Hockey team hit hardest with suspensions

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Associated Press


ANCHORAGE -- More than a dozen Alaska Anchorage athletes were suspended and will miss a combined 60 competitions for abusing their textbook allowances.


The 18 athletes broke NCAA rules by improperly acquiring $2,500 worth of books at the school bookstore, athletic director Steve Cobb said Friday. Thirteen of the athletes were members of the hockey team.


"They knew what they were doing was wrong,'' hockey coach John Hill said. "Some of them were purchasing books for teammates who don't get book money, and in that sense they were trying to help a teammate. But they knew it was wrong.''


The NCAA allows schools to buy books for athletes, but only books required for classes they are actively taking.


Most of the books in question, including those cases involving hockey players, were given to players who aren't on scholarship, Cobb said.


Cobb said they found no evidence that the athletes were selling the books. The mistakes ranged from what likely were innocent mistakes to outright abuse.


Fifteen athletes will miss three games, two will miss seven and one will miss one.


Basketball player Scott Stevens broke an NCAA rule when he used his book allowance to acquire a biology book that was recommended, but not required, by his professor.


"It's hard to believe I'd get in trouble for buying (books) to help me in class,'' Stevens said.


Because 13 of 28 players on the hockey team are involved, the NCAA will allow UAA to stagger the suspensions. Eight of the players are suspended for this weekend's series with Michigan Tech. The Seawolves will then have anywhere from one to eight players suspended for the next eight games.

Hill said he learned of the suspensions, including those of captain Matt Shasby and assistant captains Dan Gilkerson and Lee Green, less than five hours before Friday's game, which UAA lost.


Four men's basketball players were suspended, but Cobb said there are no indications any of them acquired books for anyone other than themselves.


Cobb said basketball player Mark Drake violated the rule by getting books for a class he planned to take, but then couldn't get into.


Skier Eric Strabel said his mistake was buying a book last fall for a class he planned to take this spring.


"I didn't pay much attention to the rule,'' he said. "I just thought if you had books on scholarship, you could buy any books whenever.''


The school has changed the way scholarship athletes acquire books at the bookstore. Only one or two high-ranking bookstore employees will be allowed to conduct scholarship purchases. And athletes must present printed copies of their class schedules to prove they are taking the class they're acquiring books for.