Local police were summoned to the site of Saturday night’s game between Elmira and Wisconsin-Superior after a brawl broke out between Elmira players and non-playing members of the Superior squad.
Superior, Wis., police named Jeff Wells, a Wisconsin-Superior freshman from Toronto as the instigator of the fight, which took place after the second period. Wells and other players came down from the stands to confront Elmira’s Robert Siewert near the locker rooms shortly after a crosscheck into the boards on UWS forward Jason Paschal.
A five-minute major was called for the hit, which left Paschal on the ice until paramedics arrived to take him to a local hospital; but the penalty was whistled against Jason Silverthorn, rather than Siewert, who eyewitnesses said threw the check against Paschal.
Wells and other Superior players not in uniform then sought out Siewert, whom UWS head coach Steve Nelson accused of bragging about the hit. Elmira head coach Glenn Thomaris’ glasses were broken during the brawl, and Elmira captain Adrian Saul required stitches for cuts on his wrist and hand.
Superior Police Sgt. Chris Moe and officer Chris Kirchoff entered the locker room in search of Wells, and were confronted by Nelson, who told them they had no right to be there. Moe also said that the UWS staff refused to assist police in locating Wells.
“Nelson began to yell at me in front of his entire team,” said Kirchoff in the Elmira Star-Gazette. “I warned Nelson to stop yelling at me or I would arrest him for disorderly conduct.”
Ejected from the game after the fracas were Elmira’s Siewert, Michael Hulbig, Jeff Angelidis, Jason Tremblay and Kenny Keil. Departing for UWS were Jeff Glowa, Bryan Grycan, Kris Wilson, Randy Currie and Ivan Prokic. All will miss one game in addition to the ejection Saturday.
Paschal was released from the hospital over the weekend, and Nelson told the Superior Daily Telegram Monday that he could be in uniform this Friday.
No arrests were made, although approximately 10 Superior police officers remained at the arena for the third period. Siewert declined to press charges, police said.
Compiled from Superior Daily Telegram and Elmira Star-Gazette reports.
