Members of the 2018–19 BU women's ice hockey team celebrate the program's most recent Beanpot championship title. The Terriers beat Northeastern on penalty kicks 2-1, then Harvard 3-2 in overtime to lift the 2019 trophy. Photo by Andy Costello
FEMALE BEAN
BU plays rival Northeastern, capturing its third Beanpot title in program history
For the first time since 2020, the Boston University women's ice hockey team is skating for Beanpot glory—and this time a little history is being made. The Terriers will battle the Northeastern Huskies in the 45th Women's Beanpot Championship at 8:00 PM on Tuesday, January 23rd. It is the first time the Women's Beanpot title game has been played at TD Garden. Discount tickets ($15) can still be purchased by students, faculty and staff here.
When you go to cheer on your terriers, be prepared with some important information:
A rivalry renewed: Huskies and Terriers match for 75th time in college program history
Northeastern's women's hockey program is much older than BU's. Their program started in 1980, BU's in 2005. Before that, BU women's hockey was a club sport, starting in 1973. BU's first varsity game was against Northeastern on October 7, 2005, where the Terriers lost 4-3. Northeastern and BU have been pretty competitive overall in their matchups since 2005. The two teams' records slightly favor the Huskies, who are 33-32-9 all-time against BU.
Tough skating lately for the Terriers
Although Northeastern has just one more win than BU, the Huskies have dominated the competition in recent years. BU has won just one game against Northeastern in the last 11 games. That victory came in 2021 when the Terriers beat the Huskies 2-1.
In those last 11 games, Northeastern has taken all three games this season. They also played in last year's Beanpot semifinal, a game the Huskies won 4-1 en route to capturing their second Beanpot championship in three years. In 44 years of Beanpot games, Northeastern is 18-5-4 against BU.
BU is looking for a third Beanpot title, second as a varsity program
Northeastern is the winningest Women's Beanpot program, with 18 titles to date. BU is the least successful of the tournament, with two titles. (The opposite is true for the Men's Beanpot – the BU men's ice hockey team has the most titles (31) and Northeastern has the fewest (8).)
The Terrier Women's first triumph came in 1981, awarded when it was still a club sport. They won their second and only title as a varsity team in 2019 when they stunned the Harvard Crimson in 13:38 in sudden death to win the 41st Women's Beanpot. The win came on a power play when then-junior forward Sammy Davis (CGS'18, Sargent'20) slammed the ball home to give the team a 3-2 victory, sending fans and players into wild celebration. Davis was named tournament MVP.
This last time the BU women played in the 2020 Beanpot final, they fell to Northeastern in double overtime after tying the Huskies 3-3 in regulation.
It peaks at the right time
The Terriers have a record of 11-10-3 so far this season. The Huskies are 15-9-1 and ranked No. 14/15 at the polls. To earn their spot in their first Beanpot final since 2020, the Terriers beat Comm Ave opponent No. 13 Boston College in a shootout to take a thrilling 4-3 Beanpot semifinal on Tuesday, January 16. Since then, BU swept the University of Vermont over the weekend, outscoring the Catamounts 10-3 in two games at Walter Brown Arena on Jan. 19 and 20.
By comparison, the Huskies shut out Harvard on Jan. 16, 1-0, to complete their 30th Beanpot final appearance.
Biggest scene yet
The Men's Beanpot tournament has been played at TD Garden (and before that, its predecessor, Boston Garden) for 70 years. But tonight's Women's Beanpot consolation and championship games mark the first time in TD Garden history that any women's college hockey game has been played there. TD Garden has hosted high school women's hockey teams, but never women's college hockey teams.
Tuesday's championship game could draw one of the largest crowds in BU women's hockey history. TD Garden seats 17,850. By comparison, Walter Brown Arena, where the Terriers play their home games, seats 3,300. Even the Terriers' two NCAA final appearances (2011, 2013) were in front of smaller crowds.
Expect great goaltending in this Beanpot final
Gwyneth Phillips, the reigning Women's Hockey Commissioner's Association National Goaltender of the Year, and reigning 2023 Beanpot MVP, plays between games for Northeastern. This season, he boasts the NCAA best goals-against average (1.12) and save percentage (.955) among players with at least 13 starts.
At the opposite end of the ice, the Terriers recently returned a goaltender Kali Shanahan (CAS'25) from injury. Shanahan was the Hockey East Rookie of the Year in 2021–22 and stood tall against Boston College in the semifinals, holding off the Eagles' every effort.
Ticket Details: The 45th Women's Beanpot Final will be played between Boston University and Northeastern on Tuesday, January 23rd at the TD Garden at 8:00 p.m. Discounted tickets are available for BU students and staff here. The consolation game between No. 13 Boston College and Harvard will be played at 5 p.m. Both games will be televised live on NESN and streamed live on ESPN+.
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