All that separated the hundreds of Boston University and Boston College students sitting behind opposing nets were the rafters commemorating the great Celtics and Bruins from the glory days. In this 53rd Beanpot the spotlight as always was on BU and BC. Sure Northeastern and Harvard went at it in a nail biting first game but the meager crowd that was on hand for it was equivalent to the crowd of friends and family of a JV high school basketball team playing in the game before the varsity squad hits the court. This one was less about the Hockey East standings, and more about good old ra ra school pride.
You know its a big deal for these schools, when in a game four nights before against Umass-Lowell, BU fans were constantly chanting BC sucks. Its kind of like when the Red Sox faithful are sitting in the bleachers against the Detroit Tigers in June and chanting the ubiquitous chant of Yankees Suck. There was the other game between Harvard and Northeastern that would still be going on now if it were not for a Tim Judy slap shot in the opening of the second over time period that gave Northeastern the 2-1 double OT victory.
The Battle of Commonwealth Avenue did not begin until 9:08. That did not stop the multitudes of fans from both schools from jeering back and forth at each other and getting excited after every cross check and break away from the get go. The bands played their respective fight songs during every break of action and the undergraduates chanted their respective taunts during every single play. We had a good turnout, when we scored we could definitely hear them. There were a few times when I noticed the place was just rocking, you love to hear that,… it gives us a boost, BU Goaltender Stephan Siwiec said.
The first time I looked up to the balcony to my left I couldnt believe how many BU students were wearing BU hockey jerseys, Boston University coach Jack Parker remarked.
For college hockey the stage doesnt get any bigger than this. Think the Grammy Awards for the music industry. Boston College senior captain Ryan Shannon said The Beanpots awesome. I dont think any other place in college hockey is there something like this. I just think that this particular team has to learn to play in a big venue with all these people watching and being able to execute under those high pressure situations.
After the letdown from the Super bowl and spring training still off in the distance, what better way is there to get together and indulge in an exciting sporting than enjoying an electric Bean pot match up? Well, at least for the college students. There were many loge seats filled with yellow when the game finally ended past 11:30. And that yellow was the empty loge seats, not BC hockey jerseys. Good luck trying to find any yellow in the BU student section in the cheap seats when the final buzzer goeswent off. The only place BU fans were going was to grab another beer only to become more enthusiastic for their beloved terriers on ice.
Boston is a great sports city (like thats not obvious by now) and has thousands upon thousands of college students. Why not have an event that incorporates the two? Yeah, Boston College has football and basketball teams that are always competitive (especially this year) but there is never any occasion to make a huge spectacle of those teams. There is never any need to even mention college baseball and the phrase huge spectacle in the same sentence. Why not make a big deal of the historic Bean Pot? Why not come out and cheer along side friends, relatives, and girlfriends from the schools playing in it?
BU came out with the slim 2-1 victory but looking at the shots on goal (64-33 in favor of BC), the casual and not so casual fans would have never known. BC was clearly out hustled, out manned, and out played for the entire 60 minutes. BU capitalized on the few opportunities that came their way and were the beneficiaries of some lucky breaks, such as their goal that was not overturned in the end of the first period.
We didnt play with the jump that Im accustomed to watching our team play, we didnt generate enough sustained offense from my vantage point. BC coach Jerry York said.
John Laliberte scored both goals for Boston University, one coming at the very end of the first period and the other coming in the second period. With 24.7 seconds B.C. had a last desperation shot that was wide of the net and B.U. cleared the puck to earn a ticket to play Northeastern for the tenth time in the Beanpot championship game history.
Monday, February 14th. Boston University vs. Northeastern. The two schools that are actually located in Boston. Arguably the only true Beanpot match up after all. Include this one in your Valentines Day plans.
