On Monday, ECAC Hockey added suspensions to players involved with Saturday’s postgame brouhaha between Rensselaer and Union.
The coaches learned their punishments on Wednesday.
The league tacked on an additional two games to the school-issued two-game suspension to Union’s Rick Bennett and handed a one-game suspension to Rensselaer’s Seth Appert.
The two were involved in a postgame confrontation on the ice after the Engineers’ 2-1 victory in Albany, N.Y., on Saturday.
Bennett shoved Appert as players were scuffling after the final horn sounded, and the coaches had to be separated by assistants and players.
“ECAC Hockey has continued to review the entire situation that occurred Saturday,” ECAC Hockey commissioner Steve Hagwell said in a statement. “After additional review and consideration, and discussions with league administrators, additional sanctions have been assessed.
“The league members pride themselves on adhering to the highest level of sportsmanship. Those objectives were not attained Saturday.”
Bennett will miss the fourth-ranked Dutchmen’s games this weekend at St. Lawrence and Clarkson and home games Feb. 7 against Brown and Feb. 8 against Yale.
Appert will miss Rensselaer’s game Friday at St. Lawrence.
Union issued an unsigned statement Wednesday, reading: “We accept the league’s decision. As we have stated previously, we regret the incident. At this point, our focus is on moving forward.”
Rensselaer’s statement also was brief: “ECAC Hockey has taken the action it feels is necessary, and we fully support the decision of the league.”
Referees handed out 125 minutes of penalties after the game, including game disqualifications to Union’s Mat Bodie and Eli Lichtenwald and Rensselaer’s Mike Zalewski and Luke Curadi. Those penalties come with an automatic one-game suspension.
Union announced a two-game suspension for Bennett on Sunday.
The league on Monday added another game to Bodie’s suspension and gave one-game suspensions to Union’s Daniel Ciampini and Rensselaer’s Bo Dolan and Ryan Haggerty.
