By Arielle Aronson and Tim Healey/DFP Staff
Photo is a DFP file photo by Amanda Swinhart/DFP Staff
Corey Trivino – the Boston University Hockey team’s star forward who was dismissed from the team Monday after criminal charges stemming from an arrest Sunday night – has a history of alcohol-related problems, according to BU hockey coach Jack Parker.
In a phone interview with the Daily Free Press on Monday, Parker said this is the fourth alcohol-related incident the 21-year-old Trivino has been punished by the team for in his three-plus years at BU.
These incidents are due to what Parker believes is a serious drinking problem.
“There is no question in my mind it’s an alcohol problem,” Parker said. “I did [ask him to get treatment], but he didn’t think it was for him.”
Parker’s comments come one day after Trivino was arraigned on three counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, one count of assault to rape, and three counts of breaking and entering in the nighttime for felony, according to criminal dockets obtained from Brighton District Court.
Trivino pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment on Monday. He was kicked off the team that same day.
“Corey knew exactly where he stood,” Parker said. “It’s sad but it’s simple for me. Corey knew in September that if he had another alcohol-related incident on campus or off campus, he would be gone from the team.
“I asked him [Monday], ‘What do you think I’m going to do to you, Corey?’ He said, ‘You’re going to kick me off the team.’ I said, ‘Why do you think that?’ He said, ‘Because you told me in September that you were going to kick me off the team if I had another alcohol-related incident.’ And I said, ‘That’s correct, and here we are.’”
The incident leading to Trivino’s arrest occurred Sunday night before 11 p.m. Parker said Trivino was watching the Patriots game earlier Sunday afternoon with some teammates. They were together for a while before a few of Trivino’s teammates put him to bed because he was so drunk, Parker said.
According to the narrative in the BU Police Department report, given to the Daily Free Press by Brighton District Court, Trivino first made contact with the victim when she asked individuals who were rowdy in a room to quiet down.
Parker said he believed Trivino was alone at the time of the incident and said he had not heard from residence life about a complaint involving any issue with other team members.
Trivino allegedly forced his way into the room of the victim and forcibly kissed and groped her, according to the BUPD report.
Parker was alerted of the incident around 1 a.m. on Monday morning, at which point he called an attorney to ensure Trivino would be represented in court later that day. He also spoke with Trivino’s parents and then with Trivino himself, at which point Parker told Trivino he was off the team, the coach said.
“I knew as soon as they called me that Corey Trivino was no longer on the BU hockey team,” Parker said. “I told him before in September. I told him then, ‘The good news is, I’m not going to do anything about that incident,’ which is minor compared to this one. ‘But here’s the bad news,’ I said. ‘Next time, I’m going to kick you off the team for good. And here’s the worst news, there will be another incident, Corey.’”
Before Sunday night’s incident, Parker said he had tried a variety of punishments to get Trivino to be more responsible about drinking. He suspended him from the team in May of 2010, forced him to do extra workouts and asked him to consider treatment. None of the punishments worked, and so when Trivino had another alcohol-related incident last spring, Parker decided just to warn him instead of punishing him.
“I could suspend him [at that time] for some games, but that didn’t work,” Parker said. “So I said this is going to be real simple. I’m going to give you a fair warning. One more incident and you’ll be gone. One more alcohol-related incident and you’re out of here. No ifs, ands or buts. That’s what he knew was going to be the outcome.
“The only thing you can do to help a kid with an alcohol problem is get him to stop drinking.”
Trivino was in accordance with team rules Sunday night as far as consuming alcohol is concerned. Players 21 years or older are allowed to drink on Saturday nights or on other designated nights as chosen by the coaching staff.
Parker said Sunday night was one of those specified nights because the team had just returned from a three-day road trip to play the University of New Hampshire and the University of Maine. Trivino registered two goals in the game against Maine, his final game in a BU sweater, marking the first time he had a multi-goal game in his BU career.
Parker spoke with the rest of his team about Trivino on Monday. He said they are “very upset” about losing Trivino, but knew it was the likely result of Trivino’s actions because the team was aware of the ultimatum Trivino faced.
“They’re very upset for the loss of a teammate,” Parker said. “They’re very upset for him having the huge problems he has away from Agganis. His problems with BU hockey are the least of his problems right now. And they’re very upset that there’s another victim involved.
“If he broke his leg, it would be a big hole to fill in the lineup, but it’s just the way it happened. It’s not only a hole to fill in the lineup, it’s a hole to fill in the team’s soul too because he’s a well-liked kid and he’s a good teammate. He’s no longer with us, so it’s like he died, you know? That’s the challenge of it for the leadership of the team and the coaches, to get everybody to turn the page. Corey’s no longer here.”
