Schenectady

Mayor Gary McCarthy said he was telling the mounting crowd of Union College revelers through a bullhorn that the police were going to let them party on — if things remained civil.

But then bottles started being thrown at vehicles as 400 to 500 students gathered late Saturday night on Union Avenue in the wake of the men's hockey team's Division I win, McCarthy said. That's when police got involved and bottles started being thrown at them, the mayor said. In the end, five students were arrested, one on a felony charge for allegedly hitting an officer with a bottle.

"Most were well-behaved, but there were a few acting inappropriate," McCarthy said about the huge party, which took place on the edge of what's considered the Union Triangle.

Schenectady police spokesman Lt. Mark McCracken said that officers who responded to Union Avenue between Gillespie and Union streets around 10:46 p.m. decided to barricade the street to traffic, and avoid ticketing people for underage drinking and other minor offenses.

No doubt the students had just left the Messa Rink, where the game being played for the NCAA title was being shown on a broadcast from Philadelphia.

But McCracken said bottles hit at least two officers and broke out the spotlight on a police vehicle.

Mark Fisher, 18, was charged with attempted second-degree assault, after McCracken said a bottle he allegedly threw hit an officer. Fisher was sent to the Schenectady County Jail without bail pending an arraignment on the felony charge. John B. Hathaway, 21; Nicholas L. Hersey, 20; Cameron E. Robertson, 19; and Broderick R. Shea, 20, were all charged with inciting a riot, and various other charges. They were released pending a future court date.

McCracken said it took until 1 a.m. to disperse the crowd. Officers from Glenville, Niskayuna, Rotterdam, Scotia, State Police and the county Sheriff's Department also assisted. The police spokesman said he saw full beer cans dent cars on the street, but had no word on formal complaints about property damage.

"It's a large group and stuff is getting thrown," McCracken said. "Initially, it was just straight up in the air. Then eventually it made its way to police."

A Union College spokesman said the students will likely face discipline under the college's student conduct code as well.

"We are very proud of the way the majority of our students chose to celebrate our first national championship," the college said in a statement. "Unfortunately, there were a handful of fans who chose to behave inappropriately. As a result, they will now have to face consequences for their actions."

lstanforth@timesunion.com • 518-454-5697