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The Portland Beacons co-op boys hockey team will forfeit the final two games of the regular season, the result of the team leaving the ice just 10 minutes into a game Saturday at Alfond Arena in Orono against Old Town/Orono.
That game was recorded as a forfeit victory for Old Town/Orono.
Under Maine Principals’ Association rules, any team that forfeits a game is ineligible to complete the season. High school varsity teams that can’t complete a season also face a two-year ban from competition, according to MPA rules.
South Portland Athletic Director Todd Livingston said the four schools in the co-op — South Portland, Portland, Deering and Waynflete — plan to appeal the two-year ban.
“We just need to take a breath and examine how we move the program forward,” Livingston said.
Players and their families were notified of the decision to end the season in an email Wednesday afternoon. Livingston described reaction to the decision as “mixed.”
Livingston said he and the other three athletic directors — Portland’s Spencer Allen, Deering’s Michael Daly and Waynflete’s Ross Burdick — spent the last few days gathering info from coaches, players and parents who attended Saturday’s game. In a meeting Wednesday morning, they agreed to accept the penalty of forfeiting the rest of the season.
The incident Saturday came with Old Town/Orono holding a 2-1 lead just over 10 minutes into the game and about to begin a 5-on-3 power play. First, Portland was called for an interference penalty. When Beacons coaches complained about the call, they were issued a bench minor. As the refs were lining up the players to resume play, Portland co-op coach Joe Robinson waved his team off the ice. The Beacons walked up the stairs to their locker room and the game was declared a forfeit.
The Beacons were scheduled to play the Marshwood co-op Saturday in Dover, New Hampshire, and end the regular season against Kennebunk/Wells on Feb. 19. The team ends the season with a 4-14 record and would not have qualified for the Class A playoffs.
Livingston declined to say if a coaching change will be made. He added he plans to meet with Robinson on Friday to discuss how to move forward. Livingston noted that low numbers remain a concern for the Beacons. Even with four feeder schools, the team dressed just 13 players for Saturday’s game, including two goalies.
“We’ll likely try to find another school to join the co-op,” Livingston said.
Robinson, a 1994 South Portland graduate, became head coach at his alma mater in 2007 and has continued to serve in that role since the team became a co-op with other schools.
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