BOSTON — For the fourth time in five tournaments, Northeastern is bringing the Beanpot back to Huntington Avenue.
It was already going to be a historic Monday night featuring the first-ever title game clash between the Huskies and Harvard in the tournament’s 70-year history, but it also became the first Beanpot decided in a shootout after the NCAA’s decision to make the ending of all games uniform with a 3-on-3 overtime followed by a best-of-three shootout. Northeastern emerged with a 3-2 victory.
After a thrilling extra session ended with the score still tied at 2-2, Northeastern captain and leading scorer Aidan McDonough (Milton, Mass.) scored the lone shootout goal, and junior Devon Levi stopped all three shots he faced to send the DogHouse and a packed crowd of Huskies fans to its feet.
“We knew it was going to be a battle tonight. It was going to be a close one,” Northeastern’s Jerry Keefe said following his first Beanpot victory as head coach. “I’m really proud of these guys. Seeing them jump off the bench when (Levi) made that save … it just means a lot to the players, to our school and all of our families.”
Harvard sophomore Matthew Coronato finished the Beanpot with four goals after scoring twice in the second period, but Northeastern forced overtime as junior Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (East Greenwich, R.I.) scored his second of the game 4:57 into the third period.
Here are four takeaways from the game.
