By Alexis Demopoulos
The NCDC’s defending Dineen Cup South Shore Kings have been the perfect spot for defenseman Jason Zaccari to develop as a player – and to obviously win big! He has won big again, as all his hard work over the course of the last two seasons has helped him earn an NCAA Division III commitment to Trinity College for the 2025-26 season.
“The NCDC is a great place to get recruited by a top collegiate program,” said Zaccari. “The league is super competitive each game and there’s a lot of great talent in this league. You never know what you are going to get each game. Being a part of such an amazing organization like the Kings and being part of the championship team last season, there has not been a shortage of coaches at our games.”
A native of Santa Ana, Calif., Zaccari signed with the Kings for the 2023-24 season, put up 35 points in 49 regular season games, and was a key contributor in the playoffs helping his team win a Dineen Cup. It was a no-brainer for him to return to the Kings this season. Zaccari is off to another great start this season with 18 points in 18 games so far.
“The South Shore Kings has been the perfect place for me,” said Zaccari. “Between the resources like the gym and the training staff, the Kings have helped my development immensely. Something that makes South Shore so special is Coach [Tyler] Holske, who has been nothing but supportive of my development as a player and a person and continues to push me to make me a better player everyday. After winning the Dineen Cup last year it was one of the easiest decisions that I could have made to come back and play for the Kings. We are working hard every day to reach that goal again and I could not be happier to be a leader of this group.”
Zaccari started communicating with the coaching staff at Trinity back in the early fall. After his tour of the campus in late October, there was no doubt in his mind that this was the place for him. He took a big liking to the head coach Matthew Greason and he envisioned himself playing hockey there after touring the facilities.
“Coach [Matthew] Greason and the rest of the staff have shown me the confidence that they have in me as a player and I am so grateful,” said Zaccari. “They appreciate the fact that I am a puck-moving defenseman that can make the right play at the right time and someone that has grown to become a 200-foot player. The coaches and I are looking forward to continuing to develop my game to tailor it to Trinity’s playing style.”
For Zaccari, academically, this was a key choice for him, as personally like the rigorous academics coming from a prep school in Tabor, where he attended before joining the Kings. He knew he would fit in and also be challenged as a student as he plans to major in Economics.
“Trinity has had immense success these past few years winning the NESCAC in 2022 and 2024 as well as being the national runner-up last season,” said Zaccari. “I have heard great things about the coaching staff, the team, and all of the other facets of Trinity’s athletic program that make the team as successful as they have been. I could not be more excited to get started. I was drawn to the NESCAC for its academic rigor and the ability to build connections and set yourself up for life beyond college. I trust that by putting the work in the classroom I will be set up for the rest of my career.”
As for preparing to play at Trinity next season, Zaccari is working hard on becoming stronger every single day so he can become an impact player.
“As I begin to prepare for Trinity I am continuing to work on my 200-foot game,” said Zaccari. “I have grown to be able to use my skating to jump up in the place to become more of an offensive threat. I want to continue to work on my skating to be able to be more confident when I make those decisions to jump up in the play. A large part of my game that I plan to work on as I make the jump from junior to the NCAA is working in the weight room. Playing against guys that are three to four years older than me I need to get bigger and stronger to be able to feel confident in my play.
For now, Zaccari is focused on helping his team bring home another Dineen Cup and is working hard with his teammates every day.
“It definitely feels good to have a commitment secured but that doesn’t mean that the work stops, it’s only just getting started,” said Zaccari. “It does not change the goal that myself and the team have to defend our title. Continuing to get better and work hard in the gym and everyday at practice will help us get there.”
The NCDC congratulates Jason Zaccari, his family, the South Shore Kings and Trinity College for his commitment.
