By Chloe Wojtanik
Boston University News Service
With the start of the 45th annual Women’s Beanpot tournament tomorrow, Boston University’s Women’s hockey team is preparing for the exciting challenge ahead of them as they have their sights set on bringing a third Beanpot championship to Commonwealth Avenue.
The Terriers will face the Boston College Eagles in the semifinal round of the tournament on Tuesday, January 16th at 4 p.m. at Harvard University’s Bright-Landry Hockey Center. BU will be tested early on in the tournament as BC is currently ranked the 13th best team in the nation, according to USCHO.com’s most recent poll. These two teams faced off against each other earlier this season, with BC getting 5-3 win on the Eagles’ home ice. Boston College currently has eight Women’s Beanpot championships, the third most out of the four teams competing.
The second semifinal game will be a matchup between the Harvard University Crimson and the Northeastern University Huskies. These two teams will face off at 7:30 on the same day and rink as BU’s semifinal game. Harvard and Northeastern have seen the most success in the Women’s Beanpot tournament, with the Huskies’ winning 18 titles and the Crimson’s having 15 titles. Northeastern enters the game ranked 15th nationally and Harvard is currently unranked.
The winner of the two semifinal games will meet each other on a grand stage: TD Garden. This is the first time that the Women’s Beanpot will be held at TD Garden, which has been home to the Men’s Beanpot. The players and coaches of the four competing teams are extremely excited about playing on this large stage to try and gain exposure for their game.
“As a former collegiate athlete, a fan, and an executive in the sports industry, I am so excited for aspiring female hockey players, the current student-athletes, and the fans, to have this unforgettable experience,” says the president of TD Garden, Amy Latimer. “TD Garden and The Beanpot are amazing platforms to showcase the talent and amplify the growth of women’s hockey.”
The losers of the two semifinal games will also have the opportunity to play under the bright lights of TD Garden as the consolation game will also be held at the Garden. Both games will be played on Tuesday, January 23rd with the consolation game at 5 p.m. and the championship game at 8 p.m. NESN will be broadcasting both the championship and consolation games.
