WOONSOCKET – A 17-year-old Cumberland student faces a juvenile hearing on a disorderly conduct charge for his involvement in fights that broke out last night at the Mount St. Charles hockey arena during the boys hockey playoffs.

Tensions between Cumberland and Smithfield hockey fans flared around 9:45 p.m., after the second period of the hockey game, Woonsocket Lt. Timothy S. Paul said this morning.

A parent first reported to the police officer who had been hired for the game that a Smithfield student was making crude gestures toward Cumberland fans. Sgt. Todd Boisvert asked the boy to leave, but he said his ride was at the game and not prepared to leave. Boisvert then insisted the boy spend the rest of the game at his side.

A short time later, Cumberland fans surrounded that Smithfield fan. The officer escorted them into the lobby, where several fights broke out among the crowd of about 50 to 75 people in the lobby.

Boisvert called for backup and when every available officer in the city and those from nearby communities arrived, tensions subsided.

The arrest came after the Cumberland student refused police attempts to get him to leave the area and used obscenities against an officer, Paul said.

-- projo.com staff writer Kate Bramson