Numerous questions remain after Monday's conference call between the Freehold Regional High School District and the refs' association.
A day before two Freehold Regional High School District ice hockey teams have scheduled home games, it’s unclear whether the puck will drop, due to a still unresolved conflict between the district and the hockey referees’ association.
The FRHSD and the refs held a conference call Monday to try to end the conflict, which stems from a district ban on two officials, but when pressed by NJ Advance Media, neither side offered more than vague indications that progress was made.
Last week, the district barred officials Dave Brown and Sal Bianco – two referees who claimed Howell parents attacked them in a postgame incident last February – from working games involving member schools.
In response to the barring of the two officials, an apparent effort by the refs’ association - an effort the district has called a “boycott” - officials declined to work Friday night’s game between Howell and Robbinsville, and the game had to be canceled.
After Monday’s call, FRHSD spokeswoman Rebecca Policastro said “It was a productive meeting. … We anticipate the hockey season will move forward,”. Pressed for details, such as whether officials had been assigned for Tuesday’s games, the district did not immediately respond.
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Eric Munroe, the first vice president of the National Ice Hockey Association of America New York-New Jersey chapter was one of the officials on the call, but declined to offer insight to the meeting other than reiterating the district’s take.
“Everything went well,” Munroe told NJ Advance Media. “I think things will work out and I think we’re in a good place.”
Munroe confirmed that the entire NIHOA executive board, minus Brown, was in on the call with Freehold Regional High School District Superintendent Charles Sampson and Howell High School principal Jeremy Braverman.
On Saturday, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association assistant director Jack DuBois warned that if a resolution was not reached, the matter would likely come before the controversy committee at the NJSIAA.
Each chapter of officials, including the one in question, signed an affiliation agreement that prohibits them from organized withholding of services, such as in a boycott, DuBois said.
When Brown, who is the president of NIHOA NY-NJ chapter, was informed last week that he and Bianco were no longer permitted to work games involving the district's’ five teams – Howell, Manalapan, Marlboro, Freehold Township, and Freehold Borough - he sent an email out to all the officials in the chapter asking them to refuse assignments for those team’s home games. Brown said that he sent the email not as the president of the association, but simply as a member, and asserted, therefore, that the email didn’t constitute a work stoppage.
A nonconference game between Howell and Robbinsville was canceled 90 minutes before faceoff on Friday night in what the district characterized as a boycott.
Two district teams – Freehold Borough and Marlboro – are scheduled to play home games on Tuesday night. Freehold Borough is hosting Nottingham at 6:15 p.m, while Marlboro is slated to face Ocean Township at 8:15 p.m. Both games are being played at Jersey Shore Arena in Wall.
Coaches from both of those games have told NJ Advance Media they are expected to go on without any officiating issues.
Matt Stypulkoski and Brandon Gould contributed to this report.
Brian Deakyne may be reached at bdeakyne@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrianDeakyne. Like NJ.com High School Sports on Facebook.
