, whose son is Williams' fiancee. Van Dresar, who was seated near Williams during the game, said two women attacked Williams immediately after Whitestown won the game. He said Williams was sitting in the top row of the bleachers. One of the women grabbed Williams by the hair, he said. As he and other fans broke up that disturbance, he saw a man punching someone else lower in the bleachers, Van Dresar said. Williams was not involved in a fight with Pink, he said.
Rome police would not say how Pink was related to the teams. They also did not say how the women were connected to the victim or the teams. Police said further charges may be filed against Wilbur and Williams as well as others who were involved.
The teams were in hockey's bantam Division. Ross Bartell, a former Clarkson University hockey player, is coach of the Rome team. "The altercation had nothing to do with the players, the coaches or the game," Bartell said Sunday. "This stuff has no business in the game." Bartell said he has no idea how the fight began.
Robert Mercurio, president of Whitestown Youth Hockey, said Pink and the two women are not members of Whitestown Youth Hockey. "From our understanding there were no Whitestown players' parents or guardians involved in the altercation," Mercurio said in an e-mail to The Post-Standard. "We are cooperating fully with the authorities in the investigation of the incident."
Joe Eppolito, a local representative of USA Hockey, a national group that oversees area teams, said his organization is a strong supporter of parent education programs. Eppolito said there are no sanctions for teams or players in such situations because it is unfair to penalize players for parents' actions. "USA Hockey does not condone any of these types of incidents," Eppolito said. He said he was unsure if either team has had problems of this nature in the past.
Rome police are asking anyone who might have videotaped the game or who may have information about the fight to contact them at 339-7780 or 339-7712. Whitestown's coach, Ken Blum, did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment. Chip Travis and Colleen Horton, the president and vice president of Rome hockey, did not respond to phone and e-mail messages requesting comment.
Kathy Coffta Sims can be reached at 470-3253 or kcoffta@syracuse.com.
Remember, it is a GAME!
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