After a year without the Beanpot, Harvard is looking to take home its first championship since 2017.
Surprisingly, Harvard actually is the last team not named Northeastern to earn the crown, but the Huskies have won three straight Beanpot titles. The tournament was canceled in 2021 due to complications with COVID-19.
The Crimson’s season has been marred by inconsistency, but they enter the Beanpot 2-0-1 over their last three games — not including their Friday night Ivy League showdown against Dartmouth — and even have a win during the stretch against fellow Beanpot competitor Boston College.
Harvard opened the 2021-22 season with four straight wins, then followed that up with just one win in its next six games for a 5-4-1 record in the first 10 games.
Like every other team in the Beanpot this year, Harvard is not going to be at full strength. With NHL players not taking part in the Olympics, college hockey players across the country have been chosen to represent their countries and Harvard will be without two players on its top line. Forwards Sean Farrell and Nick Abruzzese are in Beijing with Team USA.
Abruzzese and Farrell are first and third on the Crimson in points scored this season, respectively. Abruzzese has 21 with five goals and 16 assists, while Farrell isn’t far behind with 19 on eight goals and 11 assists.
Although the high-scoring duo will be fighting for gold, Harvard still will have some firepower. Leading goal-scorer Alex Laferriere will be on the ice when Harvard begins its run at the Beanpot trophy. Laferriere has 11 goals and nine assists for 20 points.
Harvard will take on No. 19 Boston University in a semifinal matchup Monday night. The Crimson actually haven’t won in the semifinal round since the 2017 season, so a win over BU could go a long way.
