Boston College Athletics
Photo by: John Quackenbos
Trophy Season Continues with 40th Women's Beanpot
February 04, 2018 | Women's Hockey, #ForBoston Files
Boston College hosts the 40th annual event with a target right on its back.
For the Boston College women's hockey team, the weeks of late January and early February are almost always circled. Hockey East's regular season starts wrapping up. The league's postseason tournament is on the horizon. The national tournament often sits beyond that. And in between? The Beanpot, which this year marks the 40th edition of the women's edition.Â
"Trophy Season" is officially back in session. It's the Eagles' proverbial most wonderful time of the year. And this year, with the Beanpot set to open up on Tuesday on home ice against Northeastern at Kelley Rink in Conte Forum, all roads seem to lead through Chestnut Hill.
"We're certainly excited," head coach Katie Crowley said. "It's always fun to have the Beanpot on home ice, especially because we feel like we play pretty well on home ice. This is a great time of year. It's Trophy Season around here, and this first game is going to be a tough one. Northeastern has already beaten us once, and they're a good team. They're sneaky good, and we have to take care of that first game before we look at the second week."
This year's Beanpot opens on Tuesday night with BC having a large target on its back. Last Saturday's win over Providence clinched BC's fifth-straight Hockey East regular season championship. In each of the past two seasons, Northeastern had a front row seat from second place - and last year in the overtime of the Hockey East Tournament Championship as BC won its second league tournament title in a row. And that was after BC topped Northeastern, 2-1, on the Huskies' home ice at Matthews Arena in the Beanpot championship game last February. And while the Huskies sit in fifth place in the tightly-packed Hockey East standings this year, they also inflicted the Eagles' only conference loss to this point of the season.
"They're a great team," junior forward Makenna Newkirk said. "They always play us incredibly hard. They have great forwards. Their freshman goaltender, Aerin Frankel, has been unbelievable along with Brittany Bugalski. We have to get shots off and get pucks on net, and we have to screen the goalies and get in front of them to be successful. But they're just a great team, well-coached, and they have beaten us on home ice. So we're going to have to get ready."
Trophy Season is hardly a standard coronation for the Eagles. BC knows that the Beanpot is one of those tournaments where anything can happen. In 2015, an undefeated BC team went into the championship game against Harvard at the Crimson's Bright-Landry center and lost. It was a similar fate to 2013, when BC, at 21-4-3, lost to a Northeastern team that was running at .500.
"We've had trouble with Northeastern in the past," senior forward Kenzie Kent said. "Even this year, they're tough and physical every time we've played them. We match up well with them, but they have a lot of talent in every aspect of their game. They're a big-time team, so coming into a big-time tournament will be very intense."
There stands to reason, though, that the Eagles have the firepower to win their third consecutive Beanpot championship. BC has the top two scorers in the nation in Daryl Watts and Caitrin Lonergan. It has a deep lineup bolstered by some of the best skaters in college hockey. And it has goalie Katie Burt, who broke the NCAA wins record with the victory over Providence last weekend.
"You can make a mistake and Katie will cover for you," Crowley said. "That's a big deal for our players, especially for our defense, who are young back there. She's had a great career, and we want to end on a big note, so this trophy is a big one."
"This is the start of the best time of the year," Burt said. "We play for pride in the Beanpot and bragging rights for an entire year. We see these teams all the time, but we're just excited and hopefully we can come out on top, especially since it's at home. We try to go one game at a time. Every game is important, no matter if we're playing in or out of Hockey East. We've played Northeastern three times, and they've played us tough - beat us once - so we know it's going to be a tough game."
As the Eagles open up the Beanpot with Northeastern, the national radar intensifies, as well.
BC ranks No. 3 in the USCHO Poll and No. 2 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, switching spots with Clarkson in the two rankings. Wisconsin, which has been No. 1 for almost the entire season, was just swept by No. 6 Ohio State this weekend. Last weekend, then-No. 2 Colgate lost at No. 3 Clarkson and the Raiders fell to No. 4.Â
All of that means there's a greater emphasis that this game - this Beanpot tournament - could be the difference for postseason seeding where only the top four teams earn national seeds. And, in the case of the Huskies, success in the Beanpot could mean a potential NCAA berth. Northeastern is currently No. 11 in the PairWise rankings, just outside the bubble of the NCAA Tournament, despite a 13-13-3 record.
"They have some big wins," Crowley said. "Their record doesn't show how good they are or can be. Their consistency is lacking a little bit, but this game is going to have a big implication for the NCAA Tournament. At this point, all these games - whether it's six or five left - they all matter to the national tournament."
It will all play out in Conte Forum under the banners of Boston College's previous success.
The Eagles have seven Beanpot championships, which ranks third among the four schools. All have come in the last 12 years, during which BC is 14-5-1. The Eagles haven't played in the consolation game since 2013 and haven't finished fourth since the tournament format reintroduced the game in 1993.
"There's a lot of pride going into this tournament because it means you're Boston's best team," Kent said. "We really rally around that, and we're very lucky and fortunate to play in it. I'm especially excited because it's at home. To host the Beanpot and to have our friends and families at the game is really special. It's the most exciting time of the year."
"It's the world right now," Newkirk said. "That's our next championship that we want to take home and it's next on the list. We're taking it one game at a time. Once we made it through Providence, all eyes were on the Beanpot and getting past Northeastern is our number-one priority. We're just working hard to keep going, to zone in on how to beat Northeastern."
