2020 Beanpot Semifinal Preview: BC Vs. BU Prediction, Key Players And More

No. 5 Boston College will take on rival Boston University in the 68th Annual Beanpot tournament Monday night at TD Garden for a semifinal matchup.

The Eagles are looking to bounce back from a 2019 Beanpot Final loss to Northeastern, while the Terriers look to get back to the final for the first time since 2018.

These two teams previously met Jan. 18, with BC taking a 4-3 win over BU.

Here’s a preview for BC vs. BU:

Boston College (16-7) vs. Boston University (10-8-6), 5 p.m. ET
How to watch: NESN

BEANPOT RECORDS
Boston College: 79-55 record (542 goals scored, 465 goals against) with 20 championships and 16 runner-up finishes.
Boston University: 90-44 record (592 GF, 423 GA) with 30 championships and 23 runner-up finishes.

HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
BC defeated BU in last year’s Beanpot semifinal before ultimately falling to Northeastern in the championship game. But the Eagles have had success over the Terriers in their last six tournament meetings, despite being 16-28 all-time against BU in the Beanpot. BC won five of its six meetings until the Terriers snapped that streak in 2017.

2010 Final: BC 4, BU 3
2011 Semifinal: BC 3, BU 2
2012 Final: BC 3, BU 2 (OT)
2014 Semifinal: BC 3, BU 1
2016 Final: BC 1, BU 0 (OT)
2017 Semifinal: BU 3, BC 1

2019-20 SEASON
The Eagles snapped their two-game losing streak Jan. 31 against UMass and are 14-3-0 in their last 17 games. BC defeated its rival Jan. 18 and also has wins against Northeastern and Harvard. BU also is coming off a Jan. 31 win over Vermont.

The Terriers went on a five-game winning streak from Dec. 3 through Jan. 3, but have not been able to win consecutive games since. However, they have scored 14 goals in their last four games.

KEY PLAYERS
David Farrance, Terriers defenseman
The junior blueliner leads BU with 29 points, including eight power play goals. Farrance hasn’t scored since Jan. 8, but has been a force for the Terriers on both sides of the puck.

Spencer Knight, Eagles goalie
The freshman goalie is having quite the year for the Eagles. Knight recorded a 30-save shutout against UMass to help move BC into a first-place tie in the Hockey East standings. The 18-year-old boasts an impressive 1.95 save percentage with a .931 save percentage. Knight also has five shutouts this season.

PREDICTION
BC wins 3-2.