Northeastern win Friendship Four final to claim Belpot

Northeastern University have been crowned the fifth champions of the Friendship Four tournament that brings exciting NCAA hockey to Belfast.

The tournament is unique as it provides the only opportunity to watch competitive college hockey outside the US.

League points are up for grabs, alongside the coveted Belpot trophy – a reclaimed east Belfast school bell as a nod to the Friendship Four’s roots in education.

It is also televised to a North American audience, showcasing Northern Ireland and boosting tourism, while having also proved a useful recruiting tool for the Belfast Giants.

A number of Giants, past and present, have had their first taste of Belfast while playing in the tournament – perhaps most notably, one of the stars of last season’s Elite League and Challenge Cup winning side, Darcy Murphy.

This year, the four competing teams were Northeastern University’s Huskies, the University of New Hampshire’s Wildcats, Princeton University’s Tigers, and Colgate University’s Raiders.

Friday’s first game pitted Northeastern against the University of New Hampshire, with the Huskies cruising into the final with a convincing 4-0 win.

The next game saw Colgate take on Princeton, with the Raiders winning 3-1 to seal their final place.

Mayor of Boston Marty Walsh and Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast Peter McReynolds dropped the puck on the opening Friendship Four game. Credit: Presseye

Saturday’s consolation game then finished up with the UNH Wildcats beating Princeton 3-2, before it was time for the main showpiece event.

After a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, the puck dropped and Northeastern v Colgate got underway.

And the Huskies certainly came to play, storming into a three-goal lead before even the halfway mark in the opening period.

Players and fans stand for the American national anthem at the fifth ever Friendship Four in Belfast. Credit: Presseye

Jayden Struble opened the scoring for the Northeastern side, before Matt DeMelis doubled their lead mere seconds later.

Tyler Madden made it 3-0 and prompted Colgate’s coach to call a time-out to regroup.

The Raiders got themselves on the scoresheet to claw a goal back before the first break, with John Snodgrass the scorer.

Goal scorer John Snodgrass celebrates with his Colgate teammates. Credit: Presseye

Early in the second half, Colgate grabbed another goal – this time through Ben Sharf – to make it an altogether tighter affair.

The sides battled it out through much of the third period, but it was inside the final minute of play that Northeastern’s Ryan Shea bagged an empty-netter to open up a two-goal cushion at 4-2.

But Colgate were definitely determined to keep things interesting.

Colgate and Northeastern battle it out in the Friendship Four final. Credit: Presseye

Bobby McMann scored for the Raiders with just 17.5 seconds left on the clock to close the gap to just one goal.

However, it was ultimately too little too late and Northeastern held out for the 4-3 win.

Following the presentation ceremony, Huskies captain Ryan Shea stepped up and rang the Belpot at centre-ice as the fifth ever Friendship Four champions.

Northeastern captain Ryan Shea with the Belpot trophy following his side's win over Colgate. Credit: Presseye

Next year’s event is already lined up, with the 2020 competing teams named as Quinnipiac University, Mercyhurst University, Army University and Sacred Heart University.

Meanwhile, in Elite League action on the road, the Belfast Giants lost out 5-1 in a disappointing showing against the Fife Flyers, with Ben Lake the only scorer for Adam Keefe’s side.

The Giants return to action on Friday and Saturday at home in Belfast, hosting the Sheffield Steelers in back-to-back games.