The Beanpot tournament has been a staple in Boston since 1952. After a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the event returned to TD Garden on Monday night for the 69th time. The action began with a matchup between Boston University which appeared in the finals in 2020 and Harvard. The two teams provided plenty of action right away.
After a physical start, the goals came in a flurry towards the end of the first period. Bu struck first courtesy of captain Logan Cockerill. However, the Terriers lead was short-lived as Casey Dornbach put Harvard on the board less than a minute later. While Harvard was able to regain the momentum, Jay O’Brien found the back of the net for BU in the final minutes of the opening period.
The two rivals did not let up following 20 minutes full of action. The Terriers took a commanding 4-1 lead and appeared to be on an easy path to victory. However, Harvard’s offense broke through and made it a 4-3 game on goals by Matthew Coronato and Jack Donato. The offensive explosion set the stage for a hard-fought final stretch.
Although Bu and Harvard combined for seven goals in the first 40 minutes, they went scoreless in the third period. Harvard was able to hold the Terriers’ offense in check but could not tie it up. Despite having an unexpected year off, Bu continued its Beanpot dominance by getting out to an early lead that Harvard could not overcome.
A special moment for 3️⃣7️⃣.
We love you, Brownie. pic.twitter.com/w3zNy71Zch
— BU Men’s Hockey (@TerrierHockey) February 8, 2022
Beanpot Game Two: BC vs Northeastern
Following a closely fought opening game, BC and Northeastern did not disappoint. Northeastern started the scoring courtesy of Gunnarwolfe Fontaine. While the Eagles generated scoring chances, they finished the first period scoreless. That was partly due to Northeastern’s goaltender TJ Semptimphelter who made multiple big saves in his third career start.
After an even first period, Northeastern started to take over. The Huskies raised their physicality, which BC matched. However, the Eagles could not get on the board before Sam Colangelo made it a 2-0 game. While BC again led in shots, they failed to find the back of the net. That led the way to a memorable ending.
Boston College was finally able to get on the scoreboard in the third period on a goal by Patrick Giles. After outshooting the Huskies all night, it seemed as if the Eagles had found their groove. However, Northeastern quickly ended their comeback attempt when freshman Justin Hryckowian added an insurance goal for the Huskies with 14.5 seconds left.
The Beanpot will return to TD Garden next Monday, where the Huskies will be going for the four-peat when they face BU in the championship game.
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Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
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