Men’s Hockey: Terriers Open Beanpot Title Defense in Semifinal Against Northeastern
Featured Image by Alex Chen
By Jenny Chen
Boston University Men’s Hockey (12-13-1, 8-10-0 HEA) looks to defend its 2025 Beanpot title and snap a three-game skid as the Terriers take on the Northeastern Huskies (12-12-0) in Monday night’s semifinal at TD Garden.
BU enters the matchup in a slump. The Terriers managed only two wins in January — both shutouts — while dropping five games, including one in overtime. They were also shut out twice during the month.
Their most recent outing ended in a 4-1 loss to archrival Boston College, which will face Harvard in the other semifinal.
“You got to give yourself an opportunity Monday [night] to try to get to that next Monday at the right time,” head coach Jay Pandolfo said after Friday’s loss.
Sophomore defenseman Cole Hutson, last year’s Beanpot MVP, leads BU in scoring with 23 points on eight goals and 15 assists. Classmate and goaltender Mikhail Yegorov — the reigning Eberly Award winner for the tournament’s top goalie — enters Monday with a .900 save percentage and a 2.84 goals-against average.
The meeting marks the fourth matchup between BU and Northeastern this season, all of which came before winter break. The Huskies took the first game on Nov. 21 with a late goal to win 3-2, but the Terriers bounced back with a 4-3 overtime win the following night and a 4-3 victory on Dec. 13.
Like BU, Northeastern has struggled in recent weeks. Since closing Matthews Arena earlier this season, the Huskies have dropped eight of their last 10 contests.
Junior goaltender Lawton Zacher, who missed the first two meetings against BU due to injury, is expected to start in net. He holds a .928 save percentage and a 2.18 goals-against average.
Junior forward Dylan Hryckowian leads the Huskies offensively with 14 goals, 17 assists, and 31 points in 24 games. In the teams’ second meeting of the season, Hryckowian scored twice — including the game-tying goal with 1:01 left — while Hutson netted two goals of his own, the second being the overtime winner.
With both teams searching for a reset after underwhelming January stretches, Monday’s game offers a chance to regain momentum heading into the postseason.
“There’s a lot more hockey to play, and a lot more meaningful hockey to play,” Pandolfo said.
Puck drop is set for 8 p.m., with coverage available on NESN, ESPN+ and TSN.