Written by Kaileigh Grieb '25
- Endicott Athletics Student Beat Writer

BEVERLY, Mass. — It's been quite a year for the Endicott Men's Ice Hockey team. Hosting the Frozen Four, taking home numerous student-athlete awards, and being ranked third nationally for Division III Men's Ice Hockey are just a few of the monumental accomplishments that this team has achieved. 

But, what makes a good team? A good coaching staff. 

A good coaching staff helps inspire not only the team but also those who want to pursue those same accomplishments. 

Junior student coach, Nick Ferullo '25 (Winthrop, Mass.), says he's ready to follow in the footsteps of these great coaches and create a name for himself both on and off the ice. 

Ferullo is no stranger to the hockey culture, spending much of his life on the ice. However, once at Endicott, he hung up the skates to focus on his academics. But they didn't remain hung up for long. 

"Coming here freshman year, I wasn't playing any sports. I was just coming here for school. I had played hockey my whole life, so I kind of realized that I was missing it. So, towards the end of freshman year, I decided it would be a good idea to reach out to (Head Coach) RJ, as well as Tyler Hanrahan, who was a grad student at the time, and they got me set up and around the team," recalled Ferullo. 

Tyler Hanrahan '22 M'23 (Philadelphia, Pa.), had been a part of Endicott men's ice hockey program for 5 seasons. He took on a team manager position and then became a student coach. So, when the opportunity came for Ferullo, he dusted off the skates and got back on the ice, but not as a player — as a team manager. 

When he was first brought on, Hanrahan's main focus was just for Ferullo to become acclimated with the team. Ferullo laughed at how quickly it took for him to join the team culture, claiming it was the quickest turnaround Hanrahan had seen. 

Hanrahan taught Ferullo a thing or two about taking stats for game days and eventually helped him become comfortable with being around the team during high-intensity game days and practices. 

"Ty (Hanrahan) had me look at the lineup and showed me how we're going to build the lines. Then he started teaching me how to sharpen the guy's skates, me and Ty would sit down and help coach with practice planning," reflected Ferullo on his beginnings with the team. "It started as a slow role. Ty (Hanrahan) brought me in not knowing what I was gonna do, and then it grew over time, and every week I felt like he was teaching me something new…I can't tell you how much I've learned since being here."

Pretty soon, Ferullo was trusted with a lot more responsibilities than an average team manager. He was quickly climbing the ladder and gaining the respect of the coaching staff and players. 

When it was time for Hanrahan to move on, big shoes were left to be filled. So, when it was discussed where Ferullo would go next in his journey with the team, the topic of Ferullo transitioning to be a student coach was brought up. 

"I just want to keep building my goals. I want to get to the point where Ty was at. He was a full-time assistant last year, even though he was still a grad student, and in his senior year, he started getting on the bench and doing a little bit of work with the team. Last year, he was the coach's go-to guy for the lineup and that's really what I'm trying to work towards." 

A MEANINGFUL IMPACT

Head Coach R.J. Tolan knew he saw greatness in Ferullo from day one. Knowing that the team is in good hands for yet another highly anticipated season, he said: 

"I'm so fortunate Nick (Ferullo) is here willing to do anything to help our program succeed. He is a sharp, caring, passionate person that makes everyone around him better every day." 

The energy that Ferullo brings to the program carries on beyond the coaching staff. Having established a close relationship with the entire team, the idea of saying only one sentence about Ferullo was nearly impossible. 

Junior Ryan Willett (Bayville, N.Y.), has been a friend of Ferullo's since their freshmen year at Endcott. The pair have watched each other grow into the student coach and player that they are today. Knowing one another as brothers both on and off the ice has allowed for high morale on the bench. 

"Nick's made the job incredibly easy, especially with the way he fits right into our team. He always does the little things right and is always there when we need him most. Even though he isn't out there on the ice with us during games, I would say he's one of our most important teammates" said Willet.

Senior A.J. Martinelli (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.), has been seen as the heart and soul of the team's culture during his time at Endicott. He's seen Ferullo grow into his full potential and how much he has unified the team. When asked to reflect on his earliest impressions of Ferullo, Martinelli thought for a moment and laughed. 

"I introduced myself to him and he said he was just going to be helping us out. And I thought, "Alright, cool. Yeah. We can probably use it." And that's probably like the biggest understatement I've ever made in my life," Martinelli said, smiling from ear to ear. 

When Martinelli was asked about what team culture would be like without Ferullo, he went silent for a moment, thinking about the hypotheticals that could have happened if Ferullo hadn't stepped up. 

"I definitely wouldn't enjoy going to the rink as much. Just in the sense that he cares more than a lot of guys, even though all of us care a lot, about each other, about winning, about being good people and serving others… He's a special human being." 

THE FUTURE AHEAD

Ferullo's impact on the team goes much deeper than what he led to think. Being seen as a witty, humble, active team member, everyone knows that this is just the beginning for him. So when asked what his long-term goals were, he thought for a moment and said: 

"I'm very thankful for the connections and people I've been able to meet. Coming into Endicott, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a Sports Management major, but I didn't know what I wanted to do with that," Ferullo responded. "But, I think that there are so many opportunities within hockey. Not just coaching, but in different leagues, every team has a front office. There are plenty of opportunities and stuff to do within hockey. And I think having that one year off from hockey, my freshman year, I think I kind of realized how much I enjoy being around the game." 

When asked if there is anything else he sees in his future, Ferullo showed that he enjoys living in the moment, saying: 

"I'm glad that I'm doing this. It loops into what I'm studying here at Endicott. I'm interested in continuing in hockey even after college."

Ferullo, just like many athletes and students involved in athletics, understands that the way they are conditioned by these programs is to see their teammates as brothers and sisters and the entire team as a family. 

Grateful for every opportunity handed to him, Ferullo's humility and ability to understand the gravity behind every game have solidified yet another bright future emerging out of the Endicott hockey program for this young student coach.

For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

(Photo Credit - David Le '10)