Friday night’s hockey match was so rough, even the referee needed stitches.
With three minutes and 46 seconds remaining in the second period, one of the many scuffles of the night broke out in front of the Icers’ bench. Referee Dave Quindlen jumped in to separate the skirmish, and caught a stick to the eye in the process.
Both officials determined that Quindlen’s gash demanded immediate attention, and they ended the period.
As stated in the rules, if it is nearing the end of a period, and an official has an impairment that requires immediate attention, they can end the period, and tack the time onto the following period pending the official’s judgment.
“He needed the stitches right away,” Coach Joe Battista said. “It was a pretty deep cut. It blew up golf ball size, and rather than making him finish the period, the referee has the option to halt the period. Our physician came down and stitched him and iced him, and he was able to continue to officiate.”
Battista feels the injury was just one of those many occupational hazzards.
“It is just the dangers,” he said. “They just went to making referees wear helmets, and some would argue they should wear shields too. Sticks do inadvertently come up, and in this case it was a scuffle.”
The number of scuffles and penalties were rising along with the tempers of both teams, and the halting of the period came at a good time to provide a cooling down period for both teams.
“It was a smart call by the officials,” Battista said. “We were starting to get frustrated. We felt they were taking their liberties there, and they got their penalties for it.”
Eastern Michigan had spent much of the match poking, spearing and cross-checking the Icers from behind, and late in the second period the Icers began to retaliate.
“I don’t like the little chippy, cheap stuff, but I like the hitting,” senior defender Matt Hoffman said. “They started sticking and hooking, and throwing the body around. I really get into those kind of games.”
Even after the third period began, the Eagles maintained their poking, and sticking, but the Icers continued to maintain their composure, and walk away when possible.
Battista feels he has instilled their ability to walk away as a part of Penn State’s pride and class.
“I would like to think that it is my directive, and their compliance,” Battista said.
Senior Dave Murphy agreed: “Without coach we’d be out there gooning them right back. We’d be giving them the stick. But coach has been able to teach us to take their cheap stuff, the extracuricular activities, and put your head down, and hit them on the scoreboard.”
And hit them they did, 10 times to be exact.