The Huntington News February 2, 2024
The independent student newspaper of the Northeastern community
@HuntNewsNU
Photo by Harriet Rovniak Skylar Irving celebrates with the DogHouse after scoring a goal. The crowd cheered after Irving brought home the win for Northeastern with a goal in overtime.
IRVING’S MVP NIGHT LAUNCHES HUSKIES TO BEANPOT VICTORY
Beanpot. The word can send Boston’s college students into a flurry, arguing over whose school is superior and which hockey team is the best. But on Jan. 23 it took on a whole new meaning when women’s hockey took center stage in Boston for the first time in history. After 44 years rotating between arenas at the four participating schools — Northeastern University, Boston University, Boston College and Harvard University — the 45th women’s Beanpot championship headed to TD Garden, drawing over 10,000 fans for an electric, nail-biting, momentous game. Tied after 60 minutes of regulation, the game was decided in a three-on-three sudden death overtime, and the Huskies came out victorious 2-1 in their second Beanpot championship win in a row. “It was awesome winning it last year, but it’s a little bit more rewarding this year when you’re battling a bunch of adversity throughout the season, so just being able to pull together and get this win was huge,” said junior forward Skylar Irving. A semifinal shutout (Northeastern) and a dramatic shootout (BU) lifted the Huskies and Terriers to the championship game, and TD Garden was in for a dogfight. In a match fraught with neutral zone turnovers and offensive struggles, both teams stayed determined, playing to the buzzer. With so much excitement in the air, it was a chippier game than Northeastern usually plays. The Huskies racked up four penalties across the first two periods, compared to BU’s two, including a rare goalie penalty.
By Amelia Ballingall | Sports Editor However, Northeastern limited the Terriers’ control of the game. power play unit to no more than two shots In the final minute of the frame, Northeaston goal in each penalty, hoisting their secern junior defender Abbey Marohn flicked the ond-ranked penalty kill (.925) with pride. puck to Irving along the boards. Irving cut in Northeastern’s first penalty came just three towards the center and sniped a shot up high minutes into the game with an interference past BU junior goaltender Callie Shanahan, call against senior forward Molly Griffin, and giving Northeastern the 1-0 lead. while the Terriers couldn’t score, they gained “It gave us a good boost, it was huge,” said the offensive edge for the opening minutes of Northeastern head coach Dave Flint. “When the matchup. you score in the last minute of the period, it can BU accumulated a couple high-danger be deflating for the other team … and then we chances but whiffed on the open backdoor. came out and we were clicking in the beginning Meanwhile, the Huskies were unable to get a of the third.” single shot on goal until six minutes into the When the puck dropped in the third period, game. it looked like it was Northeastern’s game. The Although the first period was slow and Huskies again possessed through the beginning relatively even, with Northeastern leading shots of the frame, pouring shot after shot on Shanaon goal at 8-7 after the first 20 minutes, BU han. While neither team had a strong foreshowed up shorthanded. check, the Huskies fell into a rhythm of steady At the end of the period, the Huskies gained passes and strong stickwork, while BU couldn’t their first power play of the night, but BU seem to keep their footing on the ice. held the zone for the first 30 seconds, earning With two-and-a-half minutes to go, the chances of their own before the Huskies turned Terriers opted for the empty net — and it paid it back around. off. With the 6-on-5 advantage, BU sophomore When the second period started, Northeastforward Sydney Healey passed circle to circle to ern made a flurry for the net, dominating the senior forward Catherine Foulem, and Foulem opening minutes of the frame. dished the puck into the far low corner to tie BU then changed the momentum, forcing a the game 1-1 with just 58 seconds remaining. turnover in their offensive zone and drawing Neither team could score in those final seca penalty against the Huskies but missing the onds of regulation, so, for the second time this open net once again. season, the Huskies and the Terriers headed to The teams traded chances back and forth overtime. with BU leading possession, but after the The battle didn’t last long. Northeastern Huskies had to serve a roughing penalty for wasted no time, gaining immediate possession fifth-year goaltender Gwyneth Philips with and scoring just 27 seconds into the additional 4:31 left in the second period, they stole back period.
Off a pass from graduate student forward and captain Megan Carter, fifth-year forward Katy Knoll skated the puck through the neutral zone while Irving raced past BU’s defenders in the slot. One-on-one with Shanahan, Irving went five-hole to win the game for Northeastern 2-1. “It’s honestly truly amazing just it being here at [TD] Garden,” Irving said. “First off, it’s historic that we were able to play here and all the hard work that has gone into us being able to play at the Garden, so I just think it’s an extra special moment and it’s something I’m gonna definitely treasure for the rest of my life.” For the second year in a row, 19th all-time and the first time in a major arena, Northeastern won the Beanpot title, earning another year of glory over the city of Boston. Northeastern fifth-year goaltender Gwyneth Philips was granted the Bertagna Award for the second straight time as the tournament’s top netminder, for her stellar kick-saves and grabs that kept BU out of the back of the net. And the Most Valuable Player designation had no contest — for scoring both of Northeastern’s goals in the championship game, her sixth and seventh of the season, Irving was named top dog of the competition. “I want them to remember how special this moment was and how hard people worked to make this happen,” Flint said. “I often talk to them about past players, alumni, what they went through to get the program to where it is now and afford our women the opportunities that they have today, so those are things that I think are really important takeaways from an event like this.”
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