It was a power-play goal in overtime by redshirt then-junior captain Sammy Davis that decided the outcome of the 2019 Women’s Beanpot Championship game at Harvard.
In the 2019 game, Boston University won its first title as a varsity squad since winning it in 1981 as a club team.
This season, the Terriers (18-6-3, 13-6-3 Hockey East) will not only host the 2020 Women’s Beanpot at Walter Brown Arena, but also host the tournament as defending Beanpot Champions. Brian Durocher, BU’s head coach, said hosting the tournament at home is a thrilling opportunity.
“It’s super exciting,” Durocher said. “For our kids, being here and hosting it, it’s just timing, so I don’t think they worry about that. But, the familiarity and the nuances of our rink is nice to have when you go into the game.”
Durocher said it does not matter where his players are from because once they reach they participate in the Boston-centric Beanpot, they realize just how big the event is.
However, for freshman forward Julia Nearis, the Beanpot means something special for the Massachusetts native as it was something she actively watched growing up.
“It’s definitely something special to be a part of,” Nearis said. “It means a lot to this team for sure after last year, and hopefully we can do it again this year.”
Junior goaltender Corinne Schroeder was the starter for last season’s Beanpot and made 30 saves in the overtime win. For Schroeder, it is a privilege to be able to host the tournament as a returning member of the championship team.
“It’s an incredible honor,” Schroeder said. “And, it’s pretty amazing since we won it last year and this year it is our home turf.”
The Terriers are scheduled to take on Boston College (14-10-3, 13-8-2 Hockey East) Tuesday at 8 p.m.
The Eagles are coming off an 8-3 victory over Holy Cross, where eight different players scored for BC and senior goaltender Molly Barrow earned her first win of the season between the pipes.
Meanwhile, the Terriers are coming off of a 4-2 win last Friday night against the University of Vermont after losing to Northeastern University on Jan. 28.
BU is 2-1 against BC this season with their latest victory a 2-1 road win that completed a weekend sweep on Dec. 7. However, when it comes to these two teams facing off against each other in the Beanpot, the Eagles have the upper-hand. The Terriers are 1-5-1 against BC in Beanpot competition since becoming a varsity program.
To prepare for the Eagles, Durocher has looked at the positives of the loss against Northeastern reflecting on how a tight score leads to a clear understanding of what has been working for his team recently.
“It tells me we are still playing good defense, we are still getting good goaltending [and] we are still competing at a high level,” Durocher said. “That is what I hope comes to the forefront on Tuesday.”
The Battle of Commonwealth Avenue brings in a lot of people and Nearis hopes that the crowd will not disappoint going forward Tuesday.
“The Battle of Comm Ave. attracts a lot of students,” Nearis said. “It’s always a great game against [BC], so we respect our opponents really well. Hopefully, we will win, but it’s definitely going to be a great game to watch.”
On how the team feels overall going up against the Eagles in a situation where there is a lot of pressure to defend the championship, Schroeder has said that she and her teammates are apprehensive to drop the puck.
“It’s going to be tough to defend that title, but I think we are all just really excited for the Beanpot in general,” Schroeder said. “Whether we win or lose, we are definitely going to play as hard as we can. Obviously, the goal is to bring the Beanpot back to BU, but it’s definitely going to be a little bit nerve-wracking considering we won it last year and there’s a lot of pressure.”
Durocher knows there is a sense of nervousness amongst his team, but has faith that he has the players that know how to get the job done.
“I’d like to think that they have figured out that they can win one of these,” Durocher said. “To get the monkey off our back, and to have won last year, I like to think that’s a positive, particularly that all but three kids are back from last year’s team. There’s five new freshmen, but they don’t have to be the bell-ringers, they don’t have to be the difference makers in this game … I’m hoping that the overriding theme is that we figured out that we can win one, so let’s just go play.”
Great job as usual!!
Great write up !! #GOBU