Ring won their first title since 2021 and second overall with a wire-to-wire victory over top seeded Chicago Machine
October 25, 2026 by Aidan Thomas in News
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SAN DIEGO – Raleigh Ring of Fire are your 2026 Club Champions in the Men’s Division, punctuating a simply stunning run from the no.8 seed to the top of the mountain with a 15-12 win over top-seeded Chicago Machine. It was the second time that Ring toppled Machine at the tournament, after having done so in pool play to claim Pool A.
Ring followed a similar script as their semifinal win over San Francisco Revolver, getting the early break — and they actually got two of them against Machine — and then riding a dominant offensive effort. Their offense, for the second straight contest on Sunday, did not turn the disc in the first half, as Ring of Fire built an 8-5 lead on the back of three breaks.
That gave Ring of Fire plenty of cushion to survive the push by Chicago, who basically kept Daan De Marrée, Zeke Thoreson, and Rutledge Smith on the field for the entirety of the second half. Machine got a couple breaks, but Raleigh stabilized each time, refusing to led Chicago go on a run.
Josh Singleton led Ring of Fire with five assists, while Dylan Hawkins reeled in four goals, including the game-winner. Cooper Willams also collected four goals, pacing the D-line while moonlighting on the O-line in the second half. Veteran and team captain Matt Gouchoe-Hanas, one of just six holdovers from Ring’s 2021 championship team, notched two goals and two assists. De Marrée concluded another excellent Nationals with one goal, two assists and two blocks.
The game’s final point was a dominator that stalled out with Gouchoe-Hanas and Matt Barcellos exchanging the disc in the backfield for 15+ throws, unable to escape their own end zone. Finally, Barcellos spotted Dylan Hawkins, who had started the point in the backfield, release deep and unleashed a bomb. Hawkins reeled it in, and Ring were off to the races. Kevin Pignone ultimately found himself with the disc and a wide open Hawkins on the force side, delivering a clean flick to send Ring of Fire into jubilation.
Congratulations to Ring of Fire, and stay tuned for a full recap coming later this week!
