BALTIMORE – Sophomore defenseman Sean McGonigle played for the first time Saturday after the team suspended him for his arrest on Feb. 15 in connection with an off-campus assault. The team lifted the suspension Thursday.

‘It came from the administration,’ Syracuse head coach John Desko said. ‘I saw them Thursday morning and they said it was good to go.’

Desko acknowledged that SU Director of Athletics Daryl Gross was involved in the decision-making process. Desko didn’t provide further details into why the athletic administration decided to lift his suspension.

After police arrested McGonigle for the alleged assault of a 19-year-old male SU sophomore after a party on the 1000 block of Harrison Street on Jan. 20, Desko suspended him indefinitely and stated that he would withhold a time table of his suspension until he knew more details.

McGonigle pled not guilty to charges of misdemeanor assault at his arraignment the same day, his lawyers said. McGonigle’s pre-trial hearing is scheduled for April 17.

‘He was involved,’ Desko said of Gross’ role in the decision. ‘But I don’t think it was anybody above him. I think there was advisement. It wasn’t just him.’

McGonigle played a limited role by scooping up two ground balls. He was also called for a 30-second pushing penalty in the second quarter. He redshirted the 2005 season and appeared in six games last season. The defenseman played in SU’s three NCAA tournament games against Harvard, Johns Hopkins and Virginia. He scooped a groundball against Harvard, his only statistic of the season.

Published on March 4, 2007 at 12:00 pm