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According to a report in the Foster's Daily Democrat, University of New Hampshire senior goaltender Casey DeSmith was arrested over the weekend on one count of simple assault and one count of resisting arrest.
The report by Morgan Palmer says the incident occurred with DeSmith's girlfriend on the morning of Sunday, August 31st shortly before midnight. DeSmith, a three-year starter, was expected to once again carry the load in the UNH crease.
DeSmith, a Rochester, NH native, has a career 2.32 goals against average and a .923 save percentage. If DeSmith is suspended for any length of time, freshman Adam Clark will likely take on the starting role. Clark, a Sherwood Park, Alberta native, played the last three seasons in the BCHL with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
Update:
According to the official statement from UNH on the issue, DeSmith has been suspended from the hockey team, pending further investigation. Here is the full statement:
The University of New Hampshire is aware of Casey DeSmith's arrest. The university takes the allegations very seriously and will always act to ensure the health and safety of our community. The university will treat this report with the seriousness that it deserves and in a manner consistent with our handling of similar cases involving any UNH student. Consistent with our policies regarding student athletes charged with this type of behavior, Mr. DeSmith has been suspended from the men's hockey team pending further investigation into the matter.
According to Justin Loring's article in The New Hampshire, UNH's student newspaper, the details of the police report certainly do not bode well for the future of Casey DeSmith at the school or on the hockey team. The following passage is part of the police report excerpted from Loring's article:
A call was received at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 30, from the female victim. According to the police report, the victim was "thrown to the ground, jumped on top of and was repeatedly punched and spat upon." DeSmith, "appeared intoxicated" and police said that when they arrived, the victim had "physical evidence" on her body.
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Jeff Cox covers college, junior and high school hockey, NCAA recruiting and NHL Draft prospects. Follow him on twitter @JeffCoxSports.