The 2008 Beanpot tournament, a competition between the top four college hockey teams in greater Boston, is upon us. This afternoon, Harvard and Northeastern will kick off play at the TD Banknorth Garden, while Boston College and defending-champion Boston University will meet in a rematch of last year's title game this evening.
The nationally-ranked No. 9 BC Eagles are sitting second in the Hockey East conference, at 12-6-7 overall, just behind the University of New Hampshire. The offense is led by junior forward Nathan Gerbe, the top offensive player in the nation. Gerbe won the Hockey East Player of the Month award in both December and January and continues to rack up the points, with 19 goals and 18 assists. The Eagles' offense has been on cruise control, leading Hockey East with 3.64 goals per game.
The Eagles' defense has been buoyed by freshman goalkeeper John Muse. Muse has put up incredible numbers, with a 2.28 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. He has started every game for the Eagles, assisted by a capable defense and penalty kill unit. The penalty kill has posted an 84.6 percent efficiency rate, which is pivotal since BC leads Hockey East with almost 17 minutes of penalties per game.
The Eagles are the clear favorites in the tournament. In three head-to-head matchups with the Terriers of BU this season, they have gone 2-0-1. As long as they continue to play fundamentally sound hockey, their chances look good. Look for them to come out strong on Monday against their cross-town rivals.
It has been a rough year for the Terriers, primarily due to their porous defense. Their 8-13-4 record is good for just sixth place in Hockey East. The one positive development for the Terriers has been the improvement of their offense.
The problems on Commonwealth Avenue can be traced to the absence of one man: John Curry. Curry, who graduated last June, was an institution between the pipes, going 5-0 in Beanpot play in his career. In last year's tournament, he won the trophy for the Terriers almost single-handedly, sweeping the individual awards and posting a .985 save percentage.
This year, the goaltending situation has been uncertain, with two freshmen and a sophomore competing for time in net. BU's defense and goaltending have combined to allow a league-worst 83 goals so far this season - more than last year's team allowed all season.
For the Terriers, the game boils down to goaltending and defense. If the youngsters can stop or slow the Eagles' multi-threat attack, the very capable Terrier offense can certainly score enough goals to win. BU also has history on their side, as they have taken 18 of the last 21 Beanpot games against BC.
The Northeastern Huskies are looking to win the Beanpot for the first time in two decades. At 12-8-3 overall, they sit just two points behind the Eagles in fourth place in the Hockey East Conference.
Young goalies are a theme in this year's Beanpot, and sophomore Brad Thiessen of Northeastern is no exception. Thiessen has posted a solid 2.51 GAA and a nice .912 save percentage this season. He has been supported by slightly better defense this year. Last season, he faced more than 30 shots a game.
The problem for the Huskies has been their offense, with the exception of senior forward Joe Vitale. Vitale is an aggressive, physical player who can play both ways and leads the club in scoring. Six forwards graduated last year, and while the offense has eight players in double figures in points, the Huskies seem to be expending a lot of energy to return mediocre numbers.
Fortunately for the Huskies, they have thrashed Harvard on a consistent basis in the Beanpot. If Thiessen can perform up to his usual standards, and Northeastern's defense shuts down the Crimson's anemic offense, the Huskies should win.
The Harvard Crimson is the only Beanpot team that does not play within the Hockey East conference. A member of the ECAC, Harvard has a 7-10-3 record overall.
The Crimson also has a young goaltender, and fortunately for Harvard, sophomore Kyle Richter is a bit more like Muse than Brett Bennett. His 2.27 goals-against average and .920 save percentage are excellent.
But Harvard has had problems on the offensive end, scoring just 44 goals in 20 games.
Senior John Pelle leads the attack with 14 points, while just three other players are in double digits. The power play has posted a dismal 15.7 percent conversion rate and Richter is keeping the Crimson in a lot of games.
History is not kind to the Crimson in the Beanpot, as Harvard has lost every Beanpot game it has played against the Huskies since 1996. Both the Crimson and Huskies feature good goaltending and defense paired with weak offense, so the contest should be a gritty, low scoring affair.
