BOSTON - For the second year and a row, and for the fifth time in six tournaments, the No. RV/20 Northeastern Huskies (13-12-2) are Beanpot Champions, defeating No. 3 Boston University (19-8-1) in overtime by a score of 4-3 at TD Garden on Monday evening.
The Huskies overcame three one-goal deficits in the contest to earn their ninth Beanpot title with goals coming from Matt DeMelis, Justin Hryckowian, Jack Williams, and finally the Beanpot MVP, Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, in overtime.
- The Terriers struck first 14:41 minutes into the opening frame, on a turnover in the defensive zone. BU took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
- Northeastern struck back 5:52 into the second period on an offensive rush down the right side of the ice. Cam Lund skated into the zone and found Gunnarwolfe Fontaine on the opposite side of the crease. Fontaine's shot was saved but the rebound found Matt DeMelis charging the right side of the net. DeMelis collected the loose puck and tucked it into the net for his second of the season.
- After BU retook the lead 9:11 into the period, Justin Hryckowian scored his second goal of the 2024 tournament on another rush to tie it up just 30 seconds later. Hryckowian took a perfect cross-ice pass from Alex Campbell and skated one-on-one with a BU defender into the zone. His initial shot deflected off the end boards but he collected the rebound and back-handed a shot from the endline that found its way home.
- BU once again took the lead going into the second intermission, 3-2, with a goal in the final 10 seconds of the period.
- The Huskies earned their first power play of the game nine minutes into the third period and took less than a minute to convert. Jack Williams set up in the stick-side faceoff dot as Fontaine sent it up top to Vinny Borgessi and then over to Williams. Williams fired a one-timer past the BU goaltender to tie the game at 3-3.
- Northeastern was able to hold off the offensive Terrier onslaught late in the period to force the game into overtime.
- In the final minute of overtime Gunnarwolfe Fontaine repeated as the overtime hero, scoring off a cross-crease pass from Hryckowian to claim Northeastern's ninth Beanpot title, and its second in a row.
- DeMelis' goal was the first of his Beanpot career in his eighth Beanpot appearance - his point total all-time in the tournament is up to three. Williams notched his first career Beanpot goal in just his fourth appearance.
- Fontaine added to his incredible Beanpot career with his fifth career Beanpot goal, along with assists on the night, totaling eight career points in the 'Pot.
- Goaltender Cameron Whitehead won the 2024 Eberly award, stopping 54 of 59 shots faced in the Beanpot tournament, and Gunnarwolfe Fontaine earned MVP honors after two overtime game-winning-goals and two assists in the tournament.
- Northeastern has now won back-to-back Beanpots for the fourth time in program history. It's the first back-to-back 'Pots since the 2019 and 2020 tournaments for NU.
- The Huskies are now 3-1-1 in their last five Beanpot meetings with the Terriers - the tie was an unofficial double OT win for the Huskies in the 2020 Beanpot.
Next up for the Huskies is a home-and-home Hockey East series with the UMass Lowell River Hawks this Friday, February 16th and Saturday, February 17th. The Huskies travel to Lowell on Friday night for a 7:15 p.m. puck drop, and will host the River Hawks on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Matthews Arena. Saturday's home contest we be broadcast on NESN.
