The intermediate A lacrosse game reached a fever pitch on Saturday in Nanaimo at Frank Crane Arena, an incident that has been condemned by both teams involved, according to media reports.
The two teams of 16- to 18-year-old players are both from British Columbia – the Coquitlam Adanacs and Nanaimo Timbermen.
“The game disintegrated late in the second period as Cody Reed scored to put Coquitlam up 15-4. Reed was hit by the Timberman’s Jordan Kuziuk, who two seconds later was crosschecked by the Adanacs’ Zachary Hartman, who was playing in his first game back after missing time to a concussion,” as Canada.com writes.
Only a few players started fighting after Coquitlam scored to take a 15-4 lead. But as the officials tried to settle down the fighters, more players got into the action and both benches eventually cleared.
The brawl was captured on camera and a video was uploaded to YouTube, where it has garnered around 39,000 views in two days.
B.C. Intermediate A Lacrosse League commissioner Gene Regier came down hard on both teams, handing out 15 suspensions, Canada.com adds.
There were no other reported injuries beyond cuts and bruises.
One of the Timbermen players commented to Canada.com: “I love this game, I’ve been involved with it since I was a kid, and (the brawl) does nothing for it. Sometimes this is what attracts the wrong people to the game.”
