COLGATE'S MCDONALD AND NOLAN SUSPENDED FOR GAME AGAINST ST. LAWRENCE

HAMILTON, N.Y. – Following a decision by the Eastern College Athletic Conference's executive committee, the 10th-ranked Colgate University men's hockey team will be without the services of leading scorer Andy McDonald and third-leading scorer Sean Nolan for its showdown against St. Lawrence for first place in the ECAC Friday, Feb. 11.

"I'm very disappointed with the executive committee's decision," Vaughan said. "However, now it's an opportunity for other guys to step up and play different roles for us."

The suspensions are stemming from a scuffle in the final 22 seconds of the Cornell-Colgate game on Saturday, Jan. 29. Initially, referee Tim Kotyra handed out game disqualifications for fighting to Colgate's Shep Harder, Byron Pool, Etienne Morin, McDonald and Nolan, along with five Cornell players (Doug Stienstra, Matt McRae, Andrew McNiven, Mike Rutter and Doug Murray). However, following the game Kotyra reviewed the videotape and changed the disqualifications to Harder and McNiven.

Then, the ECAC office reviewed the tape last Wednesday afternoon and added McDonald and Nolan to the list of game disqualifications for fighting, along with Stienstra and Denis Ladouceur who wasn't given a penalty in Kotyra's initial on-ice decision.

The ECAC cited NCAA Rule 4, Section 10 in making their decision, which states: "The proper disciplinary authority may, at the conclusion of the game, and at its discretion, investigate any incident that occurs in connection with any game and may assess additional suspensions for any offense committed before, during or after a game by a player, coach or non-playing personnel, independent of whether such offense had been penalized by a referee. The proper disciplinary authority may not decrease any penalties assessed before, during or after the game by the on-ice officials."

As a result, McDonald and Nolan were to miss the Brown game, but Colgate and Cornell appealed the decision to the ECAC executive committee making them eligible to play until a decision was reached. Harder did serve his suspension by sitting out Friday's game at Brown.

The committee, comprised of three league athletic directors, met earlier today and decided to uphold the ECAC office's decision. Therefore, McDonald and Nolan will now be forced to sit out Friday's game against St. Lawrence.