2026 | South Carolina |

Columbia Fusion | |

Zakkary Matadobra’s road to his Senior Year wasn’t smooth. After playing 3 years on the JV team and serving as Captain last season, coming into this season he wasn’t the biggest name on the Varsity roster, but I knew he was the heartbeat of the team — A driven forward with a knack for showing up exactly when the moment demanded it.

What set Zakkary apart wasn’t just his scoring touch – though the clutch goals didn’t hurt. It was the way he embraced being part of the Fusion team. Zakkary never cuts corners, never takes a night off, and always pushes his teammates to be better. He always puts a 100% effort into everything Fusion and it is admirable. Zakkary is always the first player to show up for practices and games, and never onces misses the opportunity to be the first one to come up to me with a smile and say “Hey Coach, how’s it going today?”

Out in the community, Zakkary continues his love of the game of hockey – He is a USA Hockey Official for 12U and under games. In addition, he also volunteers at the “Try Hockey For Free” events that are put on by the Columbia Cyclones.

Zakkary embodies the Hobey Baker spirit – Excellence, humility, character and a love for the game that lifts others higher. Zakkary meets these standards both on and off the ice, even when no one is watching, and is the epitome of every value this award is meant to honor.

With that said, I am very proud to honor Zakkary Matadobra as the 2025-2026 Columbia Fusion’s Hobey Baker Award recipient.