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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — College hockey players hope to cement their place in history at the 72nd Annual Dunkin’ Men’s Beanpot Championship.
The men’s hockey teams at Boston College, Boston University, Harvard University and Northeastern University will battle for bragging rights as the Beanpot kicks off Monday night. Thousands of students will pack T.D. Garden, hoping to see their team make it through to the championship game on Feb. 10.
In the semifinals, Boston University takes on Harvard University at 5:00 p.m. and Northeastern will play Boston College at 8:00 p.m. Here’s a preview of this year’s teams.
Northeastern: 9 Beanpot Championships
As back-to-back Beanpot champions, Northeastern hopes to have a chance to make it three straight. However, it has been an underwhelming season for the Huskies so far, especially in Hockey East Conference games where they’ve gone 4-9-3. Beanpot experience could give the Huskies an edge, as Juniors Jack Williams and Cam Lund currently lead the team in points and are no strangers to the spotlight.
Boston University: 31 Beanpot Championships
The Terriers have a wide lead over the rest of the teams in terms of championships, but they haven’t brought home the Beanpot trophy since 2022. They’re currently ranked 10th in the country but have felt the loss of last year’s Hobey Baker Award winner Macklin Celebrini, who’s now playing for the San Jose Sharks. Boston University has the third highest scoring offense in the country, but they’ll need a new star to fill the void when it matters most.
Boston College: 20 Beanpot Championships
Boston College enters the Beanpot as the top-ranked team in the country with an NHL prospect-stacked roster. The bad news for the Eagles: high rankings going into the tournament did not help them in recent years. Boston College hasn’t reached the Beanpot finals since 2019 and has the longest championship drought of the four teams.
Harvard University: 11 Beanpot Championships
Harvard hasn’t won the Beanpot since 2017 and has the worst record of the four teams this season. When the team last reached the finals in 2023, they beat a strong Boston College team in overtime in the semifinals. However, if the Crimson can keep the high-scoring Boston University offense at bay, they’ll have a chance at getting the upset.
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