The 24th annual Valicenti Cup took place Jan. 28 and featured two hard-fought games on Valicenti Rink in the Thayer Sports Center. 

In the first matchup of the night, the girls varsity team defeated Middlesex by a score of 4-3. Forward Lila Shea ‘23 scored two goals for the Tigers, earning game MVP honors in the process. Morgan McGathey ‘25 and Kate Sullivan ‘25, themselves both forwards, also scored goals in the victory. 

The boys varsity squad squared off against St. Sebastian’s, their traditional Valicenti Cup foe, and lost 6-4 in what was a back-and-forth contest. The Arrows’ final score was an empty-net goal after Thayer pulled its goalie in the waning moments of the game. Defenseman CJ Foley ‘23 scored twice for Thayer, and forwards Gavin Cornforth ‘25 and Tommy Anderson ‘25 added a goal apiece. St. Sebastian’s forward Brendan Gorman, a senior captain for the visiting Arrows, earned the Robert H. Ferriter '73 Cup as the game’s MVP. 

COVID-19 protocols limited attendance to the immediate families of all four competing teams as well as a number of Thayer students who had registered to watch the game in person. All attendees wore masks (of at least three-ply strength), and no food or beverages were served. Both games were made available via livestream for the entire Thayer community. 

The Valicenti Cup honors Arthur T. Valicenti Jr. '51 P '75, '75, '77 GP '10, '14, Thayer's former hockey coach and athletic director, for his contributions as the founder of the Academy’s hockey program.