Beanpot Continues To Make Monumental Progress For Women’s Sports

It was unlike anything else Boston University women’s hockey head coach Tara Watchorn had experience at the college level.

So, it took some time to process just how much of a momentous occasion it was to have the Terriers play in the first ever Women’s Dunkin Beanpot at TD Garden last year in front of a record 10,633 fans.

“It was a remarkable experience and I think the more time that goes by the more you really realize that,” Watchorn told NESN.com “In that moment you’re just trying to be there and do your best for the group, but reflecting back on what a historic day, what a historic moment. And it just showed so much work went into getting the game there to begin with to help our game grow and to see it come to fruition. I think a lot of us that have been in the game for a long time have such confidence, but to see it really come to life was really special.”

BU, Boston College, Harvard and Northeastern will get the same treatment this season as once again the four city hockey powers will meet at the home of the Bruins and Celtics for the championship bout and the third-place game on Jan 21. The Beanpot kicks off next Tuesday with Harvard-BU and Northeastern-BC colliding in the semifinals at Matthews Arena. All contests will air either on NESN or NESN+.

But in the second year that TD Garden serves as the backdrop for those games, the conversation has slightly changed. There’s still plenty of excitement about having the two contests at the venue, but now they are seeing what else they can achieve there as the sport continues to grow.

“As a female athlete and now female coach, it’s so exciting, it’s great to see, it shows progress,” Harvard head coach Laura Bellamy said. “A year ago now, we were talking about playing the first game there and now we’re on to the next. … It’s always exciting, we’re fortunate to be part of it but we just want to keep making it better and better. We’re pass that milestone last year of being the first game in the Garden and now it’s how much better can we make it? How many more people can we get in the seats?

“To be having those conversations and asking those questions, shows there’s just progress. What a great experience for our student-athletes to be able to do this. It’s unbelievable and we’re really grateful.”

Katie Crowley certainly has seen the terrific strides the game made since taking the helm at BC starting in the 2007-08 season. But getting the Beanpot to TD Garden was a monumental step.

And there really isn’t a better spotlight than that arena as women’s college hockey take center stage.

“It’s unbelievable to be able to see the growth and the amount of fans that were at last year’s game was unbelievable. And it’s just special for our sport,” Crowley said. “It’s still a young sport, but to see the growth in the fan base and the growth in young kids playing girls hockey, it’s just awesome.

“Few and far between did you now have, ‘Wait, there’s women’s hockey?’ Where back in the day you had that all the time. And it’s gotten less and less which is nice. It’s a special sport and you want people to be a part of it. Being able to see our sport showcased at the Garden is really super special and makes it an even more big deal.”

NESN Dunkin’ Beanpot coverage is presented by Dunkin‘.