Clarkson lift Belpot trophy as Friendship Four champions
The Clarkson Golden Knights earned themselves the bragging rights as they became the third Friendship Four champions with a win over the Providence Friars in Saturday’s final.
Despite being tipped as the favourites from the start of the tournament, they had to come from behind to take the 4-2 victory at the SSE Arena Belfast.
It fell to the Friars to take the lead with a goal from Erik Foley mid-way through the opening period.
However, a strong second period from Clarkson put the Golden Knights well and truly back in the game.
First came the equaliser, while Clarkson were on a five-on-three powerplay – a cheeky little tap-in, when the puck ended up loose behind the Friars’ netminder Jake Kielly, by Devin Brosseau.
Then the go-ahead goal came from Tyko Karjalainen and the game had turned on its head, with the Golden Knights 2-1 up over Providence heading into the final period of play.
It was quickly full-steam ahead for Clarkson though.
Less than two minutes into the third period, Nico Sturm made it 3-1 and, seconds after that, Grant Cooper bagged Clarkson’s fourth goal of the game to really open up their lead.
Providence did manage to pull a goal back through Brendan Duhaine but, despite a last-ditch two minutes when they pulled their netminder, the game was Clarkson’s and they ran out 4-2 winners.
Captain Nic Pierog did the honours, lifting the Belpot trophy for his team and ringing that reclaimed east Belfast school bell to huge cheers – especially from Clarkson’s energetic travelling pep band, who had entertained the crowd all weekend.
Clarkson netminder Jake Kielly was also named Player of the Tournament.
Clarkson had sealed their place in the final with a win on Friday over the RPI Engineers, while eventual runners-up Providence had beaten the Maine Black Bears.
Just ahead of the final, Maine won out 4-2 over RPI after taking the lead late in the first period with a goal from Brendan Robbins.
RPI tied things back up just 11.6 seconds before the break - courtesy of Troy York – but in the second period, the Black Bears wasted little time restoring their lead when Nolan Vesey fired the puck five-hole into the RPI net.
And they further extended that lead in the third period, when Mitchell Fossier’s goal stood despite a review for a suspected high stick, making it 3-1 to Maine.
Jacob Hayhurt’s goal for the Engineers brought them back to within a goal with just about 15 minutes left to play – but, ultimately, an empty-netter for Maine’s Tim Doherty secured the 4-2 win.
The Friendship Four is set to continue next year, with another crop of top college sides already signed up.
It may have ice hockey at its heart, but it also aims to strengthen the sister city ties between Belfast and Boston, boosting tourism and educational and economic opportunities.
In 2018, ECAC’s Yale University and Union College will travel to Belfast to compete alongside Hockey East’s Boston University and University of Connecticut.
They will all be hoping to succeed Clarkson as Friendship Four champions, also following in the footsteps of the first ever team to lift the Belpot – the UMass Lowell River Hawks – and 2016’s winners, the Vermont Catamounts.