Ref Abuse: We Knew It Was Coming...

The NJCAA National Hockey Championship game was terminated and forfeited Saturday night when one of the players of one of the five schools of this division attacked a referee and was arrested.

Erie Community College (NJCAA) player storms out of penalty box to level referee late in 3rd period, ending national title game pic.twitter.com/UuJYjSER3K

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) February 26, 2017

Since there were only five schools this year, the NJCAA has terminated sanctioning of men's ice hockey.

We knew this was coming.  There has been far too much referee abuse making the national media the last several years.  We had to know it would get at least this far at some point.

The player, Brandon Day, has been charged with second-degree harassment, disorderly conduct, and fourth-degree criminal mischief under New York Law. 

There is no apparent special reference in New York's Penal Code 120, for assault and other similar crimes, against a sports referee.

The disorderly conduct charge (240.20) is a minor violation.  So is second-degree harassment (240.26).  

It's the criminal mischief charge (145.00) that can get him one year in New York jail.  I'm not clear why something in Penal Code 120 was not also invoked here.

In fact, reading 145.00 here, it sounds like Day is being mis-charged.