The University of Minnesota Duluth women's hockey program was one of four teams announced Tuesday that will play in the Friendship Series in January of 2026 in Belfast, Ireland.

The first and only NCAA Division I women's hockey tournament to take place outside of North America will take place at the SSE Arena and feature UMD, Boston University, Harvard University and Quinnipiac University. A two-team tournament previously (2019, 2020 and 2024), UMD will also become the first Western Collegiate Hockey Association team to skate in the tournament.

"We are looking forward as a program to the educational experience and team building opportunities for student-athletes this incredible tournament will provide," said UMD head coach Laura Schuler. "We are proud to be a part of the first four-team women's tournament, and really excited to reconnect in person with all our European Bulldog alumni."

UMD's first overseas trip is a high-profile tournament designed to promote education, social welfare, and community interaction. The men's version of the tournament, the Friendship Four, also announced Tuesday at the Massachusetts State House in Boston, Mass. will take place in November of 2025 and feature Rochester Institute of Technology, Sacred Heart University, Miami University and Union College. Founded by the Odyssey Trust and held in Belfast since 2015, the Friendship Four will mark 10 years in Belfast next year.