Crosstown Hockey Rivalry Ends in Fight at Troy Sports Center

The crosstown rivalry hockey game between Athens High School and Troy High School Wednesday evening ended in a fight that had to be broken up by police, according to Troy Police Capt. Robert Redmond, who said the fight broke out shortly after 9 p.m.

The Athens High School student newspaper, the AHS Scarlet Letter (@AthensSL), tweeted about the fight just before 10 p.m. Wednesday, writing: "Brawl erupts after hockey game. Troy Police have arrived, numerous students being held by Safe-Ed. Venue being cleared now by authorities."

A few minutes later, @AthensSL tweeted again: "Numerous police cars on scene at the Troy Sports Center after a brawl erupted between Troy Athens and Troy High."

Athens High School senior Kenneth Scudder, reporter and Twitter coordinator for the Scarlet Letter, was a the sports center for the game and gave a firsthand account of the fight.

"Following the ending of the hockey game, students from both schools slowly exited the rink under close supervision from Safe-Ed – school security personnel – and school administrators," Scudder wrote in an email to Patch. At that time, Troy Police were not yet present, he said.

"Students entered the lobby and a fight (developed) between Troy High and Athens students," Scudder continued. "Safe-Ed struggled to regain control, and an elderly woman in an electric scooter was almost crushed by the crowd.  Other students were running to the door."

Scudder said Safe-Ed and school administrators managed to clear the lobby, though the fight continued to a lesser degree in the parking lot.

"Students heard the sirens of the police approaching, and the fight dissipated," he said.

"My kids just got home and there was a big fight," Scudder's mother,Jennifer Kirsch Scudder, wrote on Troy Patch's Facebook page Wednesay night. "They said it involved up to 30 kids and they had to evacuate the Sports Center."

"The game ends like this almost every year," Samantha Pena wrote on Facebook.

"Lets fight over territories while little ones are being buried in CT," Kim Niemiec Graziosi wrote on Facebook. "Do you ever wonder why girls don't commit mass killings? It's all in the way we socialize boys to be violent."

"Say it ain't so," Bob Krizmanich (@bkrizphoto) tweeted. "It's Christmas time. What happened to peace on earth and goodwill toward men?"

Editor's Note: This story was updated with additional information about the fight at 9 a.m. on Dec. 20.

Were you at the game? Did you see the fight? Tell us in the comments below.