On March 27, when the Keller’s became state champions, their victory was, within moments, overshadowed by the brawl that followed on the field. The incident that took place post the match between Keller and Arlington Martin players was caught on camera and quickly found its way to YouTube.

Keller won the game that took place at Dr Pepper StarCenter in Farmers Branch by 9-3 which resulted in a Silver League victory for them. However the victory lost its luster due to the chaos that followed when a group of Martin players slammed two of Keller players into the corner. The YouTube video(s) clearly depict what unfolded within moments of the victory.

Arlington Martin’s Jeff SoRelle, who was in the penalty box, couldn’t digest his team’s loss. In the video, he is seen skating full speed and slamming into Keller’s Travis Hall who was standing along the board and not partaking in the fight. However, as SoRelle was skating away, Keller’s Braxton Mills, who had been sent off the ice and saw the scene from the viewer area, retaliated by charging at SoRelle and delivered a sucker punch to his face. The blow was so powerful that SoRelle was lying on the ice for quite a long time. It was later disclosed that he had suffered a concussion and had a broken jaw.

Although, in a coach’s words, what transpired was ‘disgusting and inexcusable’, fighting in a high school hockey game is rare. Both Mills and SoRelle were playing their last game and hence the customary penalty of suspending the players for three games would not apply. Also, the infraction for Mills is much severe since he was not ejected from the game but was penalized off the ice. His penalty time was greater than the time left on the game and hence he should have left straight to the locker room. He not doing that and in turn entering the skirmish on the ice worsened his case.

Almost after two weeks of the skirmish, the Texas Amateur Hockey Association (TAHA) announced the penalties for both the players. According to the decision of the committee, Braxton Mills will be banned from all USA hockey activity for the next two and a half years and Jeff SoRelle will be banned for the duration of two years.

Keller’s Coach Knute Anderson refuted statements that said that it was a brawl of good guys versus bad guys and said that it was simply an act of stupidity by two kids which resulted in one getting hurt. Anderson maintains a strict attitude towards fights and kicks off any player that gets into them. In his six years of coaching, he had never had a kid fight.

As for Mr. SoRelle, he had his jaw wired shut and is said to be OK.

Image official credit website:http://sports.gunaxin.com/high-school-hockey-players-suspended-for-two-years/88845