Raiders Ready to Play in Northern Ireland

After a busy November filled with vital conference games, the Raiders will pack their bags for a special road trip during Thanksgiving week, one where promoting unity will be as important as earning wins.

Colgate Men's Hockey is returning to Northern Ireland to compete in the annual NCAA Friendship Four, an event that brings together four U.S. college teams that will help promote the sport and encourage togetherness in a country once troubled by division and violence.

Joining Colgate in Belfast will be UConn, Minnesota Duluth, and Providence College. The tournament kicks off on Friday, Nov. 27, when the Raiders take on the Huskies while the Bulldogs and Friars square off. The winners go head-to-head the next day while the losing teams face each other.

For Colgate, it's the third time the program has been invited to the Friendship Four. When the tournament was launched in 2015, Colgate was one of four teams to participate. The Raiders returned in 2019.

Colgate head coach Mike Harder said the team is thrilled to take part in the event and act as ambassadors for the NCAA.

"We are super excited," Harder said. "It's an honor. We have done well in past Friendship Fours so they invited us back. We did well not just on the ice but how we represented our sport."

The teams will look to add a few non-conference wins to their records, which could impact their NCAA rankings, while vying for the Belpot Trophy, the award given to the tournament's winner.

In addition, the tournament gives fans an opportunity to cheer for teams without creating hostility, which has plagued soccer matches in Belfast over the years.

Off the ice, the teams will play an important role as well. The itinerary includes stops at schools where players will talk to children about the sport. While the city is home to the Belfast Giants, a professional hockey team in the UK's Elite Ice Hockey League, the sport remains foreign for many in Northern Ireland.

"We will work in the community while we are there," Harder said. "We're not just there to play a few games. That's why it's called the Friendship Four. People can learn about NCAA sports and root for a team without getting political over it. That's historically what soccer has been for them. That can lead to trouble."

The Raiders, who will be joined by their families, depart on Sunday, Nov. 22, and return the following Sunday. They will land in Dublin and spend a day touring the city before heading to Belfast. Colgate has added stops for sight-seeing and team building in Northern Ireland.

The team will have a large dinner on Thanksgiving, although the meal won't be themed after the U.S. holiday out of respect for the foreign players on the roster.

The NCAA announced the participants for the 2026 Friendship Four in September of 2025. When Harder broke the news to his players, they were jubilant. For many, the tournament gives them the chance to visit another part of the world for the first time.

Defenseman and co-captain Antonio Fernandez '27 said he felt pure joy knowing he would compete in the Friendship Four.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to travel across the world with your closest brothers and compete against fellow accomplished programs at the Division I level," Fernandez said. "This will be a very eye-opening experience for us where we will be able to learn about the culture, people and history that make up Northern Ireland."

In addition, the Friendship Four means a chance to win games against strong opponents.

"This is a great opportunity to win some hockey games," Fernandez said. "We have a great team with plenty of new faces that are ready to make an impact."

The 2026-27 Raiders include seven newcomers and four transfers who hail from five countries while adding talent and character.

Harder hopes the Raiders take home the Belpot Trophy. But he also wants his student-athletes to learn about Northern Ireland and make a positive impact.

"It's really important for our guys to see how other countries function and to see how people see us - Americans, Canadians, Swedes, etc.," he said. "We want to see our culture through their eyes. We want to make sure we represent Colgate Hockey and the NCAA correctly.

"Most of all, we want the tournament to be a success. For the Friendship Four, you can root for anyone and it's fine. That is the goal of the event."

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