ORONO – Hope is all but lost.

In the aftermath of sexual assault allegations against University of Maine football players Paris Minor and Stefan Gomes, the men – and their teammates, coaches, families and attorneys – believed they would be exonerated.

Monday’s decision by the UMaine appeal committee to uphold the university’s suspension of Gomes and Minor has left their supporters realizing the action taken Sept. 25 by the UMaine Conduct Code Committee is likely to stand.

Attempts Tuesday to reach Gomes, who returned home to Massachusetts on Friday, and Minor were unsuccessful. Minor did grant an interview Tuesday to WZON radio.

“I’m confused, I’m baffled, bewildered,” Minor told WZON. “I don’t know what to do or say.”

Most team members found out about the appeal decision late Monday afternoon, but the team met Tuesday morning to discuss the outcome.

“Hope’s a very important word in my life and it’s been kind of taken away in this situation, so now we have to move on to closure,” said subdued UMaine football coach Jack Cosgrove.

“It’s been hard for them [the players] because it’s their teammates.”

Senior captain Jake Eaton said the Bears were angered by the appeal decision, but must continue to provide consolation to Minor and Gomes.

“The best thing we can do as friends and teammates is to support them and help them move on; also to keep playing for them because that’s what they would want us to do,” said Eaton, who wants to “try to educate and communicate to people who did not know these men that they are what I consider true friends, good people and in no manner threats to the safety of any other students at this university.”

Minor said he firmly believed he and Gomes would be reinstated after the appeal committee reviewed the case.

“I was a hundred percent sure that we were going to be playing ball once they handed in the decision,” Minor said.

The appeal committee’s only other option besides upholding the suspensions would have been to refer the case back to a new conduct code committee for another hearing.

Tom Hallett, the attorney for the alleged victim, said his client’s claims have been supported by the committee’s decision.

“The appeals division took a great amount of time and effort to come to this decision,” Hallett said. “It should be viewed as a vindication of my client’s position.”

Minor feels betrayed by the UMaine judicial process, but vowed to fight for his right to return to school and to the football team.

“The only reason I am coming back to this school is to prove to the university that they’re not going to get rid of us and you can’t just do this to people,” Minor said.

“I’m not leaving. I’m not running.”

Bangor attorney John Lucy vowed to keep working on behalf of Minor and Gomes.

“It’s just really terrible for these guys,” Lucy said. “They deserve a fair hearing and they never got one.

“We’re not done with this by a long shot,” Lucy added.

At the request of UMaine football captains Eaton, Stephen Cooper and Brendan Curry, UMaine President Peter Hoff met with the team Tuesday afternoon.

“Informative,” and beneficial was how Cosgrove described the 50-minute session. “A bunch of guys asked questions and Dr. Hoff was good enough to answer the questions to the best of his ability and to the extent that he could.”

The final appeal of Minor and Gomes in regard to the UMaine Conduct Code Committee’s decision to suspend them will be heard by Hoff or his designee.

UMaine spokesman Joe Carr on Tuesday dismissed a claim made Monday by Bangor attorney Fred Costlow that the appeal committee had voted 2-1 to uphold the suspensions.

Carr said committee member Robert Whelan explained no such vote was taken among the three-member panel, which included Whelan, Anne Pooler and Michael Scott.

“They were unanimous in their decision,” said Carr, who conceded there was disagreement on one issue during the deliberations.

The university is prohibited by the Buckley Amendment from discussing details of student conduct matters.

Minor and Gomes were accused of sexually assaulting a fellow UMaine student June 10 at her Old Town apartment. The men insist the relationship was consensual.

The Old Town police investigated the alleged incident at the time and forwarded their report to the Penobscot County District Attorney’s office. Neither has filed charges against the men.

“All I can say is that a terrible mistake has been made and I just hope for my friends’ sake that this does not crush all opportunities that these two men could have had in the future,” Eaton said.