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University of Nebraska-Omaha senior forward Matt White and 21 year-old freshman defenseman Preston Hodge have been dismissed from the Mavericks hockey team Friday afternoon. A third player, senior forward Alex Simonson, remains suspended after the three earlier this month allegedly fought and made racial slurs outside an Omaha bar.
Each of the three were ticketed earlier for misdemeanor disorderly conduct and face a September court appearance.
News of White and Hodge's dismissal comes from a statement made by Nebraska-Omaha athletic director Trev Alberts.
Late Thursday afternoon, the UNO athletic department was made aware of an incident early in the morning of August 3 involving Preston Hodge, Matt White and Alex Simonson, members of the UNO hockey team. After an internal investigation which included a discussion with the Omaha Police Department, Preston Hodge and Matt White have been dismissed from the UNO hockey team and are no longer on scholarship.
In addition, Alex Simonson has been suspended pending further investigation by the athletic department. We are extremely disappointed in the actions of these students; we will not tolerate any misconduct of this nature. We will continue to work diligently to ensure our student athletes understand the importance of tolerance and respect for others.
The 25 year-old White was a co-captain this year for the Mavericks. In three collegiate seasons, he had 99 points (47 G - 52 A) and finished fourth in scoring on the team last year. Hodge spent last season with Dubuque and Sioux Falls of the USHL before coming to UNO.