The Eagles will host the Huskies on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. after Harvard plays Boston University in the early game at 5 p.m. The winners advance to the championship game next Tuesday, Feb. 13, which will be played after the 4:30 p.m. consolation game.Â
Full tournament information and tickets to this year's Beanpot are available at womenbeanpot.com.
"Trophy Season" is officially back in session. It's the Eagles' proverbial most wonderful time of the year. And this year, with the Beanpot set to open up on Tuesday on home ice against Northeastern at Kelley Rink in Conte Forum, all roads seem to lead through Chestnut Hill.
"We're certainly excited," head coach Katie Crowley said. "It's always fun to have the Beanpot on home ice, especially because we feel like we play pretty well on home ice. This is a great time of year. It's Trophy Season around here, and this first game is going to be a tough one. Northeastern has already beaten us once, and they're a good team. They're sneaky good, and we have to take care of that first game before we look at the second week."
This year's Beanpot opens on Tuesday night with BC having a large target on its back. Last Saturday's win over Providence clinched BC's fifth-straight Hockey East regular season championship. In each of the past two seasons, Northeastern had a front row seat from second place - and last year in the overtime of the Hockey East Tournament Championship as BC won its second league tournament title in a row. And that was after BC topped Northeastern, 2-1, on the Huskies' home ice at Matthews Arena in the Beanpot championship game last February. And while the Huskies sit in fifth place in the tightly-packed Hockey East standings this year, they also inflicted the Eagles' only conference loss to this point of the season.
"They're a great team," junior forward Makenna Newkirk said. "They always play us incredibly hard. They have great forwards. Their freshman goaltender, Aerin Frankel, has been unbelievable along with Brittany Bugalski. We have to get shots off and get pucks on net, and we have to screen the goalies and get in front of them to be successful. But they're just a great team, well-coached, and they have beaten us on home ice. So we're going to have to get ready."
Trophy Season is hardly a standard coronation for the Eagles. BC knows that the Beanpot is one of those tournaments where anything can happen. In 2015, an undefeated BC team went into the championship game against Harvard at the Crimson's Bright-Landry center and lost. It was a similar fate to 2013, when BC, at 21-4-3, lost to a Northeastern team that was running at .500.
"We've had trouble with Northeastern in the past," senior forward Kenzie Kent said. "Even this year, they're tough and physical every time we've played them. We match up well with them, but they have a lot of talent in every aspect of their game. They're a big-time team, so coming into a big-time tournament will be very intense."
There stands to reason, though, that the Eagles have the firepower to win their third consecutive Beanpot championship. BC has the top two scorers in the nation in Daryl Watts and Caitrin Lonergan. It has a deep lineup bolstered by some of the best skaters in college hockey. And it has goalie Katie Burt, who broke the NCAA wins record with the victory over Providence last weekend.
"You can make a mistake and Katie will cover for you," Crowley said. "That's a big deal for our players, especially for our defense, who are young back there. She's had a great career, and we want to end on a big note, so this trophy is a big one."
"This is the start of the best time of the year," Burt said. "We play for pride in the Beanpot and bragging rights for an entire year. We see these teams all the time, but we're just excited and hopefully we can come out on top, especially since it's at home. We try to go one game at a time. Every game is important, no matter if we're playing in or out of Hockey East. We've played Northeastern three times, and they've played us tough - beat us once - so we know it's going to be a tough game."
As the Eagles open up the Beanpot with Northeastern, the national radar intensifies, as well.
BC ranks No. 3 in the USCHO Poll and No. 2 in the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll, switching spots with Clarkson in the two rankings. Wisconsin, which has been No. 1 for almost the entire season, was just swept by No. 6 Ohio State this weekend. Last weekend, then-No. 2 Colgate lost at No. 3 Clarkson and the Raiders fell to No. 4.Â
All of that means there's a greater emphasis that this game - this Beanpot tournament - could be the difference for postseason seeding where only the top four teams earn national seeds. And, in the case of the Huskies, success in the Beanpot could mean a potential NCAA berth. Northeastern is currently No. 11 in the PairWise rankings, just outside the bubble of the NCAA Tournament, despite a 13-13-3 record.
"They have some big wins," Crowley said. "Their record doesn't show how good they are or can be. Their consistency is lacking a little bit, but this game is going to have a big implication for the NCAA Tournament. At this point, all these games - whether it's six or five left - they all matter to the national tournament."
It will all play out in Conte Forum under the banners of Boston College's previous success.
The Eagles have seven Beanpot championships, which ranks third among the four schools. All have come in the last 12 years, during which BC is 14-5-1. The Eagles haven't played in the consolation game since 2013 and haven't finished fourth since the tournament format reintroduced the game in 1993.
"There's a lot of pride going into this tournament because it means you're Boston's best team," Kent said. "We really rally around that, and we're very lucky and fortunate to play in it. I'm especially excited because it's at home. To host the Beanpot and to have our friends and families at the game is really special. It's the most exciting time of the year."
"It's the world right now," Newkirk said. "That's our next championship that we want to take home and it's next on the list. We're taking it one game at a time. Once we made it through Providence, all eyes were on the Beanpot and getting past Northeastern is our number-one priority. We're just working hard to keep going, to zone in on how to beat Northeastern."
The Eagles will host the Huskies on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. after Harvard plays Boston University in the early game at 5 p.m. The winners advance to the championship game next Tuesday, Feb. 13, which will be played after the 4:30 p.m. consolation game.Â
Full tournament information and tickets to this year's Beanpot are available at womenbeanpot.com.
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