No matter the struggles of the season thus far, there is something about looking the calendar, seeing it is the first Monday in February, and realizing that one of college hockey’s greatest traditions is upon us.
For the 67th time, Boston’s four Division I hockey programs will congregate at the TD Garden, just off Causeway Street, and compete for the Beanpot, a trophy that has significant meaning for players, coaches and fans alike from all four schools.
Here’s what the four schools have been up to:
Harvard: Harvard is currently in the 12th position in the Pairwise rankings, good for the best team in the tournament (but just barely). The Crimson have built their program’s success off beating the lower echelon of the ECAC, but the Crimson have also ascertained a few big wins as well, including wins against Arizona State, Cornell, and a road win against Quinnipiac. Senior Lewis Zerter-Gossage and Junior Adam Fox have been offensive stalwarts this season, and any fans should keep an eye on them.
boston university: The terriers had their own struggles to start the season, not picking up their first win until November when they beat Northeastern at Agganis Arena. The terriers, incidentally, have played the Beanpot schools five times this year, only picking up a win in one of those games. Bobo Carpenter has been a bright spot for the terriers, leading the team in goals with 10.
Northeastern: The Huskies are in 13th in Pairwise, and appear to be one of the tougher teams in the tournament. The Huskies have gotten to this point by, frankly, beating up on the lower echelon teams in Hockey East and doing well with their out-of-conference schedule. The Huskies do have a big win against St. Cloud State from earlier in the season, but come into the tournament on a three-game losing streak, with two losses to Providence and a loss to UMass Lowell. Brandon Hawkins has 22 points on the year, good for the lead on the team.
Random, Possibly Incorrect Fact from Harvard’s Wikipedia Page:
Harvard is the No. 2 ranked university in U.S. News and World Report. Which I’m sure they’re totally fine with.
Harpoon IPA
For Boston’s tournament, a beer that is ubiquitous to Boston.
Predictions
I’m feeling optimistic. To be clear, nothing that BC has done gives me reason to do so, but maybe the Garden is enough to get the Eagles going. In the late game, it’s hard to pick Northeastern when they have yet to defeat bu this year. I’m taking the terriers, begrudgingly.
Beanpot Semifinal Predictions
Name | Who Will Win the BC/Harvard Game? | What Will Be The Score? | Who Will Win The BU/Northeastern Game? | What Will Be the Score? | How Excited Are You For Beanpot Szn? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Who Will Win the BC/Harvard Game? | What Will Be The Score? | Who Will Win The BU/Northeastern Game? | What Will Be the Score? | How Excited Are You For Beanpot Szn? |
Peter | Boston College | 3-2 | Northeastern | 4-1 | 6 |
Beanpot Trot | Boston College | Beanpot Trot | Northeastern | Who Cares | 3 |
Steven | Boston College | 3-2 | Northeastern | 3-1 | 10 |
Grant | Boston College | 4-3 | Northeastern | 3-1 | 10 |
Arthur Bailin | Boston College | 3-2 | Boston University | 2-1 | 9 |