By Brandon Koch
The Buffalo State College men’s hockey team’s 2009-10 season took a turn for the worst on Thursday as the NCAA handed down a one-year postseason ban on the program for financial aid violations.
The Bengals (6-12-1 overall/2-8-0 SUNYAC), are led by former Niagara University hockey players Nick Carriere, who is in his fifth season as head coach, as well as Pat Oliveto, who signed on with the team in 2009.
According to the NCAA, there were a disproportionate amount of grants awarded to Canadian student-athletes on both the men’s and women’s ice hockey teams, resulting in an advantage to each program’s recruitment process.
Furthermore, Buffalo State has self-imposed two years of probation from Jan. 28 through Jan. 27, 2012. In addition, SUNY Geneseo violated the same rules and both schools will be unable to participate in any postseason competition, including both conference tournaments and NCAA championships.
The NCAA Division III Committee on Infractions found no indication that anyone within Buffalo State’s athletic department or administration purposely intended to commit any violation.
“Although the Canadian Incentive Grant met all NCAA Division III standards when it was established in 2006, subsequently the NCAA deemed that a disproportionate number of student-athletes versus regular students from Canada took advantage of the program,” Buffalo State athletics director Jerry Boyes said in a statement.
Both colleges resolved their cases through the summary-disposition process, in which each party submitted its case to the committee on infractions.
“We cooperated fully with this investigation and accept the penalties handed down,” he said. “However, we are deeply disappointed that this situation will have a negative impact on our men’s and women’s ice hockey student-athletes this season.”
The Buffalo State men’s team has already fallen to last place in the SUNYAC, out of playoff contention, while the women’s team is tied for fifth in the ECAC West standings with an 8-8-1 record overall, 5-5-1 in conference play. The two squads have a combined total of 15 Canadian players on their rosters.
The Buffalo State women’s lacrosse team roster also includes a grant recipient and, in turn, will be subject to an identical ban if the recipient does not decline the award for the spring 2010 semester.
Carriere was not available to comment.
