Over the past 70 years, the Beanpot has become one of Boston’s most anticipated sporting events, with current students and proud alumni filling up TD Garden each year. The midseason tournament gives the four crosstown participants—Boston College, Boston University, Northeastern, and Harvard—a taste of postseason play on the city’s biggest stage.
After falling in the first round of last year’s tournament to the Huskies by a final score of 3–1, BC men’s hockey will open the 70th Beanpot against No. 8 Harvard on Monday, Feb. 6 at TD Garden. In its 133rd all-time meeting with the Crimson, the Eagles will seek their first Beanpot Championship since 2016 and 21st overall.
The Eagles currently hold a 9–10–6 record under BC head coach Greg Brown, who replaced Jerry York, the winningest coach in Beanpot history, prior to this season. York won nine Beanpot titles with BC, including five straight titles from 2010–14. A win would mark Brown’s first Beanpot win at the helm of the program.
The Eagles have struggled with consistency this season, but freshman Cutter Gauthier has taken college hockey by storm, leading BC’s roster with 13 goals and 23 points. The Eagles sit with a sub-.500 record, however, and captain Marshall Warren—the only Eagle who’s skated in multiple Beanpot semifinals—will look to lead BC out of its rut at the Garden.
Who is BC playing?
Harvard
When is BC playing?
Monday, Feb. 6 at 5 p.m.
Where is BC playing?
TD Garden, Boston, Mass.
How to Watch:
The game will air on NESN and WEEI 850 AM.
Tournament and Series History:
Reigning Beanpot champion BU has the most tournament titles with 31, while BC is in second place with 20, followed by Harvard with 11, and Northeastern with seven. Prior to the 2021–22 season, Northeastern had won three Beanpots in a row before BU snapped its streak, defeating the Huskies 1–0 in the 2022 Final.
The first-round matchups rotate every year, but the electric atmosphere created by the student sections remains a constant. The winners of both first-round games compete in the tournament final on Monday, Feb. 13, while the losers from the first round will face off for third place in a consolation game on the same night.
The Eagles meet the Crimson on Monday evening before BU takes on Northeastern for a championship rematch three hours later. BC and Harvard fans will still be trickling out of the arena as BU and Northeastern fans make their way to their respective student sections, and the crossfire between the four schools will be at its most hectic point.
The Eagles went undefeated against the Crimson in their Beanpot matchups between 1999 and 2017 before falling to Harvard in overtime in the 2018 consolation game. The two squads also met in the consolation game of the 2022 Beanpot but played to a 3–3 stalemate.
What to Expect from Harvard:
Harvard sits atop the ECAC with an 8–1–0 conference record. The Crimson average 3.6 goals per game, good for sixth in the nation. Junior forward Sean Farrell leads Harvard’s high-powered offense with 12 goals and 34 points.
Harvard complements its mighty offensive output with strong defensive play, averaging just 2.38 goals against, which is good for 11th in the nation. Starting goaltender Mitchell Gibson has allowed 2.24 goals per game this season with a .919 save percentage.
The Crimson’s power-play unit is hot and cold—it converts 21.2 percent of the time—but its penalty kill is among the nation’s best, killing off 85.5 percent of the penalties it faces.
Outlook:
The Eagles will have to pick up their play on offense to compete with the Crimson. BC averages just 2.7 goals per game this season, which will not cut it on Monday night. The Eagles’ power play will have its work cut out for it against the top-notch Harvard penalty kill, so special teams could make the difference in this matchup.
Considering two of BC’s top four points leaders are freshmen—Gauthier and Andre Gasseau—few members of BC’s roster have significant Beanpot experience. It should be interesting to see whether the veterans or the young guns will show up for BC on Monday.
Gauthier scored the opening goal of Frozen Fenway under the bright lights of Fenway Park on Jan. 7, and all eyes will be on the emerging superstar on Monday. While BC has been struggling as of late—its last victory came on Jan. 14 at Sacred Heart—there is no better place to end its six-game winless streak than a jam-packed TD Garden.
