Needham students told to sit out game

Needham High School principal Paul Richards told parents yesterday that students will not be allowed to attend the boys' varsity hockey game against Framingham today because of rowdiness by spectators at a game over the weekend.

In the latest crackdown on bad behavior at area school sports events, Richards said in an e-mail that Needham fans at Saturday's game against Wellesley yelled chants and heckled representatives from the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association who were there to observe fans because of an earlier incident.

"Needham's student section chanted, 'Wellesley . . . Wellesley . . . you s -k' several times," Richards said in an e-mail to parents. "In addition, they chanted, 'Put your clipboards away,' to the MIAA reps who were there to observe our fan behavior."

"Not a good scene, to say the least," Richards wrote.

The Needham boys' hockey team is defending the state Division 1 championship and is 6-0 this year. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association criticized Needham fans last year for poor sportsmanship at varsity hockey games, prompting school officials to add more crowd monitors at games and amend the student handbook.

In his e-mail yesterday, Richards said fans had improved their behavior at recent games, but "unfortunately, we took a step backward at last Saturday's game against Wellesley."

He ordered what essentially is a one-day suspension for students who want to attend boys' hockey games: They are banned from tonight's game in Dedham, though Framingham students can attend. He indicated students will be able to attend the game against Natick on Saturday.

Last night, Needham coach Bill Giusti said the school wants to avoid getting into trouble with the MIAA.

"They're a great group of fans, and occasionally they cross over the line a little bit, but you know, it's high school hockey," he said in an interview. "Personally, I don't see them not being able to attend our games. But the people in charge - my athletic director, my principal - are preventing them from attending this game so that maybe it will keep them marching a little more in line so that this doesn't happen again."

Needham High isn't the only school in the area to crack down on unruly student behavior at games.

In September, Lincoln-Sudbury High's principal required students to bring a guardian to football games after underage drinking was reported at an earlier game.

Globe correspondent Matt Porter contributed to this report. For more coverage of Needham, go to Boston.com/needham.