The Beanpot tournament finally resumes Tuesday after a year away, with women's Beanpot action kicking things off when Boston University and Harvard play at 4 p.m. ET.
Boston University will have a pretty significant streak on the line, having reached the championship game in each of the last three tournaments. But the middle-of-the-road Terriers will face a tough opponent in Harvard, which enters Beanpot week ranked No. 6 in the nation.
Here's a preview for the upcoming Beanpot semifinal game between BU vs. Harvard:
Boston University vs. Harvard
When: Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 4 p.m. EST
Where: Matthews Arena (Northeastern University)
How to watch: NESN+
BEANPOT RECORDS
Boston University: 17-54-6 with two championships
Harvard: 49-34-2 with 14 championships
HEAD-TO-HEAD HISTORY
Harvard has a pretty historic advantage over BU in the Beanpot, with a record of 18-4-1. But their most recent meeting was a major one for the Terriers, who claimed the 2019 Beanpot title over Harvard with a 3-2 overtime win.
That Beanpot victory appears to have been just the latest in a changing of tides in this rivalry. The two teams last played Nov. 19, 2019 and BU pulled off a 6-2 win, giving the Terriers a 4-0-1 record in their last five games (spanning 2016-2019).
2021-22 SEASON
Harvard is making up for lost time. Returning to the ice after the 2020-21 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Crimson have earned a spot in the national poll and are 15-5 on the season. They'll enter the Beanpot fresh off of wins against No. 4 Quinnipiac and No. 10 Clarkson -- which improved their record to 5-4 against ranked teams -- and have won their last six games.
BU is having a fairly average season at 10-9-4 and 9-6-3 in Hockey East play. The Terriers started out hot in conference action, going unbeaten in their first seven games (4-0-3). They've shown some fight, most recently in a 6-3 loss to then-No. 3 Northeastern on Jan. 21. That score is not at all reflective of that game, considering the Terriers jumped out to a 3-1 lead before NU scored four goals in the final six minutes for the win.
They will enter the Beanpot off of a tight 4-3 victory against Holy Cross -- their first win since Dec. 7.
KEY PLAYERS
Kate Stuart, BU goaltender
The senior recently was named to the watch list for the National Women's Goalie of the Year Award, boasting a .923 save percentage with a 2.18 goals-against average. She has quite an impressive resume, putting up a career-high 44 saves against No. 3 Northeastern on Jan. 15 after logging 35 in their first meeting back in October.
Becca Gilmore, Harvard forward
Gilmore ranks second on the team in goals with 12 and second in assists with 14 -- the only player on the roster with double-digits in both categories. Naturally, her 26 points lead the team. She also is a force defensively with 17 blocked shots. All in all, the senior -- a Wayland, Mass., native -- is about as balanced of a player as you could have.
PREDICTION
Harvard wins 3-1
