Practically unnoticeable to an untrained eye, under the bright LED lights of TD Garden, the difference between red and crimson becomes unavoidable.
The stands, especially those immediately adjacent to the ice’s penalty box, were dominated by a red sea of vibrant (one could say eyesore) Boston University Terrier hockey jerseys. As the sound of percussion and windpipe instruments reverberated around the oval-shaped arena, one could not ignore the looming presence of the BU Marching Band. Naturally sporting matching hockey jerseys, their presence made the Harvard University Band’s absence all the more noticeable and painful for the few Crimson fans sprinkled throughout the audience.
The Beanpot Championship is one of the most momentous occasions for collegiate hockey. Each year, the men’s and women’s hockey teams of rival schools—Harvard, Boston College, BU, and Northeastern—go head-to-head to determine the dominant team in arguably the biggest hot spot for collegiate hockey stars: the city of Boston, that is. This year, Harvard women’s hockey faced BU in the championship of the historic tournament.
On paper, the two teams were well matched heading into the Beanpot Championship. In fact, the game seemed to be a duplicate of the Friendship Series Championship in Belfast, Ireland, which took place earlier this month. After defeating the Crimson 3-2, the Terriers claimed the Belpot trophy on Jan. 3. Back on the familiar territory of TD Garden, the Crimson had an opportunity to reclaim the championship title from BU.
As is the case with all sports, “on paper” is practically useless in terms of prediction. By nature, sports are beautiful because they are unpredictable. If we evaluate more subjective measures such as off-ice energy and pizazz, BU seemed to have it all. From the moment their players took the ice, a professional hype video was displayed on a suspended jumbotron, flags waved, and pre-rehearsed cheers erupted from the stands. All the while, Harvard provided a typical display of our lackluster sports culture.
“Playing against a team with a high-spirited student body makes the atmosphere more competitive,” Harvard goalie Ainsley Tuffy ’28 said to the Independent. “You can feel the energy, and personally, I enjoy it.”
“Although our team would love to see more Harvard students attend, the groups of people, both friends and family, who come to support us make the Harvard presence felt,” said Tuffy.
I myself could not hold back a cheeky grin as I watched sophomore saxophonist Zeb Jewell-Alibhai ’28 run down the tunnel wearing an infamous crimson-and-white H sweater for the playing of the national anthem. His flawless rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” embellished by a demonstration of circular breathing technique, was the perfect opening for what Harvard athletics tends to embody: a classy, unexpected, silencer.
Harvard’s Gwynn Lapp ’27 opened the scoring early with her first goal of the season, just shy of 90 seconds into regulation play. A tripping penalty against the Crimson led to a two-minute power play for the Terriers, during which they leveled the score.
As the second period progressed, Harvard drew four penalties, repeatedly giving BU a one-man advantage as the Terriers drew none. Luckily, Harvard’s penalty kill has been one of the team’s strengths this season and they were able to hold off the Terriers. BU kept constant pressure on the Crimson throughout regulation play, excelling at getting pucks in their offensive zone and delivering more shots on goal—46 as compared to the Crimson’s 13.
Nevertheless, the third period came to a close with an even score of 1-1, forcing the game into overtime. With the drastic difference in shots, Harvard taking the game to overtime can be attributed to Tuffy’s outstanding goaltending for the Crimson, who totaled 46 saves, earning the Beanpot MVP title.
As the puck danced back and forth across the ice in overtime, a moment of pure magic seemed to unfold in front of the audience. A breakaway suddenly formed, and who better to have the puck than freshman Carla McSweeney ’29—fittingly nicknamed by her team “McClutch” for her ability to capitalize in high-stakes moments just like the one at hand. As she approached the net, McSweeney was tripped, earning a rare one-on-one penalty shot.
“Before Carla took the penalty shot in overtime, she was at the faceoff dot, I was in the net, and we gave each other a nod,” Tuffy said. With this subtle gesture of encouragement, McSweeney glided down the ice, burying the puck and securing the Beanpot Championship for her teammates. “When she shot the puck, and she turned to celebrate, I don’t think I have ever skated so fast to hug her.”
While the Beanpot victory for the Crimson was certainly a sweet one, there was something undeniably profound about the evening at TD Garden. During intermissions, local women’s youth hockey players took the place of Harvard and BU on the ice. As these adorable players skated circles around the Bruins’ ice, one could not help but notice the number of young hockey players in attendance. With every changing camera angle on the jumbotron, another team of young female athletes seemed to appear in attendance.
Many fans wore black T-shirts with white letters that read, “Everyone watches women’s sports.”
“Growing up a little girl from Boston watching the Beanpot from the stands and now having the opportunity to play in it myself is incredibly meaningful,” Tuffy said. “Seeing so many young female hockey players in attendance makes that experience even more special, because I remember being that kid, looking up to the players on the ice and dreaming of one day being in their position.”
With the third season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League underway, women’s hockey players now have the opportunity to aspire to not only compete at the collegiate level but also as professionals. The unprecedented growth of women’s hockey and its viewership is paving the way for the future of the sport, something that could certainly be felt by those in attendance at this year’s Beanpot.
“Representation matters so much when young girls can see women succeeding at the highest level; it makes their own dreams feel more real and attainable,” Tuffy said. “I feel grateful to be part of this moment in women’s hockey and to contribute, even in small ways, to inspiring the next generation. Hopefully, some of the kids in the stands today will be the ones on the Garden ice tomorrow.”
Megan Legault ’28 (mlegault@college.harvard.edu) got made fun of by the Northeastern mascot in the media elevator at TD Garden.