Coming on the heels of a triple overtime thriller, the Fitchburg State Falcons men’s hockey team will host the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Trailblazers in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference finals at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 8, in the Wallace Civic Center at 1000 John Fitch Highway.
The Falcons (14-12-1, 8-9-1 MASCAC) entered the playoffs as a fourth seed, and will take on the eighth-seeded Trailblazers in the finals. The Falcons punched their ticket to the championship last Saturday when they bested the Salem State Vikings in triple overtime during a game where junior goaltender Max Macchioni saved a team single game record 76 shots.
“I cannot wait to cheer on our Fitchburg State Falcons this Saturday as they fight for the championship,” said University President Dr. Donna Hodge. “This team has shown unmatched determination, grit, and heart all season long, and now they have the chance to bring home the title in front of their entire Falcon community. This game is about more than just hockey—it’s about Fitchburg State pride, passion, and excellence on full display. I look forward to standing alongside our students, alumni, faculty, librarians, staff, and the greater community as we come together to celebrate not only our team’s success but the unstoppable spirit that defines who we are as a university.”
“Getting to the MASCAC championship game is a remarkable achievement for our hockey team, and a credit to a long season’s worth of hard work and commitment,” University Athletic Director Matthew Burke said. “I am so proud of our student-athletes, who embody Fitchburg State’s highest ideals, and the dedicated coaching staff for helping them realize this goal.”
The Falcons are led by legendary Coach Dean Fuller, who has guided the team to more than 600 wins during his 41 seasons at the university. The team has won seven conference championships in 11 appearances under his watch, last winning the MASCAC crown in 2018. This will mark the Falcons’ second consecutive year at the finals.
“We’re very happy to be hosting the MASCAC Championship this Saturday,” said Coach Fuller. “Our team leadership has been great all season long, and the men have shown determination and grit, which paid off in our three overtime win against Salem. As a group, we are focused on Saturday and looking forward to the challenge.”
Fitchburg State will host a tailgate party outside the Civic Center starting at 2 p.m. Saturday, where visitors can enjoy music, eat a grilled Fitchburger, and get hyped for the contest.
Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for students. Admission is free for children under 12, senior citizens, and Fitchburg State students, faculty and staff with their OneCard. Tickets may also be purchased online.
The game will also be shown live on Fitchburg Access Television at fatv.org.
The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference provides a comprehensive program of athletics for all State Universities. The objective underlying this purpose is to create a healthy atmosphere of competition and rivalry between the Universities and their student bodies while fostering the values of cooperation, leadership, courage, self-discipline, sportsmanship, diversity and self-reliance among the participating student-athletes.