“This is not a matter of, ‘Hey, I hope you can get over this to win the next hockey game,’ ’’ he said. “People are injured here, people are hurting here, people are feeling bad here.’’
The Terriers have four games remaining in the regular season, beginning Friday at Vermont.
“It’s not a very good situation all around but one of the things I like about my team is that they’ve been resilient and they will support their teammate but at the same time, they will support their other teammates in the room,’’ he said. “I told them, ‘We know who we are, we know what type of citizens we have on this team. People will be painting this with a broad brush and you’re just going to have to [keep your chin up] and go about your business as you’re expected to go about your business as a good student, a good athlete, and a good citizen.’ ’’
Parker said he can’t be worried about what the outside world is thinking about him and his program.
“If I was worried about what outside people think of me and my program, I would be in a straitjacket probably,’’ said Parker. “There is no sense in trying to convince people of this or that. Some people will assume some things and some people will assume other things and in many, many areas, assumptions get proven incorrect.
“I’m hoping it plays out as best for everybody involved as possible but this is about due process. I want to assure anybody who is looking at our program that if there is reason for it to be dealt with severely, it will be dealt with severely. It will be dealt with fairly and properly just like we have in every other instance. We’ve had a sterling reputation here for a long time. We’re not covering anything up. We’re not trying to save anybody’s reputation.’’
Parker said neither player has been convicted and their alleged misdeeds have yet to be adjudicated, but he believes he has his finger on the pulse of the team and it’s not pernicious.
“If there is a problem with my team, that stops with me, that’s my problem and I should be painted with that brush,’’ he said. “Is drinking a problem in college athletics? Yes. Is sexual misbehavior a problem with college students? Yes.
“Do we expect that our guys and gals understand that and take a little bit better look at how they conduct themselves? Yes, we do and we try to give them all the information we can and give them all the help we can to make good decisions but good people make bad decisions and sometimes bad people make bad decisions but we don’t know what the decisions are here. I don’t think the brush should be dipped in the paint yet.’’
He said he and his team will try to make the best of the rest of the year.
“I feel bad for everybody involved. Nobody’s going to come out of this a winner,’’ he said. “This is a bad situation and it remains to be seen how bad but we’ll deal with it.’’
