2024 Beanpot Championship Recap: Northeastern does it again

Monday night was a spectacle, a winner-takes-all battle for the legendary Beanpot. The Northeastern University Huskies came in with plans to repeat for a second straight year, but it wouldn’t be easy as the highly talented No. 3 Boston University Terriers stood in their way.

Like most games the Terriers have played this season, star freshman Macklin Celebrini showed up on the scoresheet. With a turnover forced by Jack Harvey, he was able to set up Celebrini for the slam dunk goal to get Boston University on the board first.

This contest was a back-and-forth affair. If you wanted action, the second period was full of dramatics.

Good things happen when you go to the net and Matt DeMelis did just that. Cam Lund found Gunnarwolfe Fontaine who put it on the net, just in time for DeMelis to pick up the loose change and tie things up.

Minutes later, the Terriers would answer back with a two-on-one cash-in from Devin Kaplan. His goal would go off the stick of fellow Philadelphia Flyers prospect Hunter McDonald.

A couple dozen seconds later, the Huskies would get it back with a goal as Justin Hryckowian found his own rebound off the boards.

Just as everyone thought the second period would end with both teams tied, Lane Hutson did what he does best. With under 10 seconds to go, Hutson changed the scoreboard once again and gave the Terriers the 3-2 lead going into the final frame.

If you’ve been keeping up with the recent Hobey Baker Watch articles, you’ll know just how good Jack Williams has been for Northeastern. When the Huskies needed him most, he stepped up again.

Halfway through the third period, Northeastern was awarded a power play. Jack Williams unleashed a cannon on Boston University, almost ripping the netting off the posts for his 15th goal and 31st point of the year.

The action for the past 60 minutes was not enough to crown a champion. These two rivals would need an extra frame to decide a winner.

With the clock winding down and less than a minute to go in overtime, Northeastern went on the attack. Hryckowian would find Fontaine for the game-winning goal to end the contest 4-3.

Fontaine would end the night with three points, improving his season point total to 25. He was awarded the tournament’s most valuable player.

Northeastern goaltender Cameron Whitehead was given the Eberly Award, awarded to the goalie with the best save percentage in the tournament. Whitehead recorded a .915 save percentage with a 2.05 goals-against average, stopping 54 of the 59 total shots fired his way.

The Northeastern Huskies would reign victorious in the Beanpot once again. Winning back-to-back tournaments and their fifth in six years.

Anthony Desher is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email acd5698@psu.edu.