BOSTON, Mass. – Harvard women's ice hockey is heading abroad in 2026 to participate in the 2026 Friendship Series in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Crimson was announced as one of the participants this afternoon at a special ceremony at the Massachusetts State House with Governor Maura Healy '92 and The Odyssey Trust. The organization unveiled plans to continue the Friendship Four and Friendship Series U.S. college ice hockey tournaments through to 2026. Marking 10 years of the NCAA hockey in Belfast, games are set to take place at The SSE Arena, Belfast in January of 2026.
 
The Crimson will be traveling across the pond to play in a historic series along with Boston University, Quinnipiac and the University of Minnesota-Duluth. The four teams will take the ice at SSE Arena – the home of the Belfast Giants.
 
"This is an amazing opportunity this is for our program," said Laura Bellamy '13, the Landry Family Head Coach for Harvard Women's Ice Hockey. "We are so fortunate to have this chance to play in this tournament and give our team this once in a lifetime experience. It will be an honor to represent Harvard on the world stage in this historic event next season."
 
Founded by The Odyssey Trust and held in Belfast since 2015, the Friendship Series is the first and only NCAA Division I women's ice hockey tournament to take place outside of North America. For the first time, four women's teams will take part in the Friendship Series, following three successful two-team Friendship Series tournaments in 2019, 2020, and 2024.
  
"It is an honor for Harvard Women's Ice Hockey to participate in this historic Friendship Series," said Erin McDermott, The John. D Nichols '53 Family Director of Athletics. "We are honored and proud to continue our relationship with the city of Belfast and the Friendship Four Tournament. This experience will surely be something our student-athletes will never forget."

The high-profile tournament is designed to promote education, social welfare, and community interaction, building on the Sister Cities agreement between Belfast and Boston, 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.

The women's ice hockey program is thrilled to continue Harvard's relationship with the city of Belfast next season. Harvard men's hockey is set to travel to Northern Ireland this November to compete in the 2024 Friendship Four.

For more updates and information on the Harvard women's ice hockey program, follow the team's social media on Instagram (@HarvardWHockey), X (@HarvardWHockey) and on GoCrimson.com.