A Butler County man is accused of punching a referee during an adult hockey game at the Pittsburgh Ice Arena in Westmoreland County.

Gregory G. Gilbert, 43, of Buffalo Township, faces a hearing later this month on a charge of assault on a sports official, a first-degree misdemeanor, stemming from the Oct. 2 incident.

The alleged victim spoke to New Kensington police Oct. 3, recounting the altercation with Gilbert that began after he called the defendant for a holding penalty, according to charging documents.

Gilbert, in turn, approached the victim and allegedly bumped into him, police said, asking the referee if he had seen an opposing player skate into him before the penalty was called.

The referee told police that the defendant raised his stick toward him, prompting him to grab it.

“Gilbert responded by punching him about approximately three times,” documents said.

Another referee and other players stepped in and helped get the suspect off of the victim. Gilbert was ejected from the game.

Police said the victim suffered a cut to the bridge of his nose.

The investigating officer spoke by telephone with the other referee, who described Gilbert as a fill-in player at the game. That referee provided his account, saying it was the “first time in his 10 plus years he had witnessed anything like this,” the officer's affidavit said.

The other referee recalled seeing Gilbert bump the victim and then saw the defendant on top of him, “forcefully pushing his head/helmet into the ice and throwing multiple punches,” according to the affidavit.

The alleged assault left the victim with a bleeding cut on the nose, the other referee told police.

Gilbert was charged by summons and his preliminary hearing is set Oct. 29 at the office of District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. Online court records did not indicate if Gilbert has an attorney, and he could not be reached for comment.