The Cornell University men's lacrosse team showed last season that they're capable of succeeding on a national level. While most fans of the sport will usually associate schools like Duke, Johns Hopkins, Syracuse and Notre Dame as usual lacrosse powers, the Big Red put together a tremendous run a year ago, advancing to the NCAA Division I semfinals. Ultimately falling to eventual champion Duke, Cornell hoped to build off its 14-win season in 2013 with another deep run through the regular season and into the NCAA Tournament.
According to multiple sources however, last season's semifinalists will not have a chance to recapture the magic this time around due to a handful of internal problems with members of the team. With multiple underclassmen enduring moments of hazing headlined by senior members of the team, ESPN reports that Cornell University officials have decided to cancel the fall season following an investiagtion that determined freshman players were hazed on more than one occassion. Hosting parties and forcing the younger team members to drink an excessive amount of beer in a drinking race with others, investigators determined that there was enough wrongdoing on the part of certain team members that warranted the cancelling of the men's lacrosse season.
Beginning on September 12, the probing discovered that senior members of the team were guilty of hazing younger players, forcing them to participate in acts that are obviously frowned upon by University officials and higher-ups, something the University noted in a statement.
On September 12, 2013, the Department of Athletics and Physical Education received information informing them that the new members of the men's varsity lacrosse team were being hazed by the upperclass members of the team.
The freshmen were expected to perform menial tasks, including chores and other duties that went above and beyond those expected of the general membership.
At one such social gathering, upperclass team members organized a "keg race" in which underage freshmen members, aided by seniors, were challenged to drink a large amount of alcohol (beer) in a competition against other team members.
The freshmen were told to stand in a circle and were tied together with string that was passed through their belt loops. They consumed a large quantity of alcohol to the point at which multiple members vomited.
On September 13, the Cornell men's varsity lacrosse team was placed on temporary suspension, pending the outcome of the investigation. Immediately following the conclusion of the investigation and determination of the hazing infractions, the team was notified that all Fall 2013 competitions had been canceled.
The team will participate in anti-hazing education programs and workshops and those members negatively affected by the hazing incidents will be provided support.
Due to the findings of the investigation, the men's lacrosse team will not partake in any fall matches.
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