The Beanpot is Crimson!

The Harvard Crimson are your 47th champion in the Women’s Beanpot, beating the Boston University Terriers 2-1 in overtime at the TD Garden last night. This was the Crimson’s first Beanpot Championship since 2022 and the game leaves BU a bridesmaid again, still hunting their first banner since 2019.

It’s said that revenge is a dish best served cold; but what do they say about a dish served 17 days, 5 timezones and roughly 3000 miles later? I’m sure it tastes pretty sweet. The last time these 2 teams faced off was in the championship game at The Friendship Four in Belfast earlier this month. That game went the other way as BU earned the win, setting up another storyline between these 2 teams.

In net for BU was Mari Pietersen (2-2-1 in her last 5GP) who dominated in the preliminary round of the tournament and despite the team’s losing record is still rocking a sparkling .927%SV. Facing the Terriers in the Harvard cage was Ainsley Tuffy who boasts the (tied for) 2nd best save percentage in the nation at .952%SV with a 3-2 record over her last 5 starts.

So you say you like goalie duels? Well, you came to the right place.

Harvard needed to get a good start to this game and all the talk in the press box was that the Crimson needed to withstand the first 10mins from the Terriers. I’d say that Harvard did that fairly well.

Gwyn Lapp put Harvard on the board with less than 2mins played. Emily Hamann came in on the fore-check with speed and bad intentions and created a turnover behind the Terriers net. Hamann looked to feed Lapp driving the net from the slot but the puck kicked off first a stick and then a leg of 2 BU defenders and popped loose at the edge of the blue paint. Lapp gathered the puck and tucked it over Pietersen’s right leg on the forehand.

What a time for your first of the season!

The parade of players to the penalty boxes started fairly soon after that and the game became a special teams showcase (a combined 11 power plays during the game – to say nothing about the 4:4 play). It was tough to get a rhythm for either side but BU seemed to have the positional advantage as more of the play was in the Harvard zone.

Just past midway of the opening frame, BU tied it up on the PP when Greta Henderson got a blade on Maeve Kelly‘s point drive. Luisa Welcke found Kelly from the LW corner and Kelly walked down the slot and let the puck go from inside of the top of the RW circle. Henderson was rotating up and tipped the puck up and over Tuffy’s shoulder to tie the game.

Elite Superman celly after the goal.

That score held for the remainder of the period, and actually for the remainder of regulation play. There were a number of close calls, at one point Harvard coughed up the puck along the wall deep in their own zone and BU got the puck juuuuuuuuust past Tuffy in the blue paint but Morgan McGathey was able to sweep it out before it got over the line.

The goaltending was as advertised. And the with each passing moment (and power play) the tension ratcheted up another notch. BU didn’t share any goalie highlights, but Harvard certainly had some love for their (Spoiler Alert) MVP and Bertagna Award winner. Can I just say that 71 saves over 2GP in the Beanpot is Bananalands good goaltending.

Stick taps to Tuffy, both awards were well earned.

In OT after an initial Harvard bid, BU controlled the play until a spicy rebound sent Carla McSweeney away and into Crimson lore for the rest of time. McSweeney had a step on the BU defender chasing her down but protected the puck well and drew an interference penalty.

But wait a minute… was that… could that be…. yes! Stripes awarded an overtime penalty shot! Life imitating art!

Is there a single player on either team that’s seen Youngblood????

The below clip is a trip down memory lane for the parents…

McSweeney’s penalty shot was quite possibly the most dramatic tension filled single hockey moment that I have ever witnessed in person. What composure. She kept the puck on her forehand came down the right side of the slot and just flat out beat Pietersen. Killer.

Wide angle from above

From the left corner

And then, what it’s all about…

Congratulations to the team: players, coaches and support staff. What a game!

BU next hosts UVM for a pair at Walter Brown while Harvard welcomes in St. Lawrence and then Clarkson to Bright-Landry this weekend.

Some observations from around the rink:

• It’s clear why the Welcke sisters are Olympians. They were all over the ice in all phases. Both Luisa and Lilli are game changers for the Terriers.
• Harvard’s Gwyn Lapp not only scored the Crimson’s first goal, but is an absolute monster on the PK. Between Lapp and Ella Lucia out there, I’m not sure a power play is an advantage for the other team. Both are welcome on Team Brownie anytime.
• Going forward Harvard has to wear those sweaters for every big game. Right?

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