Central Michigan club team facing five-year suspension

By Ryan Zuke –

A Sept. 14 party proved to be costly for the Central Michigan University club hockey team.

The team received a five-year suspension Friday for violating the university’s code of Student Rights, Responsibilities and Disciplinary Procedures, according to the school’s Office of Student Life.

Assistant director of student life Tom Idema told CM-Life sports editor Justin Hicks the team was charged with violation of section 3.2.13 (alcohol policy), section 3.2.19 (hazing) and section 3.2.25 (violations by a registered student organization).

“There was a hearing this morning and the men’s club hockey team at CMU was found in violation of all charges,” Idema said. “As a result, (the team) has been suspended for five years, or until fall 2017.”

Team president Matt Cinader and team adviser Robert Gergehl represented the team in Friday morning’s hearing, senior captain Ricky Jones told CM-Life.

Jones said the team wanted a one to two year probationary period with community service, weekly meetings with the Office of Student Life and meetings with the community’s youth to promote abstinence from alcohol and hazing.

But the university decided to hand out a steeper penalty.

“The university proposed a four-year ban, but, somehow, it became a five-year ban after the hearing,” Jones said. “They said they wanted every person involved in the organization to be gone by the time the team came around again, including the freshmen.”

Central Michigan began investigating following the Sept. 14 party that was broken up by the police.  Photos of the party that was held just off campus were posted on players’ Facebook pages and were presented during the hearing

Jones said members of the team were present during the event, as well as non-team members, and not every rookie partook in the hazing.

“At the end of the night, police came, but no tickets were warranted and the police actually commended us on how well we handled it with them, and getting everybody out of the house,” Jones said.

Jones said the team plans to file an appeal.

“We have five business days to file an appeal,” he said. “We don’t plan on giving up. We’re looking into things, but we are going to appeal it.”

Editor’s note: MiHockey was granted permission from CM-Life to run the quotes in this article.