Beanpot Report
Some Forum members asked for a report on the Beanpot Tournament final, which I attended last night. So here goes ?
First, I only caught the third period of the ?consolation game? between Northeastern and Harvard, which NU won 4-1. (See my initial post about the Beanpot for an explanation of how it works.) The final began at 8, between Boston College and Boston University -- archrivals here in Boston. BU was after its fifth Beanpot title in six seasons, and 30th overall in the 58-year-history of the Tournament. BC last won in 2008, the year it took the NCAA championship, and had won 14 Beanpot titles before last night. The final is usually a BC-BU duel. This, by the way, was the 250th time the two teams have met on the ice! (Is this a hockey town, or what!?)
I should say up-front that I was rooting for Boston College. My reasons are complicated, and have little (or perhaps nothing) to do with hockey.
Okay, back to the game. This was truly a classic Beanpot, and I?ve been to many of them. It was one of those games that makes college hockey so much fun -- and really demonstrates that hockey is, indeed, a ?game of mistakes.? BU scored in the first period. It was a quick game, with some 6-on-4s and a 5-on-3 attack. BC had a 4-1 lead in the third period, and BU had a tremendous surge at the end, with a shorthanded goal and then a 6-on-4 goal. It truly could?ve gone either way right up until the final buzzer.
It was really fun to watch John Muse, the BC goalie, in the net. With 20 or so seconds left, he made an excellent stop of a shot by BU?s Nick Bonino that would?ve tied the game, and on the big screen it was obvious that had the shot been 2 inches higher we would have been in overtime. Muse won the MVP of the tournament aned had a .955 save percentage.
All in all, a great game, a great night, and a Beanpot to remember.
(shadows asked for pictures. Mine came out terribly.)
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