The bling says it all: Champions.
On Saturday morning in the Hammond Hall Main Lounge, the 2025 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) champion Fitchburg State University men's hockey team was finally handed the glittering, custom-forged rings, transforming months of sweat and sacrifice into a single, overwhelming flash of victory.
The special ring ceremony featured members of the 2024-2025 team, including recent graduates, coaches and family members, with the pride of Green and Gold filtering through campus.
“It’s your tireless commitment to excellence that has brought such tremendous pride and energy to this campus,” said Fitchburg State President Donna Hodge to the players and coaches in attendance. “Today is the culmination of that tremendous ride. The championship belongs to far more than the players on the ice; the families that supported their athletes every step of the way. It belongs to the coaches and training staff whose dedication and expertise made sure that our players were ready to compete at the highest level every period.”
Forged in the heat of battle and shimmering with the weight of the team’s destiny, the championship ring serves as a lifelong symbol of the Falcons’ immortal unity and ultimate triumph.
“To the players, coaches and staff: you achieved something special,” said Fitchburg State Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation Matt Burke. “This championship ring isn’t just a beautiful piece of jewelry, it’s a permanent symbol of a historic season, your teamwork, and the legacy you’ve created here at Fitchburg State.”
Each ring features the Fitchburg State Falcon head centered in the middle and surrounded by gem stones, along with each players’ name on the side. There’s an inscription on the inside of the band, serving as a reminder of the opponents and scores during the conference championship run.
The rings are nothing short of show-stoppers and a keepsake for life. The players couldn’t help but keep looking at their hard-earned and flashy jewelry, while receiving heartfelt handshakes and hugs after the ceremony.
“It’s pretty special,” said senior goalie Max Macchioni. “It’s setting in now with the ring that we have something that everyone can take home for the rest of their lives. Being able to share that with family and friends, it’s awesome. President Hodge, Coach Dean Fuller, the rest of the coaching staff, having them present and recognizing what we did is amazing.
“We’re going to remember this for the rest of our lives and it’s something that’s going to keep us together for the rest of our lives,” he said. “You never take it for granted. It’s a really special moment.”
The final scores and plays in each game may fade over time for these champions, but that winning feeling will live on forever.
“It’s a great feeling, and it’s something you want to do over and over again,” said senior defenseman Trenton Skaggs. “It’s easier said than done, but it’s a feeling and a memory that I’ll have for my whole lifetime.”
What a championship run it was for these Falcons.
Fitchburg State finished at 15-13-1 overall and 8-9-1 in the conference last winter, but caught fire down the stretch with a 4-1 triumph over Worcester State in a quarterfinal and a heart-thumping, 4-3 win in triple-overtime at Salem State.
Junior forward Hunter Dunn said that he will always remember the triple-overtime marathon against Salem State.
“I wasn’t nervous to be honest, it was just fun,” said Dunn. “We were going to win the game, it was just about when we were going to do it. That was my favorite part of my whole career here.”
In the championship, Dunn potted two goals and Macchioni stopped 28 of 29 shots to shut down Mass. College of Liberal Arts, 3-1, to secure the championship on home ice and advance to the prestigious NCAA Division 3 tournament.
“I always want to be the guy that shows up in the clutch moments, and that’s what happened,” said Dunn. “When your back is against the wall, people have to show up and my mindset was that I had to show up.”
It was the Falcons’ first MASCAC championship since 2018.
“Just the feeling that we all had together, the moment we had on the ice, I don’t think that moment ever goes away,” said Macchioni. “To experience this with these guys, it’s really special. It might hit later on in life, but it’s something we’ll always share together and it’s going to hold us together for the rest of our lives.”
Fitchburg State’s magical run ended with a 5-1 loss at Utica in a first-round NCAA tournament matchup.
We’re going to remember this for the rest of our lives and it’s something that’s going to keep us together for the rest of our lives. You never take it for granted. It’s a really special moment.
The Falcons’ road to championship glory wasn’t an easy journey. The team started fast, but hit a six-game losing skid. The team didn’t panic, however.
“We had an up-and-down season last year, but toward the end of the year all the guys came together and fought for a common goal of winning it,” said Skaggs. “Everyone had a lot of heart and everyone knew their role, which is crucial for a championship-winning team. We won it with a purpose. It just makes us want it even more now. We want another one. We strive for that every single year, every day and I think we have the team to go back to back.”
Fuller knew this team wouldn’t panic during tough times.
“I knew the ship was going to get going in the right direction,” said Fuller, now in his 42nd year as the head coach. “We have a tremendous amount of character kids that work hard every day and are committed to playing ice hockey here and in the classroom. I’m very proud of this team. Winning is not easy.”
Fuller also was quick to point out how much he appreciates his dedicated staff of assistant coaches.
“My coaching staff does all the hard work,” said Fuller. “ It’s fun every day coming to the rink.”
Fuller also had a lot of fun on Saturday by hosting his mentor Tom Christopher, the former Fitchburg State ice hockey head coach.
The 81-year-old Christopher coached the Falcons from 1971-1978.
“To see all of this accomplished, even if I wasn’t directly involved, this is so heartwarming and it’s really impressive,” said Christopher. “The first couple of years before Dean got here, we had to teach kids how to skate.
“When Dean was one of my players, our team was made up of kids that had a commitment to each other, they were well conditioned, they were tough and they really stuck up for each other,” Christopher said. “I think those values that I established back then, Coach Fuller has taken those same values and brought them forward over all these years. He’s done a remarkable job and deserves a great deal of credit for doing what he’s doing.”
Hodge said that none of the success of last year would have been possible without the
extraordinary leadership of coach Fuller.
“This championship is also a reflection of the remarkable legacy of Coach Dean Fuller,” said Hodge. “His devotion to his players, and his lifelong work at Fitchburg State reaches far beyond the wins and banners.”
Now, these 2025-2026 Falcons aren’t shying away from talking about a repeat championship season.
“We got the job done and it makes me want two more of them,” said Dunn.
Winning is always the goal, said Skaggs.
“We have some really good freshmen this year and a lot of upperclassmen,” said Skaggs. “We have great leadership from the top down, a great coaching staff and we want it this year and we’re hungry to go get it again.”
The locker room is filled with talented and high-character players who all get along – a team chemistry piece that can’t be overlooked.
“It’s a new season, but we have that same goal,” said Macchioni. “Hopefully we can repeat and go further in the tournament. We have an expectation now and we want to hold ourselves to that. I think it will be a good year.”
To kick off the 2025-2026 season, the Falcons watched the championship banner officially drop at the Wallace Civic Center before the season-opening game against Babson.
“I want to thank you for the pride that you’ve brought to Fitchburg State, for the example that you set for all of our students, and for the spirit that carries us all forward,” said Hodge. “Congratulations, I’m proud to be your president.”
Last May, the team was honored by Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, state Senator John J. Cronin (D - Fitchburg), and state Representative Michael P. Kushmerek (D - Fitchburg) at the Massachusetts State House after their historic championship season. The team was received by Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, before receiving individual recognitions from Cronin and Kushmerek.