Before the URI Men’s Club Hockey team took the ice for a decisive 4-1 win over Navy, the program paused to recognize an influential figure in its history. Bradford R. Boss, URI alumnus and a co-founder of the club hockey program, was honored with a jersey retirement ceremony—a rare and significant tribute within club sports. URI President Marc Parlange delivered remarks honoring Boss during the ceremony which took place in the facility that bears Boss’s name: the Bradford R. Boss Arena. Parlange spoke about Boss’s legacy and contributions to the business and URI community.

Brad Boss was more than just a club hockey player; he was a driving force behind the growth of athletics at URI. A member of the Class of 1955, he was a founder of the URI men’s hockey club and a standout multi-sport athlete, earning eight varsity letters in tennis and sailing. His dedication to URI athletics earned him a place in the URI Athletics Hall of Fame in 1978. Beyond his time as a student, Boss remained a steadfast supporter of the university, giving back in countless ways. He received an honorary degree from the College of Business in 1982 and was later inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2001. His contributions helped make Boss Ice Arena a reality—the first indoor ice facility in Southern Rhode Island—which continues to serve URI students and the broader community through club sports, hockey camps, and community programs. A large crowd filled the arena on Saturday evening, a testament to the lasting impact he had on URI and the generations of student-athletes who continue to benefit from his vision and generosity.

The Men’s Hockey team had a dominant weekend with two commanding wins over Navy. The Rams played the first game of the back-to-back on Friday, February 7th at 7 p.m. A presiding Rams win was the result of this game as URI won 8-2 over Navy. The very next day, the Rams would defeat Navy again, 4-1 in a win that saw URI dominate time of possession and shots on goal. The Rams moved to 18-9-4 on the season, after the series sweep of Navy. The Club Hockey team will look to handle business in a similar fashion against Indiana University of Pennsylvania at Boss Arena on February 14th and 15th. The team would go on to do exactly that, as they defended their home ice and defeated Indiana University of Pennsylvania 6-2 in both games. These wins bring the teams record to 20-9-4 with two regular season games remaining before playoffs begin. These two games will be against Syracuse University, at Syracuse next weekend, on the 21st and 22nd of February.

As the club hockey season is coming to a close, less and less games will be played at Boss Arena until the season starts back up again in the fall. But whether it’s for club hockey, or a learn to skate program for the community, every time someone walks into Boss Arena, they will see that number eight Keaney Blue jersey hanging right next to the scoreboard.