Beanpot Record 13,279 Fans Watch Northeastern Top Boston University

In front of 13,279 enthusiastic and passionate fans, the fifth-largest crowd in NCAA women’s hockey history, the stakes were high as the puck was dropped on the 46th edition of the Women’s Beanpot Championship.

At one end of the ice, a dominant Northeastern University team, led by the dynamic Skylar Irving and Taze Thompson, who were searching for their third consecutive championship. At the other end, a team looking for redemption, having lost 2-1 in overtime to these very Huskies last year, as well as their first championship since defeating Harvard in overtime back in 2019. In the end it was Northeastern earning their third straight Beanpot title shutting out Boston University 4-0 riding a stellar performance from netminder Lisa Jönsson.

From the opening shift, both teams brought high energy and generated great chances at each end of the ice. Things couldn’t have been closer statistically heading into this game, as even their season records were almost identical, and it showed early in the first. The only puck to find its way past Boston’s starting goaltender Callie Shahahan was off the stick of defender Lily Yovetich.

The second started off much as the first had played out, with great scoring chances and end to end action from both teams. The goalies continued to find their rhythm as well, and locked things down, giving their respective teams every opportunity to run away with the game. That was until late in the second period when the ice tilted heavily in one direction. Within a mere 40 seconds, Northeastern was up 3-0 on goals by Lily Shannon and Jaden Bogden and the game had a very different feel to it. One of the themes as this game progressed was that Northeastern began controlling the play, blocking shots and getting into the lanes, as they have done so many times this season. This shift back to what’s made them so successful resulted in Boston playing a lot more defence, especially in the third period. If it weren’t for Shanahan, Northeastern would have led by a much wider margin.

Late in the game, Boston pulled their goaltender in favour of the extra attacker, but it was too little, too late, as Northeastern forward Skylar Irving, on her birthday, scored the empty net goal to seal the victory, 4-0, as the team won their third consecutive Beanpot Championship and 20th in program history. Northeastern starting goaltender Lisa Jönsson ended the game with a 30-save shutout, and was named both the Most Outstanding Goaltender and Beanpot Most Valuable Player.

It is the final Beanpot Championship for some on this Northeastern team, and for those who have seen first hand the continued rise in popularity of this tournament, as well as women’s hockey in general, defender Lily Yovetich, who opened the scoring, said it best:

“It’s funny! When you put the money and attention into women’s sports, you see how it can pay off!”