The Friendship Four – it’s a weird concept, with four college hockey programs traveling from the United States to compete in a two-day, single-elimination tournament at the SSE Arena in Belfast.
Echoes of the Spengler Cup, but without the beauty of the Swiss Alps at Christmastime.
Researching the Friendship Four the first time always raises some variation of the same question – why?
I visited Northern Ireland to find out.
Harvard University’s Casey Severo – ‘I’m truly grateful for the Friendship Four’
The Friendship Four is an annual, mid-season college hockey tournament, launched in 2015 to foster deeper economic and cultural ties between sister cities, Boston and Belfast.
Held on Thanksgiving Weekend, Boston University, Merrimack College, Harvard University, and the University of Notre Dame were this season’s entrants, with a handful of current and future National Hockey League prospects taking to Belfast’s internationally-sized ice.
Predictably, the likes of Cole Eiserman (a first-round pick of the New York Islanders) and Sascha Boumedienne (slated for a first-round selection this term) owned the ice through their minutes of deployment. But there is a world of hockey away from the NHL’s bright lights and part of the tournament’s unique offering is its ability to broaden the horizons of its student-athletes.
“Firstly, it’s about the experiences that our players had,” Harvard head coach Ted Donato tells British Ice Hockey, “a lot of them hadn’t been to Europe before and it was a really special trip. I think these types of experiences, along with your college friends, are great memories and they loved learning about the history and culture here in Belfast.”
Ted Donato, Harvard University (Image: Crimson Athletics)
While Donato’s only experience of playing club hockey in Europe came during the NHL’s 1994-95 lockout, the former Boston Bruins stalwart believes that participating in the Friendship Four could entice his graduates back to the continent full-time.
“I think the experience here – where they have great crowds – gave them a nice insight into the spirit of the fans in Belfast,” adds the 55-year-old. “Personally, knowing [Giants director of hockey operations] Steve Thornton and the people involved here, it’s a very well-run organisation and one that anybody would be proud to be part of.”
Harvard’s on-ice experience at the Friendship Four was defined by resilience. The Crimson started poorly in the semi-final and trailed Notre Dame three-nothing at first intermission – but they responded impeccably.
Goals from Joe Miller and Cam Johnson made it a one-goal game headed into the final frame, only for the Fighting Irish to score on the powerplay and double down with an empty-netter to advance to the final.
The Merrimack Warriors were their third-place playoff opponents, falling to the University of Boston Terriers on the other side of the bracket.
In a back-and-forth matinee showdown, the Crimson came out on top courtesy of a dominant performance from junior forward Casey Severo.
The New Yorker scored a hattrick to propel Harvard to bronze and left the ice beaming, having been named player of the game.
Casey Severo, Harvard University (Image: Crimson Athletics)
“This has been amazing and I’m truly grateful for the Friendship Four,” says Severo, “for us to get the opportunity to come out here and see a new country has been a great experience overall, the people have been so friendly to us.
“I really didn’t know what to expect and the atmosphere the fans created is what surprised me the most. You see the Belfast Giants are pulling in big crowds with a lot of energy and it’s been a real treat for us to have that for our two games here. I’m really grateful for the experience – it’s been special.”
David Sacco was similarly impressive for Merrimack and left the Friendship Four with three goals in two appearances.
“I was obviously excited coming over,” the 24-year-old comments after defeat to Harvard, “the three other teams are top teams in the nation and that added to the excitement. Honestly, the biggest thing that surprised me was the crowd – the place was packed for both games and it was so much fun to play in this atmosphere.
“I’ve got a few more years in college, but coming out here and seeing the atmosphere for sure gives me a lot of thoughts about where I want to play in the future.”
Chiming In – Boston University Terriers and Pep Band Star in Friendship Four Final
The Boston University Terriers left the ice at the end of the second period down (but not out) in the Friendship Four final.
They led early, with Kamil Bednarik scoring seven minutes into the championship showdown, but trailed 3-1 by the middle frame’s conclusion.
In the arena bowl, forty students were left with the task of lifting spirits, setting the tempo, and showcasing the best of college sports fan culture hundreds of miles from home.
Charlie Kehoe is a student-manager of the Boston University Pep Band, travelling to Belfast with their counterparts from Merrimack College to supply the soundtrack to proceedings at the Friendship Four.
