Urine trouble: Soccer girls in hot water over 'pee photos' at opponent's field

Spectators at Holliston High's girls soccer game yesterday were buzzing about their team's ``whiz kids'' after a squat-and-run attack forced Medway officials to spray the artificial turf at Hanlon Field with disinfectant.

``It's always healthy to have a friendly rivalry between two towns, but when it gets ugly - it's sad,'' said Medway School Committee member Stephen Dahl.

Holliston school officials are disciplining members of the varsity girls soccer team after seeing pictures - posted on the Internet - that showed them allegedly urinating on the field last Friday, said Medway selectmen Chairman Glenn Trindade.

``We don't know (if they really urinated). Nobody knows except the girls themselves, and they claim they didn't do it - they were just simulating it,'' said Dahl.

``What (the photos) speak to is that obviously they weren't thinking,'' said Trindade. ``These poor kids have to be an embarrassment to their parents.''

Medway Police said they did not respond to the incident, nor are they investigating, and the school district is handling the episode on its own.

Holliston High School seniors watching the Panther girls' soccer game against Norton High School yesterday said the girls were just faking it as part of a scavenger hunt.

``I think the whole thing is getting blown out of proportion,'' said senior Michael Stone, Holliston's basketball team captain. ``They did it for two seconds, went out on the field threw a thumbs up and took a picture - that's all.''

Stone and friends Tim Caouette and Mike Healy, who both play varsity football, and Grady Capobianco, baseball team captain, said everyone in school has been talking about the snapshots since last Friday.

``The girls have been talked to a lot in the past week by school administrators. We heard the soccer team as a whole was being punished,'' said Capobianco.

While the punishment is not clear, and Holliston Principal Mary Canty couldn't be reached for comment, Healy said the team might have to forfeit its two games against Medway this year.

``None of them are in trouble at all - they just had to forfeit both games,'' said Healy.

``All the girls on the soccer team are hard-working, disciplined girls, and it's a tough break for them at the beginning of the season,'' said Capobianco.

``It's something that's going to hang over their head for the whole season,'' said Healy.

The captains of all school sports had to attend a meeting this week to discuss sportsmanlike conduct and behavior, said Capobianco.

``They gave us a speech about behavior this year and how we'll be expected to conduct ourselves,'' said Capobianco.

While the incident is controversial, Caouette said people should see some humor in it.

``There's humor in it for us, but parents and staff are very, very disappointed in the girls,'' said Caouette. ``It sucks for them.''

Parents at the game declined to comment.

``It's unfortunate that something like that happened to our town, but hopefully we can reach out to the Holliston people and try to put to rest any bad feelings harbored between the school teams,'' said Dahl.

While Medway Superintendent Richard Grandmont declined to comment to the Milford Daily News, he told the Boston Herald, ``(the photos) did not 100 percent substantiate that there was actual urination taking place. I do not want to blow this out of proportion and escalate something that's still being investigated. ... There's enough information to take the precautions we took on the field.''

The field was disinfected, said Dahl.

Students at Medway High School brought the episode to the attention of school officials, according to the Herald.

``If you had done this how long can you keep it a secret? If you put a (photo) on Facebook pretty soon people see it and a buzz is created among the kids in Holliston. Then it goes onto Medway and finally it hits some adults,'' said Trindade.

Trindade said the behavior of Medway students through all of this is to be commended.

``Knowing (Athletic Director) Rob Pearl and some of the other coaches ... our kids are taught you are a representative of your town, your school, and your family. Out of honor and respect you don't do this kind of thing,'' said Trindade.

Hanlan Field hosts football, soccer and field hockey games. A letter was sent out to the parents of those student athletes on Wednesday from Medway High School Principal Richard Pearson describing the incident, according to the Herald.

Holliston Athletic Director Jim Carboneau, Holliston Superintendent Brad Jackson and Pearson declined to comment.