Another BU Terrier Arrested

Twice in a decade, or ever, for something like this to transpire would be a lot for any college hockey program to deal with. But twice in the same season, and less than a dozen weeks apart?

Something is definitely wrong down that end of Commonwealth Avenue.

Just over two months after Corey Trivino was arrested for sexual assault and subsequently dismissed from the Boston University men's hockey team, the BU program was dealt another serious blow when Max Nicastro was arrested on Sunday and charged with sexual assault, according to College Hockey News.

Nicastro, 21, a junior defenseman from Thousand Oaks, Calif., and a 2008 draft choice of the Detroit Red Wings, was held on $25,000 cash bail and was due to be arraigned on Tuesday. He has been suspended indefinitely from playing with the Terriers, for whom he had tallied three goals and nine points along with 32 penalty minutes in 27 games so far this season. In 102 career collegiate outings, the former blueliner from Chicago (USHL) has collected 11-22—33 points and 115 PIM.

What's going on at BU is past the point of shocking or ridiculous. It's no longer a hockey issue, either, for head coach Jack Parker to take care of on his own. No, it's time for the university administration to step in. They won't kill the program—and they shouldn't—but things have to change with the entire culture of men's hockey at BU.

Two alleged sexual assaults from the same team in matter of months is frightening, and not just for the victims, although they should rightly be thought of first. Such heinous acts also paint other BU players, most of whom are probably law-abiding citizens, with a broad and unfair brush of guilt, just because they happen to suit up on the same squad as the alleged perpetrators. A number of college/pro athletes in general may carry enormous egos, but a sense of entitlement is a far cry from felony.

Even if the charges against Nicastro are ultimately unfounded, as was discovered with the Duke men's lacrosse team a few years ago after those players were publicly vilified before being exonerated of rape charges, the damage to BU Hockey has already been done—again. It's going to take a while for it to recover from another black eye, and hopefully there isn't a third such ugly incident just waiting in the wings.

Not now. Not ever again.

ADDENDUM: Nicastro was arraigned on two counts of rape on Feb. 21, with an automatic plea of not guilty, according to USCHO.com.

And Another One Gone ...

Less than a week after senior forward Corey Trivino was dismissed from the Boston University hockey team following his arrest on multiple charges, another senior forward elsewhere has been let go by an NCAA Division I school for again not complying with team rules.

Alex Hudson is no longer with Nebraska-Omaha, according to a report at uscho.com. Hudson, a six-foot, 209-pound California native who was suspended earlier this season for violating team rules, supposedly did so again and has been dismissed altogether by UNO head coach Dean Blais.

"Obviously a guy who was a senior captain at the start of the year … a leader, is now not on the team," said Blais at Omaha.com. "We’ll move forward."

Hudson, who was not drafted by an NHL club, played junior hockey with Tri-City (USHL) before joining the Mavericks in 2008. He leaves with 32 goals and 87 points in three-plus seasons, including four goals and ten points this fall.

UNO is currently 9-8-3 overall (7-4-3 WCHA) and in third place in its conference. The Mavericks will host Quinnipiac on Dec. 30-31 in their next action.

Trivino Booted from BU After Arrest

Boston University senior forward Corey Trivino has been removed from the Terrier hockey team in connection with an incident that occurred on Sunday night that resulted in his subsequent arrest.

"He is no longer associated with the BU hockey team,” said Terrier head coach Jack Parker on the university web site.

Trivino, who hails from Toronto, was charged with three counts of indecent assault and battery, two counts of breaking and entering in the nighttime, and one count of assault with attempt to rape after entering a female student's room without permission and kissing and groping her without her consent. Alcohol is believed to have been involved.

Trivino, who was leading Hockey East with 13 goals through his first 15 games this season, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, although he was forced to surrender his passport.

I've written here before about college hockey players getting in trouble with the law. We'll see what happens with Trivino, who's had problems with alcohol in the past, according to the Daily Free Press, and whether he's exonerated or not. Assuming he's not incarcerated, expect him to sign with the New York Islanders, who drafted him in 2008.

Trivino, who played on BU's 2009 NCAA title team, ends his college career with 31-42—73 scoring totals in 112 contests. He scored two goals in a 5-1 win over Maine in his final appearance on Dec. 10.