Northeastern came out firing in the second period with four unanswered goals to take a 4-2 lead over Boston University in the Beanpot Final.

Forward Tyler Madden put the Huskies on the scoreboard with his 18th goal of the season early in the second period,  and Aiden Mcdonough wristed another past BU goalie Ashton Abel as an offensive flurry put the Northeastern men in a 2-2 tie.

Zach Solow shot another over Abel’s right shoulder during a four on three power play, putting the Huskies into the lead for the first time halfway through the period.

A fourth goal came when Grant Jozefek found the net at 8:37. The Huskies were on a roll and seemed unstoppable. BU coach Albie O’Connell pulled Abel from and put in Sam Tucker, who is a graduate transfer from Yale. 

With five and a half minutes left in the period, the Huskies found themselves once again on the penalty kill. This time, they were able to shut down the Terrier’s offense.

The Huskies almost scored a fifth time, but, in move that looked like it belonged in a baseball game, BU’s Robert Mastrosimone swatted the wobbling puck out of the air before it could cross into the goal.

The Huskies got a power play of their own after a tripping call against BU. But a call against the Terriers quickly put the teams at four on four. Neither team could capitalize, however. With 34 seconds to go, another call against BU gave the Huskies a four on three advantage, but they were unable to score going into the third period.

The second-period offensive flurry came in stark contrast to the first period, when less than three minutes into the first period of the 68th Beanpot, BU wing Matthew Quercia’s shot was blocked by Husky goalie Craig Patano, but the puck bounced loose. Jake Wise, playing center for the Terriers, was waiting to knock the loose puck into the back of the net.

At 13:36, Madden knocked Wise into the boards, earning a two-minute penalty. The Huskies, who have one of the top penalty-kill units in college hockey, managed to clear the puck twice, but with just over 30 seconds remaining, BU’s Trevor Zegras fired a wrister from the top of the circle to Patano’s right, beating the goalie over his left shoulder.

It was a frustrating first period for the Huskies, who managed just six shots on goal to BU’s 11. When Northeastern was able to go on the attack, they were unable to beat BU Abel.

The Huskies (15-8-2) are seeking a historic Beanpot three-peat against Boston University (10-9-7). Of the Huskies’ six consecutive Beanpot wins, half have come against the Terriers—which appeared to further BU’s resolve. Boston University is looking to extend its record with its 31st Beanpot championship.

As the puck dropped, the Northeastern pep band played a rousing rendition of 99 Red Balloons, the 1980s punk hit by Nena.

A win would give the Huskies a third straight Beanpot title for the first time in school history. A victory would also preserve a chance for Northeastern’s two ice hockey programs to sweep the city championships. 

The Northeastern women will be seeking their first Beanpot title since 2013 on Tuesday at 8 p.m., also against Boston University. They could produce Northeastern’s first sweep of both Beanpots in 32 years.