Rape Charges Against Former BU Hockey Player Dropped

Prosecutors have dropped all charges against a former Boston University hockey player accused of sexual assault, our Newscast unit just reported.

Max Nicastro, 22, was arrested in February after being accused of assaulting a female student in a campus dorm. On Friday, the Suffolk County District Attorney's office said:

After a three-month investigation and a comprehensive review of the evidence it developed, prosecutors determined that they could not meet their burden at trial of proof beyond a reasonable doubt and had an ethical obligation not to pursue it further.

Following the February incident, Nicastro was suspended from the hockey team, and he is no longer enrolled at the school.

Nicastro's arrest came two months after another BU hockey player, Corey Trivino, 22, was charged with sexual assault and dismissed from the team.

In March, prosecutors dropped the intent to rape charge against Trivino due to a lack of evidence. He still faces three charges of breaking and entering and three charges of indecent assault.

Following the two arrests, BU President Robert Brown announced the creation of a task force to investigate the culture of the hockey team.

Update at 2 p.m.: Nicastro told WCVB-TV that he's happy and relieved.

"It's been a hard road, but I stayed confident in my friends and family," he said. "They've been with me this whole time. It's been OK."