Northeastern, which has created a Beanpot dynasty while winning five of the past six tournaments, faces a tough test at 8 p.m. Monday against the top-ranked Eagles.
Northeastern has won five of the past six men’s Beanpots, marking an era of domination unequaled in school history. Now the Huskies are seeking to add to that legend by pursuing a third straight title at the expense of the top team in the country.
Northeastern takes on No. 1 Boston College at 8 p.m. Monday at TD Garden (televised by NESN and streaming on ESPN+).
The talented Eagles (18-4-1), having retained many of the stars who drove them to the NCAA final last season, are led by Hobey Baker player-of-the-year candidates Ryan Leonard (19 goals) and Gabe Perreault (31 points), as well as Jacob Fowler, who is arguably the best goaltender in the nation.
The Huskies (9-11-3) have spent much of this season working 15 new players into the program. That investment yielded a recent streak of five wins in six games that gives Northeastern hope of maintaining its run of success at the Beanpot.
Feeding that optimism are two juniors who have never experienced a loss at the Beanpot — team captain Jack Williams (12 goals and 29 points) and assistant captain Cam Lund (11 goals and 26 points). They also happen to be the team’s most productive forwards.
“There’s so much hype and pressure that goes into it,” says Northeastern coach Jerry Keefe, who is 5-1 at the Beanpot. “You’ve got to know how to win pressure games, tight games. You look at last year, we won two overtime games — and the year before we went to a shootout (to win the 2023 Beanpot).
“So the experience part is huge. And I think once you win one, you get the taste of it, it makes you even hungrier to win more,” Keefe adds.
Williams grew up in Biddeford, Maine, with the dream of representing Northeastern at the Beanpot.
“It was a lifelong goal coming to the school,” says Williams, who attended multiple Beanpots before hoisting the trophy on the TD Garden ice the past two years. “The team is able to get up for big-time games. We’ve had great success in this tournament and we’re looking to keep that rolling this year.”
The Huskies split two November games against BC, losing 3-0 on the road and winning 4-2 at Matthews Arena.
“It’s a challenge every year in this tournament, right?” Keefe says. “They’re obviously very good in transition. We’ve got to make sure that we manage the puck really well, and we’re going to have to bear down on our chances because they’ve got a very good goaltender.
“So it’s going to take a great effort — but that’s what you need in these games. If you’re going to win, you’ve got to play your best and that’s what we’re going to have to do against them,” he continues.
Williams’ partnership with Lund will be crucial. The two friends have devoted a lot of practice time to learning how to complement each other.
“We play so well together and it starts off the ice,” says Williams, a 5-foot-11-inch forward. “We spend so much time together. So there’s nothing that I don’t feel I can say to him at any moment, and I think it’s the same [from] him to me. We can keep each other accountable while trying to be the best players that we can be.”
The 6-foot-2 Lund has spent the past three summers at the development camps of the San Jose Sharks, who picked him in the second round (No. 34 overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft.
“My defensive zone is something I’ve tried to take a lot of pride in since I’ve gotten to college,” says Lund, who grew up watching the Beanpot in his hometown of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, an hour south of Northeastern’s Boston campus. “The older guys, we lead by example and I think all the guys buy into it.”
The Huskies had a deep, seasoned rotation when they beat Harvard to win the 2023 title. Last year as underdogs they knocked off No. 3 Boston University.
Getting a full team effort against BC will be crucial for the Huskies, who have been seeking consistency all season.
“When things aren’t going right and things are tough — and there’s been a lot of those moments, especially this year for us — it’s about going back to the basics of the game,” Williams says. “Just having fun with it, being a kid, remembering why you play. It’s the love of the game that’s always driven me to keep getting better.”
If they need that little bit of extra motivation, the Huskies will be counting on the DogHouse to deliver it.
“The Northeastern fans are unreal,” Lund says. “We have the best fans out of all the teams, so having them behind us definitely helps us. We really appreciate them.”