There is no mention here of an alcohol abuse program. Was that tried? Also, this mentions “another victim”. Under what circumstances was there another victim? Is that related to the relatively minor incident to which Coach Parker is alluding?
@1st anon. Did you not read the article? The very first quote from parker talks about trying to get him into an alcohol abuse program, by Trivino said it ‘wasn’t for him’. And in terms of the ‘another victim’ quote, Parker meant the RA that wss the focus of trivino’s attack. Read the full article carefully before posting comments.
I think “another victim” is in reference to there being someone else involved (the victim in this case), and that the incident did not involve just Corey himself, such as being pulled over for DUI or something along those lines.
1st commenter is very bad at reading.
I want to thank you guys for taking the valuable time out of your study periods to put together such great articles on such a horrible situation.
This incident seems overblown. Parker should have suspended Trivino until the whole story came out and then decide what to do.
Parker is clearly privy to details which we’re not. So he’s made an informed decision for the best interest of the program and the school’s image.
Like him or hate him, this was not an easy decision and I’m not even connected with BU in any way.
I’m a BC guy.
With everything happening in college sports today it would have been nice to see Parker and BU athletics handle this correctly. As a hockey fan its nice that we aren’t the complete joke that college football and basketball is with eligibility issues, scholarship tampering and what not. College hockey is really the only sport the NCAA should be proud of. In saying that it would have been nice to see Parker and BU athletics preemptively deal with this problem, and help a young kid before a problem occurred. Clearly Parker new this was a big problem for Corey, yet he choose to let a young misguided athlete who probably was full of himself continue to fail. I wish he would have benched him until he was willing to get help for his problem. It would be nice to see college coaches putting the betterment and well being of the student athlete before the program just for once.
He clearly needs help. I hope he gets it.
Best,
BC Guy
The college hockey kids in this area are such entitled brats. They seem to have everything handed to them and are not getting the life lessons they need for the real world.
Where are the adults to guide these wayward youths?
To the last poster, have you ever thought about the fact that things like this happen on a daily basis all over the world with kids Corey’s age? The only reason you hear about them is because they are college athletes. For the most part, college athletes do a great job of conducting themselves, so kudos to the parents of those kids. There is no sense of entitlement here, just a good kid who made a bad mistake. It’s how he recovers from it that will define him as a person. thoughts and prayers go out to both Corey and the victim.
Trivino knew the conseuences of any future drinking related incidents. Coaches like Parker andYork try to teach kids to be leaders on and of the ice. Trivino is obviously a good leader on the ice. He obviously has trouble controlling himself when drinking. which means he has a drinking problem. You all know plenty of people you grew up with that had drinking problems and you all know you cannot make them get help. Parker knows that. He told the kid about the consequences. Now Trivino will have to grow up. Too bad because BU was on a good run.
I will say this again as I have said in other posts..as it has now become public…It is well known Corey had Alcohol “issues” that went beyond 4 SPECIFIC incidents.. … Unfortuantely as much as I love and respect coach parker and the staff there should not have been a choice here..It is simple…Get help or you don’t play on the team….Unfortuantely the welfare of the team it seems was put ahead the welfare of this young man…
You can’t force a person into a substance abuse rehab. until they admit they have a problem, no outside intervention is going to matter. Read step 1 of the AA big book
Did Coyle flunk out of school too?
Aren’t there laws that prevent Parker from public ally revealing the information he did?
Coyle did not flunk out of BU. He made a decision to leave school. Many students make the same decision. There is no need to imply something so negative because of the Corey Trivino incident. Best of luck to Charlie Coyle.
It’s true Coyle did not flunk out of BU.
However, if he had stayed at BU next semester, there were rumors that he wouldn’t be academically eligible to play per NCAA rules requiring student-athletes to have a minimum 2.0 GPA to maintain eligibility.
Thus any trouble Coyle may have faced by staying at BU was probably within the context of not satisfying NCAA requirements – and not necessarily within the context of BU’s academic standing (yet).
Wish things could’ve worked out differently, but it is what it is and all parties have to move forward for everyone’s benefit.
When something is labeled “a rumor” it just that not factual.For others to then continue speaking as if they know something that they do not is unaceptable and careless. Charlie Coyle made a decision to take a different path. If anyone truly cares, he’s doing a fantastic job in Canada. He has his priorities in order and his success and dedication to the game of hockey should be congratulated not degrading. Grow up. It’s best if you speak only about things you know to be true. That is the type of class and good character that Charlir Coyle would and has always displayed. Maybe we should all stop, think and take a lesson from a very young man with honorable principles. Our society might just benefit. Also, (TIP) many should never pass up the opportunity to keep their mouths shut. Have a nice day!!!!!!!!! SKW