BOSTON – The Boston University women's ice hockey team will take part in the 2026 Friendship Series in Belfast, Northern Ireland, it was announced on Tuesday at the Massachusetts State House.
 
BU, making its first-ever trip to Belfast, will join Quinnipiac, Minnesota Duluth and Harvard in January 2026 at SSE Arena, home of the Belfast Giants. This will mark the first time that four women's teams will take part in the Friendship Series. 
 
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. The agreement aims to foster stronger economic development, trade and investment, tourism, youth, cultural, faith-based exchanges, and educational linkages between the two cities, as well as to increase awareness of Belfast and Boston being growth cities in the connected health and life sciences, creative industries, tourism, financial services, and knowledge economy sectors. 
 
"I am very proud to announce the return of both the Friendship Four and Friendship Series 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." 
 
BU will begin the regular season on Tuesday (Oct. 1) when it hosts Merrimack at Agganis Arena. Tickets for the season opener and future games can be purchased here.