What a difference a year makes. The Northeastern women’s hockey team entered the Beanpot tournament last season with a 13-13-3 record. This year, the Huskies are 20-3-3 and ranked third in the nation.

Northeastern will face Boston University on Tuesday in the semifinal round of the 41st Women’s Beanpot, which will be held at the Bright-Landry Hockey Center, the home rink of Harvard University. The game starts at 5 p.m. and will be televised on NESNplus and streamed online at ESPN+. It will also be broadcast on WRBB 104.9 FM, Northeastern’s student-run radio station.

Beanpot history

Northeastern is seeking its 17th Women’s Beanpot title and its first since 2013. The Huskies have advanced to the championship game in five of the past seven seasons. Boston University lost to Boston College in overtime, 4-3, in the Women’s Beanpot championship last season. The Terriers are seeking their first Beanpot title since 1981.

Hot streaks

Both teams enter the Women’s Beanpot playing superb hockey. Northeastern has an 8-1-1 record in its past 10 games. Boston University, which is ranked eighth in the country, is unbeaten in its past eight games, a stretch during which the Terriers have outscored their opponents 39-15.

Familiar foes

Northeastern is 2-0-1 against Boston University this season, though the past two games have been tightly contested. The teams skated to a 3-3 tie on Oct. 6, and Northeastern won 2-1 on Oct. 28.

Four storylines to watch

1. Special teams: Entering this past weekend, the Terriers had the fourth-highest scoring percentage (.230) on the power play in the nation, and the Huskies had top-ranked penalty kill percentage (91.2 percent) in the NCAA. Northeastern allowed only one power-play goal in eight games in January. When Boston University is on the power play, it will be a matchup of strength against strength.
2. Which team’s top scorers will light the lamp? Both teams feature star power on offense, though the Huskies have more of a balanced scoring attack. Northeastern has four players (Kasidy Anderson, Alina Mueller, Veronika Pettey, and Chloe Aurard) who have scored more than 10 goals each. Boston University has two players—Sammy Davis and Jesse Compher—who have tallied more than 10 goals. Davis has scored seven goals in her past eight games. Compher has 14 goals and a NCAA-leading 32 assists this season.
3. Mind the net: Northeastern enters the Women’s Beanpot with an edge in net. The Huskies’ Aerin Frankel has allowed more than two goals only once in her past eight games and entered this past weekend with the second-highest save percentage (.946) and goals-against average (1.428) in the NCAA.
4. Don’t look away late in the period: Northeastern has scored more goals (24) in the final two minutes of a period in regulation this season than any other team in the country. The Huskies’ knack for late scoring was on display again on Friday night when forward Chloe Aurard scored a goal with 1:36 remaining in the third period, bringing the Huskies to a 1-1 tie with UConn. Northeastern won in overtime.