Huskies forward Skylar Irving clinches Northeastern’s Beanpot victory 27 seconds into the sudden-death overtime period. Irving scored both of Northeastern’s goals, capturing 2024 Women’s Beanpot MVP honors. Photo by Sophia McCarty

WOMEN'S HOCKEY

BU Falls to Northeastern 2-1 in Women’s Beanpot Championship

Late equalizer wasn’t enough for Terriers: Huskies win third Beanpot in four years

The most-attended women’s game in New England hockey history did not disappoint. A raucous TD Garden played host to the 2024 Women’s Beanpot Championship on Tuesday night, the first in the tournament’s 45-year history to be played at the venerable Boston venue. Despite an equalizer with 58 seconds left, the Boston University women’s ice hockey team fell to No. 14/15 Northeastern 2-1 in overtime. 

To reach their first Beanpot championship game since 2020, the Terriers defeated No. 13 Boston College 4-3 via shootout on January 16. Defending Beanpot champ Northeastern beat Harvard 1-0 in the evening’s other semifinal. 

Compared to last week’s semifinal—where BU and BC had a goal apiece in the game’s opening four minutes, and two each by the end of the first period—Tuesday’s championship game was a far more defensive showcase. Where the Terriers’ semifinal opponent entered as Hockey East’s most potent offense, the Huskies represent the league’s stingiest defense. 

Defending the Huskies net was Gwyneth Phillips, last year’s Women’s Hockey Commissioners Association National Goalie of the Year and 2023 Beanpot MVP. Entering Tuesday’s contest, Phillips’ goals-against-average (1.12) and save percentage (.955) are NCAA bests among players with at least 12 starts. She was named this year’s Bertagna Most Outstanding Goaltender postgame. 

Facing Phillips across the ice, and minding the net for the Terriers was Callie Shanahan (CAS’25) (2.61 GAA, .859 SV percent), who returned from injury to make her season debut on January 12 against New Hampshire. The Beanpot championship marked just her fourth start of the season. She made 28 saves in the losing effort. 

“It’s pretty remarkable if you think about it. We threw her right into the mix into high-pressure situations and she didn’t disappoint,” first-year head coach Tara Watchorn (CAS’12) said following the game. “It just speaks to her work ethic. We had no doubt that she was gonna do well for us and she played with that confidence.” 

Both Phillips and Shanahan shone in the scoreless first period, with Shanahan repelling eight shots to Phillips’ seven. The Terriers seemed to control the opening measure, pacing the Huskies in zonetime and shots before a cross check by Catherine Foulem (CAS’24) allowed the Huskies to take advantage of the period’s shot totals. 

As the second period began, the Terriers offense remained dormant, but Shanahan’s slick work in the crease kept the score at zero. The game nearly saw its first goal when Huskies forward Mia Langlois fired a shot past Shanahan, but off the Terriers’ post. 

BU would equalize and take back the lead in shots, thanks in large part to a cross-checking minor against Huskies captain Megan Carter. Unable to capitalize, the Terriers committed a penalty of their own—this time for too many players on the ice—but the Huskies also failed to break the scoring drought. 

With the final minute of the second period winding down, Northeastern was the first to break through. Swarming the Terriers zone, Huskies center Skylar Irving skated the puck from Shanahan’s right across the crease, then fired a shot over the BU goalie’s left shoulder with 35 seconds left in the frame. 

“Whenever you get scored on with a minute left in the period, it’s tough to go into the intermission that way,” Watchorn said after the game. “To be honest, I didn’t have to do a lot, our girls were up, they were ready. Our leaders really stepped up, they had the energy. I came in and added to it a little bit, but I think the biggest thing is keeping that belief in ourselves.”

The 1-0 score would hold for the first 19 minutes of the game’s final period. BU’s play in the third period became disjointed as they tried to level the score. Yet, down one with less than three minutes to go, Watchorn pulled Shanahan from the Terriers net in search of an equalizer. 

Now skating with an extra attacker, BU swarmed Northeastern’s zone. As the clock dropped below one minute, the Terriers repeated barrage finally found a way past Phillips. BU forward Alex Law (CAS’27) connected with Sydney Healey (CAS’26), who found Foulem over the left side. Forcing Phillips to make the first move, Foulem slotted BU’s equalizer through the five-hole with 58 seconds left in the championship game. 

“It was honestly an unbelievable pass from Syd,” Foulem says. “All the defensemen and everyone were on one side and I was just left alone, so that’s probably why. It was obviously a great play.”

For the third time in as many championship matchups, Tuesday’s BU-Northeastern Beanpot title bout would be decided in overtime. Although jubilant with their late equalizer, BU’s hopes were quickly dashed. Turning the puck up ice, Northeastern’s Katy Knoll found Skylar Irving over center and with just Shanahan to beat, Northeastern captured their third Beanpot title in four years—and second-straight—just 27 seconds into the sudden-death overtime. 

“I think we really proved that we can compete on any stage against any opponent,” Watchorn said postgame. “We have have the people that we need to represent BU the way we know how and they did great tonight and I’m really proud of them.”

The Boston University women’s ice hockey team will face Holy Cross next in a home-and-home on Friday, January 26, and Saturday, January 27, with Friday’s game at BU’s Walter Brown Arena at 6 pm. With the Beanpot final result, BU fell to 11-11-3. 

After facing No. 2 Boston College in a home-and-home of their own, the BU men’s hockey team will go up against BC again in the men’s Beanpot semifinal on Monday, February 5, at 8 pm at TD Garden.