Looking Forward: 2011 Beanpot

For most of the country, February 7th will be an ordinary Monday night, a mere hangover from Superbowl Sunday. But for four schools in the city of Boston -- four passionate hockey programs with innumerable amounts of pride on the line -- there won't be anything insignificant about February 7th.

The 59th annual Beanpot will take place on that Monday evening. In the first game -- set for 5:00 PM -- the Northeastern Huskies and the Harvard Crimson will battle for a spot in the championship round. Now, giving all due respect to this matchup, the Beanpot wouldn't be what it is without these teams. But in this day and age, it's all about the other two squads who will step onto the TD Garden ice at 8:00.

The last 17 Beanpot titles have been brought home by either Boston College or Boston University. 12 of those went to the Terriers, 5 to the Eagles. BC has won two of the past three Beanpots, though. And -- for what it's worth -- the past three Beanpot champions have gone on to win the NCAA National Championship. No big deal, though.

It's a strange setup this year, and BC vs BU will not be the championship game. For the previously explained reasons, though, the first-round matchup has become the focal point of the tourney. It's like the 1980 Olympics. The US did play a gold medal game, you know? But the true champion was decided in the previous round. I suspect that might be the case for the 2011 Beanpot.

Boston College (17-6-0 overall) and Boston University (11-7-6 overall) rank 1st and 3rd, respectively, in the Hockey East standings. The Eagles are 3-0 this season against the Terriers, outscoring them by an impressive 17-9 margin in those games. Because of the one-sided nature of the season series, fans will have to expect BU to come out flying, hungry for a statement victory. Sophomore forward Alex Chiasson has become the Terriers' biggest impact player, amassing 22 points on the season to lead his squad. The high-flying Eagles, though, are led by fellow sophomore Cam Atkinson, whose 30 overall points rank him second among Hockey East players this season. Couple that with goaltender John Muse's impressive .931 saves percentage and an expansive core of young, explosive players, you've got yourself a handful on the BC side of the ice. But when it comes to the Beanpot, there's too much at stake. Throw the records out, ditch the stats. It's going to come down to the emotions and the determination on the ice. With two teams so talented, so well-coached, so prestigious -- the hungrier team will win.

I can only count down the days. A week from Monday, the action begins. BU and its 29 all-time Beanpot titles will look to dethrone BC (15 all-time titles) and its recent reign of dominance in the northeast region. The 59th Annual Beanpot will be full of excitement. The games may only last 60 minutes, but the memories for these players will last forever.