Leading off today: Yes, it's a bit flippant considering that a kid ended up being treated at a hospital and an arrest was made. But I'll say it anyway since political correctness has never been one of my strong suits:
I went to a hockey game and a Section 2 sporting event broke out.
As if the recent Rensselaer-Whitehall football game wasn't embarrassing enough, Saturday's boys soccer playoff game between Maple Hill and Oppenheim-Ephratah/St. Johnsville ended with punches being thrown in the closing minutes and Schodack police being called, The Times Union reported.
"My kids got attacked," Maple Hill coach Dan Gillespie said in the aftermath of the section's second significant soccer fracas recently.
On Oct. 18, a football game between Whitehall and Rensselaer was called in the third quarter after a brawl erupted on the sideline. Last week, referees ended a boys soccer game between Columbia and Averill Park early after two players tried to punch each other, and were ejected.
The Maple Hill game made it to the final three minutes, with Maple Hill ahead 4-2 in the Class C pre-quarterfinal before things went downhill in quick fashion with Maple Hill senior Nick Fettuccia suffering a facial injury before coaches and officials could step in to keep the incident from escalating. Police later said they arrested James Arthur Miller II in connection with the incident, The Times Union reported.
"It was a great game prior to the incident. I think both coaches would agree," Maple Hill AD Dave Austin told the paper. "There was about three minutes to go and a few words had been exchanged between players. I told the (officials) to keep an eye on what was going on.
"Literally, a few seconds later, a punch was thrown by a St. Johnsville player. (Fettuccia's) back was turned. Several punches were thrown, and I did not witness any punches thrown by our guys."
Austin said Fettuccia was sent to a hospital for stitches. The athletic director said he called police and did not know the identity of the player who struck Fettuccia, though Miller's arrest was subsequently disclosed. Miller, 17, was charged with misdemeanor assault, released and will return to court in November, police told the paper.
When reached by the paper Saturday evening, St. Johnsville AD Dan Hart said, "I choose not to comment on it. ... I just choose not to comment on it, period."
In a holding pattern: Weather stopped a Section 5 girls soccer playoff game at the worst possible time Saturday night.
Brighton and Pittsford Sutherland went through regulation and 30 minutes of overtime tied at 0-0 and were in the midst of a penalty-kick shootout when lightning was spotted in Brighton.
The teams tried waiting it out, but conditions didn't improve and the contest was suspended until Monday with the teams tied 9-9 after 10 rounds of penalty kicks. It will be resumed on Monday at Brighton.
"It could be over in 30 seconds, it could be over in five minutes," Brighton coach Rita Kladstrup told the Democrat and Chronicle. "We don't know how long it will take to settle it. It's pretty nuts."
The winner plays top-seeded Pittsford Mendon on
