The coach of the boys' high school hockey team in upstate New York has at least 11 players accused of cheating young members of the country saying he is heartbroken by the community, while denying that the team's employees had any knowledge of the alleged incident before it happened.

“For the victims, their families, and everyone in the Westhill community, my heart is hurt for you,” Syracuse Westhill High School coach Aaron Cahill posted on LinkedIn Wednesday. “The pain and harm this causes are very real and no one should endure it.”

Local investigators say older members of the team took young players to a remote wooded area, with other students in dark clothes waving at least a pistol and a knife, as part of a fraud incident or prank.

Cahill said this behavior “never surrender.” As the first-year head coach, his priority is to “maintain the highest standards of our student-athletes – both on-site and off-field” and to create a “based on inclusion, kindness and accountability” program, he wrote.

"Let me be clear: We and our coaching staff work in full with the ongoing investigation," Cahill wrote. "We were confirmed to have absolutely no prior knowledge of this incident."

The findings of the investigation are that Westhill Central School District principal Steve Dunham announced Tuesday that the rest of Westhill's boys lacrosse season will be cancelled after a month.

Cahill's position came, and the Oondaga County District Attorney's Office said 11 students handed over to the sheriff's office and received tickets for appearance.

A day ago, District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick gave the student a final pass: surrender to the authorities within 48 hours or face felony kidnapping charges. By doing so before the deadline, students were awarded tickets for illegal incarceration, a misdemeanor.

Fitzpatrick, who has not named any student, said he was a minor and an 18-year-old student, told reporters Tuesday that he might also be involved.

Investigators say at least five young players are targeted by bullies. Fitzpatrick described the April 24 incident as "steroid bullying."

A victim reported he participated in a lacrosse game, followed by McDonald's with seniors, the district attorney said.

After that, students said they took him to the woodland area after they took him to the driver of the car that was pretending to be lost, according to Fitzpatrick.

"At sometime in the preparatory class, people stood out from the woods. They were equipped with at least one pistol and at least one knife," Fitzpatrick said in a press conference on Tuesday. "The man had a pillowcase on his head. He was tied up and placed in the trunk of the car."

Fitzpatrick added that he saw the video evidence and students believed he was abandoned.

“You can hear some people find it interesting,” he said.

Fitzpatrick said the student was eventually taken home, but what happened was extreme, “not a ritual that was passed.” He added that emotional trauma was “long-term.”

"If you want to welcome someone to your team and get them strengthened, maybe the extra exercise might be appropriate, rather than bringing someone to the muzzle, stuffing them in the back of the car and causing trauma for the rest of your life," Fitzpatrick said.

Dunham said in a letter to his parents that the school was informed of "potential off-campus incidents" last Friday, prompting school officials to participate in law enforcement. He refused to share details about student discipline, telling parents that they "have no right to know."

According to a letter obtained by Syracuse.com, “Any behavior that negatively affects any of these aspects of other students will be resolved quickly and appropriately.” “When we appear, we do not avoid difficult situations and make difficult decisions.”

The handbook of Westhill High School’s parents says bullying can lead to various punishments, depending on the severity and the number of crimes, from warnings to suspensions.

“Student deception does not need to be raised to the level of criminal activity to violate district rules and subject to proper disciplinary sanctions,” the manual says. “Any bullying activity, whether individual or a group, should be considered a forced activity and violate board policies, regardless of the true or claimed 'will' of the student to participate.”