With their Terriers behind in the final, putting on a show and staying in the moment were priorities one and two.
“When we’re away at special games like this, there is a lot of pressure to bring the energy and excitement that we have at home when we have the full Pep Band, student section, and fanbase in Boston,” Charlie explains. “We’re an ocean away from home, we’re the only BU students in the building, and we need to make it feel like Agganis Arena for our players.”
Defenceman Gavin McCarthy repaid the favour seven minutes into the final frame when he sounded the buzzer, and a sea of actual horns, to reduce Boston University’s deficit to one.
Captain Ryan Greene evened the score six minutes later and returned to the bench with a simple message for his teammates.
“Boys,” he shouted over the horns, “we’re not letting this go to overtime.”
Ryan Greene, Boston University (Image: Terriers Athletics)
And they didn’t.
Twenty seconds later, forward Shane Lachance won the puck behind the net and jammed it home to send a neutral arena into raptures and the Boston University Pep Band into another delivery of ‘Hey Baby’.
Here’s a look at Chancer’s heroics that gave us the lead!
Watch on ESPN+: https://t.co/Cfes0QEYfA@hockey_east | @NESN | @espn pic.twitter.com/u7f3bmhMMf
— BU Men’s Hockey (@TerrierHockey) November 30, 2024
“We’re pretty used to it,” Charlie says of chiming in at big moments, “we always have to be ready the second we hear the whistle or buzzer – instruments up, count off from our conductor, and we’re off playing whatever is next.
“We see that we can have a tangible impact on our players, especially when we’re away and we are the Dog Pound and the representatives of the school. I think the band did a really, really great job of bringing that spirit to a section of SSE Arena.”
Jeff Jackson – ‘If they’re not going to the NHL, playing professionally here is just as good’
The final buzzer sent sticks and red helmets skyward.
Devastation for Notre Dame. Delight for Boston University.
I visited Northern Ireland with one question to answer – why do four college hockey teams from the United States travel all the way to Belfast to play one another hundreds of miles from home on Thanksgiving Weekend?
It’s because the experience is exceptional – for the players, for the fans, and for the local hockey community.
“I was not a hockey fan when I joined the Pep Band,” explains Boston University Pep Band student manager Vivek Mirchandani, “I had maybe watched one or two hockey games beforehand.
“I found myself very nervous about how the team would do at the Friendship Four and if you asked me that three years ago when I started college, I would’ve said that there was no way I could care about hockey that much. It’s blossomed over the past three years – the Pep Band has made me care about our sports and teams and it’s been a wonderful new world to discover.”
In addition to the on-ice product it provides, the Friendship Four was created to build closer ties between Belfast and Boston.
Ahead of the tournament, the visiting bands played a public concert in Carrickfergus, twelve miles north of Belfast, and it quickly became a highlight of the week.
“We hit the ground running,” says Charlie Kehoe of the Boston University Pep Band. “After arriving in Dublin, we immediately got on a bus to Carrickfergus and played a concert alongside Merrimack for the local community as an additional element to the cultural exchange that the Friendship Four is about. It was really awesome to perform in a place where a college pep band is really out of place.”
Boston University and Merrimack College Pep Bands, Carrickfergus Parade (Image: Terriers Athletics)
In his twentieth and final season behind the bench at the University of Notre Dame, Jeff Jackson has seen the best and worst of college hockey – and used his resignation press conference to criticise the NCAA.
Despite suffering defeat in the final, the 69-year-old believes the Friendship Four will benefit his student-athletes for years to come.
“It’s been a great week,” says Jackson.
“Part of the reason we wanted to come here was to experience Ireland and Belfast. For me, when we take these kinds of trips, it’s about the cultural experience for these guys because they’re so accustomed to the way things are back home in the United States. It’s so good for them to see the rest of the world.
“Tim Wallace, one of our former players, coaches in England [for the Milton Keynes Lightning] and another came in here from Sweden. International hockey is a good option for our guys. If they’re not going to the National Hockey League, coming over here and playing professionally is just as good.”
The Friendship Four is already locked in for the next two seasons (Union College, Sacred Heart University, Miami University, and the Rochester Institute of Technology will take part in 2025) and shows no signs of slowing down.
Sure, it’s a weird concept – but the Friendship Four just works.
