SEEING TRIPLE AT FITCHBURG STATE
Third Macchioni brother set to join Falcons on the ice
In his 40 years on the bench for the Fitchburg State hockey team. head coach Dean Fuller has seen just about everything one could imagine in the sport.
Obscure penalty calls, odd goals, siblings taking the ice together. … Fuller has witnessed it.
So when it was recently announced that H.C. Rhode Island’s Marcus Macchioni would join his older brothers Michael and Max at Fitchburg State, it seemed as though that had to be something new. Even to a coach as vastly experienced as Fuller, having three brothers together on a collegiate team had to be a first for him, right?
Yes and no.
It will be the first time Fuller will have a trio of brothers under his tutelage as a coach. But it’s not the first time he’s encountered three siblings on a team he’s been a part of at Fitchburg State.
Turns out the longtime coach played alongside three brothers with the Falcons in the 1970s. Fuller noted on Thursday that he skated with the sibling trio of Wilbur, Buzz and Dicky Donahue at Fitchburg State during his playing days.
And as recently as 2007, Fuller has had brothers on the ice together, with Dave Kaloustian playing his final collegiate season alongside his brother Bob, in his first season with the Falcons.
But the upcoming season will be the first time the longtime coach will be able to bark orders at a trio of siblings. And while the play of newcomer Marcus remains to be seen at the college level, his older brothers have proven they can contribute.
Michael Macchioni will be a senior this fall and played 27 games as a junior, scoring five goals and adding six assists. In his career, he has 11 goals and 16 helpers in 65 contests.
Max Macchioni has been strong between the pipes in his two seasons with Fitchburg State. In his sophomore season, he appeared in 14 games, going 6- 5-2 with a 2.78 goals against average and .911 save percentage before being sidelined with a knee injury. In his collegiate career, Max is 14-12-5 with a 2.68 GAA and .917 save percentage.
A native of North Kingston, Rhode Island, just like his brothers, Marcus played in 42 Eastern Hockey League games with H.C. Rhode Island this past season. A 6-foot-3, 235-pound forward, he netted 11 goals and dished out 21
assists before making his collegiate choice.
MASCAC track polls announced
The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference outdoor track and field coaches polls were announced Thursday, with Fitchburg State’s men picked to finish third, while the Falcon women were selected fourth.
Bridgewater State’s men, the reigning outdoor champions,
and Westfield State’s women, this year’s indoor champions, were named the favorites to take home this spring’s titles.
Last season, the Falcon men grabbed five individual crowns and a relay championship. Eric Shimiyimana led the way with a triple jump honor at 13.61m at the 2023 league meet.
On the women’s side, Fitchburg State’s Ephemian Bailey had the furthest throw in the discus with a top distance of 36.75m last season.