On Valentine’s Day this year, Boston University Terriers experienced the joy of a Beanpot victory, beating the Northeastern Huskies in a thrilling 1-0 victory.
Beanpot is not only limited to men’s hockey, but has expanded to include the women’s team as well; this year is the 43rd iteration of the contest.
This was a rematch of the 2020 championship game, where the Terriers lost in a heartbreaking 5-4 double-overtime nail-biter to the Huskies.
Beanpot has even translated into tournaments for other sports, including baseball (played at Fenway Park), men’s lacrosse, and women’s rowing.
Beanpot is a treasured tradition in Boston sports, with the four Division I hockey teams—Harvard University, Boston College, Northeastern University, and Boston University—facing off in a tournament over two weekends in February. The winner receives the Beanpot trophy, and bragging rights until the next year.
Even the schools’ respective Pep Bands battle in a competition during the halftime of the women’s hockey tournament, as students from each school cheer them on.
When attendance rates skyrocketed as Boston schools faced head to head in Northeastern’s Matthews Arena, several proposals for a four-team tournament arose. Ever since its debut in 1952, Beanpot has become a staple of the BU hockey season. Many players cite it as the reason for choosing to play at BU, as it is something unique in college hockey.
Some more unique tournaments exist as well. For example, a Beanpot of Comedy and a Beanpot based purely on burrito eating, aptly named the “Rice and Beanpot.” Competition can even be brought to academic circles, with a Business School Competition taking place every year at BU’s very own Questrom School of Business, where students compete in case analysis. On a larger scale, Questrom’s MBA students
THE RETURN OF BEANPOT 21
compete in similar case competitions that have won them cash prizes of $15,000. Beanpot was canceled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, raising the stakes and excitement for those watching the tournament this year. TD Garden was filled with supporters from both schools, and those from the Greater Boston area, bringing an electrifying atmosphere to the game. Spectators were on edge for most of the game, with fears of overtime lurking in the minds of many. But, BU sophomore Dylan Peterson scored the lone goal with 2:46 left, securing the victory for BU. Even though the Northeastern fan section was arguably bigger, it did not mean that Terrier fans did not bring the energy as well, holding up posters and chanting light-hearted insults at the other team. Beanpot is an event BU students look forward to all year, and one could sense the excitement as the Terriers raised the trophy, and the Beanpot banner returned to the rafters of TD
