Photo by: Shannon Torres
Men’s Ice Hockey Headed to Belfast for Friendship Four in 2025
9/24/2024 1:36:00 PM | Men's Ice Hockey
Pios to be joined by Miami (OH), RIT, Union
BOSTON (September 24, 2024) – The Sacred Heart University men's ice hockey team will make a trip to Belfast, Northern Ireland, for the 2025 edition of the Friendship Four, as announced on Tuesday afternoon at the Massachusetts State House in Boston by the Odyssey Trust, the event's founding sponsor. The Pios will be joined overseas by Miami (OH), RIT and Union, for the eighth edition of the tournament, with games scheduled for Nov. 28-29, 2025, at the SSE Arena in Belfast.
"We're very excited to be invited to play in next year's Friendship Four," said SHU head coach C.J. Marottolo. "Robert Fitzpatrick, the CEO of Odyssey Trust, does a wonderful job of creating a global experience. To be able to go over there and play the game you love in another country and experience their culture and meet different people; it's going to be a great experience for our guys."
Per the tournament's website, "the Friendship Four is designed to promote education, social welfare, and community interaction, building on the sister cities agreement between Belfast and Boston, which was signed a decade ago. Having seen a total of 24 games played across six tournaments, Northern Ireland remains the only destination outside of the United States to host consequential NCAA Division I ice hockey games."
The four teams will meet for two days of hockey in Northern Ireland's capital city, on Thanksgiving Weekend of 2025. Friday's first-round matchups have not yet been announced. The winner of Saturday's championship game will lay claim to the Belpot Trophy.
"I am very proud to announce the return of both the Friendship Four and Friendship Series [women's tournament] in 2025 and 2026, and I look forward to welcoming both new and returning teams to The SSE Arena," said Martin McDowell, chair of the Odyssey Trust. "For nearly a decade, the tournaments have provided unique opportunities for North American student-athletes to have a cross-Atlantic experience in Belfast, using ice hockey as a tool to educate and create a spirit of mutual understanding, friendship, solidarity, and fair play."
Ticket and travel information will be shared as it becomes available. Fans can visit friendshipfour.com for more information about the tournament.
SHU was previously invited to the 2020 edition of the Friendship Four, but the event was ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Union is the only member of the quartet to have previously participated in the event and captured the Belpot Trophy in 2018.
The Pioneers open their 32nd season of varsity competition on Oct. 11-12, when they pay a visit to ECAC member Colgate for a two-game weekend series.
"We're very excited to be invited to play in next year's Friendship Four," said SHU head coach C.J. Marottolo. "Robert Fitzpatrick, the CEO of Odyssey Trust, does a wonderful job of creating a global experience. To be able to go over there and play the game you love in another country and experience their culture and meet different people; it's going to be a great experience for our guys."
Per the tournament's website, "the Friendship Four is designed to promote education, social welfare, and community interaction, building on the sister cities agreement between Belfast and Boston, which was signed a decade ago. Having seen a total of 24 games played across six tournaments, Northern Ireland remains the only destination outside of the United States to host consequential NCAA Division I ice hockey games."
The four teams will meet for two days of hockey in Northern Ireland's capital city, on Thanksgiving Weekend of 2025. Friday's first-round matchups have not yet been announced. The winner of Saturday's championship game will lay claim to the Belpot Trophy.
"I am very proud to announce the return of both the Friendship Four and Friendship Series [women's tournament] in 2025 and 2026, and I look forward to welcoming both new and returning teams to The SSE Arena," said Martin McDowell, chair of the Odyssey Trust. "For nearly a decade, the tournaments have provided unique opportunities for North American student-athletes to have a cross-Atlantic experience in Belfast, using ice hockey as a tool to educate and create a spirit of mutual understanding, friendship, solidarity, and fair play."
Ticket and travel information will be shared as it becomes available. Fans can visit friendshipfour.com for more information about the tournament.
SHU was previously invited to the 2020 edition of the Friendship Four, but the event was ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Union is the only member of the quartet to have previously participated in the event and captured the Belpot Trophy in 2018.
The Pioneers open their 32nd season of varsity competition on Oct. 11-12, when they pay a visit to ECAC member Colgate for a two-game weekend series.
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