Greyound sexual assault accused court date set

The first court date for three Soo Greyhound hockey players accused of sexual assault has been set for October 1.

Philadelphia Flyers prospect Nick Cousins,  Andrew Fritsch, a Phoenix Coyotes prospect, and Mark Petaccio, a Sicklerville, N.J., native were arrested and charged with the sexual assault of and adult female known to them.

The three star Greyhound players were arrested on Saturday, August 25.

Cousins and Fritsch were released by the officer in charge at the time of their arrest on an undertaking to appear in court.

Petaccio, a United States citizen, was held until Monday for a bail hearing because police wanted to make sure he didn't leave the country before facing his charges.

All three turned themselves in to police on Saturday evening after their accuser filed a complaint earlier in the day.

Conditions of the player's releases and all details about the case are covered by a publication ban.

The three players had returned to Sault Ste. Marie as the Greyhounds prepare to open up their training camp on Wednesday.

Cousins enters his fourth season with the Greyhounds after leading the team in scoring during the 2011-12 season with 35 goals and 88 points in 65 games. The five-foot-11 centre was signed by the Flyers to a three-year entry level contract in March. Cousins has spent his entire Ontario Hockey League career with the Greyhounds and was selected by the Flyers in the third round of the 2011 NHL draft.

Fritsch, still unsigned by the Coyotes after being drafted by the team in the sixth round of the 2011 NHL draft, missed 33 games last season due to injury. He had 13 goals and 32 points in 35 games in his first season as a Greyhound. Fritsch was acquired along with a second round draft pick in 2014 in the deal that sent Daniel Catenacci to Owen Sound. It marked the second time in his OHL career that he was dealt after being dealt to Owen Sound by the Niagara IceDogs.

Acquired in a trade on January 7 from Oshawa, Petaccio was set to enter his first full season as a member of the Greyhounds. The six-foot-three right winger had three goals and five points with the Greyhounds after being acquired.

Cousins and Fritsch were both set to attend their respective NHL training camps in Philadelphia and Phoenix, pending the NHL labour situation. Should the camps go on as scheduled, the status of both players for those camps is up in the air.