Eagles Open Play in 40th Women's Beanpot Tomorrow

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Tomorrow, the 40th Women's Beanpot gets underway with a pair of first-round games at host Boston College's Kelley Rink.

In the first game of the opening-round doubleheader, Boston University will face Harvard at 5 p.m. Following that game, the host Eagles will face Northeastern at approximately 8 p.m.

All four games of the 40th Women's Beanpot – including the consolation and championship games next Tuesday, Feb. 13 – will be streamed live on ESPN3. The game will also be carried live on the radio at 1120 AM WBNW, and the audio stream will be available on bceagles.com.

Between the two first-round games on Tuesday, the special 40th Anniversary All-Women's Beanpot Team will be announced and recognized.

In tomorrow's second game, Boston College (24-2-3, 17-1-3 HEA) will face a staunch opponent in Northeastern (13-13-9, 9-10-2 HEA). The teams have meet three times already this year, with the Eagles earning the edge in the teams' Hockey East season series, 2-0-1.

BC took a 7-3 win at Kelley Rink on Nov. 28, before the Huskies claimed a 4-2 win in Chestnut Hill on Jan. 12 – the Eagles' only loss in Hockey East play yet this season. The next day, BC returned favor with a 5-4, overtime victory at Northeastern's Matthews Arena.

While BC will look to enjoy familiarity of its home ice – where the team has had incredible success the last five years – Northeastern is the only opposing team since late 2013 to win at Kelley Rink.

After the Eagles went undefeated at home for 63 games between October 2013 and February 2017, the Huskies came to Kelley Rink on Feb. 10, 2017 and earned a 2-1 win – becoming the first visiting team to win in Chestnut Hill since Oct. 16, 2013. After the Huskies' win at Kelley Rink last year winter, BC then went 15 games undefeated until Northeastern returned in January 2018. Again NU came away with a win, this time a 4-2 victory on Jan. 12, 2018. Of BC's three home losses since the start of the 2013-14 season, Northeastern has two of them.

The Eagles and Huskies have had a habit of meeting in tournaments of late, as well. In the last two seasons, the teams have met in three championship or tournament knock-out games: 2016 Beanpot Championship (a 7-0 BC win at Walter Brown Arena), 2016 NCAA Quarterfinals (a 5-1 BC win at Kelley Rink) and the 2017 Beanpot Championship (a 2-1 BC win at Matthews Arena).

Overall, BC and Northeastern have faced each other 22 times since the very first Beanpot in 1979. The Huskies hold the 13-8-1 edge in the Beanpot series, but since the Eagles elevated to varsity status for the 1995 tournament, BC is 8-4-1 against Northeastern.

The teams have met in four of the last five championship games. In first-round games, NU holds an 8-4-1 edge, but BC has a 4-2-1 advantage since becoming a varsity program. However, the Eagles are 0-1-0 in the opening around against Northeastern at Kelley Rink courtesy of a 1997 first-round loss.

All-time, the Eagles have benefited from home ice in the Beanpot, going 10-5-0 overall – including a 9-3-0 record since becoming a varsity program. BC has won the last three Beanpots played at Kelley Rink: 2007, 2011 and 2014. Overall, Boston College comes into the 2018 tournament with a seven-game home winning streak in Beanpot play dating back to the 2004 consolation game.

Makenna Newkirk leads all current BC players in Beanpot scoring, posting nine points in four games, including three straight three-point games between 2016 and 2017. Kenzie Kent is averaging 1.00 points per game in the Beanpot, with one goal and five assists in six career games. Toni Ann Miano (1 goal, 2 assists in four games), 2017 Beanpot MVP Erin Connolly (1 goal, 2 assists in two games) and Caitrin Lonergan (1 goal, two assists in two games) all have three career points in Beanpot play.

Katie Burt has started BC's last six Beanpot contests, going 5-1-0 with a 1.17 goals against average, .939 save percentage, two shutouts and the 2016 Bertagna Award as the tournament's top goaltender in her career.

Tickets and full tournament information, including its complete history, are available at womensbeanpot.com. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and youth, and will also be available at the Conte Forum Ticket Office on game day. Students and staff from the four participating schools will receive free entry to the 2018 Women's Beanpot with a school ID at the Conte Forum gates.

Following Tuesday's game against Northeastern, the Eagles will host New Hampshire at Kelley Rink on Friday, Feb. 9. Faceoff is set for 2 p.m., and the Eagles' senior class will be honored with a Senior Day ceremony immediately before the game. Following the contest, the 2018 Hockey East regular-season trophy will be presented to the Eagles by conference staff.

Eagles Open Play in 40th Women's Beanpot Tomorrow

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Players Mentioned

Katie Burt

Erin Connolly

Kenzie Kent

Caitrin Lonergan

Toni Ann Miano

Makenna Newkirk