25th annual Valicenti Cup set for Feb. 24

The 25th annual Valicenti Cup will take place Friday, Feb. 24, on Valicenti Rink at Thayer Sports Center. 

The Thayer girls varsity hockey team will play Buckingham Browne & Nichols at 5 p.m. that day followed by a 7 p.m. matchup between the boys varsity team and St. Sebastian’s, their traditional Valicenti Cup foe. 

This year’s contest marks the silver anniversary of the Valicenti Cup, which is played in honor of Arthur T. Valicenti Jr. '51 P '75, '75, '77 GP '10, '14, Thayer’s longtime hockey coach and athletic director.

“The Valicenti Cup is a testament to Coach Valicenti’s passion for the game of hockey and athletic excellence,” said Athletic Director Bobbi Moran. “It’s a privilege to have our boys and girls hockey teams participate in this tradition which honors Arthur and his many contributions to Thayer sports and the ISL.” 

Boys varsity head coach David Hymovitz ‘92 said that he, his coaching staff, and his players are extremely excited to take part in the annual rivalry game. 

“Coach Valicenti is a Thayer legend,” said Hymovitz. “He coached me at Thayer and set the high standard for not only hockey but the entire athletic program. To have St. Sebastian’s as the opponent for this annual game is a bonus, as our two storied hockey programs have always been great rivals dating back to well before I played at Thayer.”

This isn’t the silver anniversary of the game for the girls squad, who came to the event a little later, but that hasn’t lessened the team’s enthusiasm for the game. 

“We’re incredibly excited for the opportunity to play BB&N at home on the Valicenti Rink and win the cup again for Thayer,” said girls varsity head coach Brandy Fisher-Bailey P '28, '29. “As a team, we’re thankful for the contributions that Arthur Valicenti made, and we also realize how fortunate we are to practice and play on what is a premier ice surface.” 

Following the boys’ game, the 12th annual Robert H. Ferriter ‘73 Cup will be awarded to the game’s most valuable player. At the conclusion of the girls’ game, the fifth annual girls’ Valicenti Cup Game MVP will be awarded. 

Click here to RSVP for the Valicenti Cup to let us know you will be joining us!

Thayer Sports Center is located at 1535 Washington St. in Braintree.