While the Massachusetts hockey team’s four-game winning streak ended at the hands of Maine, plenty of Hockey East teams are carrying momentum into the end of the season. The annual Beanpot tournament kicked off its first round of action, with two storied Boston rivals dominating their competitors to secure a date in the finale.
Boston University v. Harvard (February 3)
The opening game of the Beanpot tournament matched up No. 10 Boston University with Harvard University. The Terriers (15-9-1, 10-5-1 HEA) were on fire offensively, peppering both Crimson (7-12-2) goaltenders with shots. A second period offensive explosion sealed the deal for BU, who won the contest 7-1.
Harvard managed to come out of the gates strong. An early Terriers’ penalty allowed the Crimson to capitalize when junior forward Casey Severo put away the game’s first goal just under six minutes in. This goal ended up being the lone goal for the Crimson in the contest.
The Terriers responded when junior forward Devin Kaplan found the back of the net 10 minutes later. The Terriers’ momentum carried over into the second period when BU scored two more early goals. The first came from sophomore forward Shane Lachance, who capitalized on a power play opportunity just under three and a half minutes into the period. Freshman defenseman Cole Hutson joined the scoring party two and a half minutes later, notching his first of two goals in the game.
Sophomore forward Jack Harvey, previous scorer Devin Kaplan and junior forward Quinn Hutson tallied the next three goals for the Terriers. Cole Hutson scored the game’s final goal in the third period.
“There’s no question in the final you don’t want to have a slow start,” Boston University head coach Jay Pandolfo said of the team facing an early deficit. “They’ve been in this moment before, so I expect our group to be ready next Monday.”
The win secured the Terriers one of two spots in the coveted Beanpot Championship game.
Northeastern v. Boston College (February 3)
No. 1 ranked Boston College took the ice for a clash with Northeastern University in the final game of the first round of the Beanpot. The Eagles (20-4-1, 12-3-1 HEA) showcased why the team currently holds the top spot in the nation, defeating the Huskies (9-13-3, 4-9-3 HEA), 8-2.
Freshman forward Teddy Stiga got the action going almost instantly. He popped the game’s first goal into the back of the net just 46 seconds in.
Senior forward Connor Joyce extended the Eagles’ lead to two just before the 14-minute mark of the first period. Northeastern forward Ben Poitras managed a quick response, scoring the Huskies first goal 40 seconds later. Graduate defenseman Eamon Powell ended the Huskies’ fun with a goal just four minutes after Poitras’ icebreaker, concluding the period at 3-1.
Eagles’ junior defenseman Lukas Gustafsson capitalized on a Northeastern breakdown, scoring 35 seconds into the second period. BC’s defense played soundly, allowing zero goals in the frame. Defenseman Aram Minnetian added a goal with two and a half minutes left, ending the second period 5-1.
The third period began slower than the first two but displayed just as much offense. Andre Gasseau extended the Eagles’ lead to five when he fired a shot into the back of the net 13 minutes into the period. Huskies’ sophomore forward Dylan Hryckowian notched the team’s final goal of the contest two minutes later.
Amherst native Ryan Leonard scored his nation-leading 23rd goal just 40 seconds later and his fellow IIHF World Junior Championship teammate James Hagens added the finishing touch with just under two minutes to go in the game.
BC will look to end the longest current Beanpot Championship drought of the four participating teams. Its last Beanpot trophy victory came in 2016.
The Eagles are set to face Boston University in the championship game on Monday. The game will be played at the TD Garden in Boston.
“We will do our best come Monday, but it can be a streaky event,” said Boston College head coach Greg Brown. “Every year is unique. You show up, you do the best you can and we are excited for the opportunity.”
Other Notable Hockey East Results
No. 10 UMass Lowell defended home ice and defeated Merrimack 3-2.
No. 7 Providence dominated No. 11 UConn, winning 6-3 in Connecticut.
Hockey East Standings Update
No. 1 Boston College holds first place in both the Hockey East and NCAA national rankings. Three points behind it is No. 5 Maine and just a point behind Maine is No. 10 Boston University. UConn and UMass Lowell hold the fourth and fifth spot and are separated by only a point. No. 7 Providence trails these two teams and has Merrimack, UMass, Northeastern, Vermont and New Hampshire on its tail.
Matt Kotfila can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @mattkotfila.
