The stage has been set and will feature number two ranked Boston University facing off against their crosstown rivals, number five ranked Northeastern, in the 2025 edition of the Hockey East Championships.
The Path to the Finals:
For Northeastern, this post season’s theme has been “the underdogs,” (no pun intended). In their quarterfinal matchup the team faced number four seed Providence and then an even tougher game against number one seeded UConn. While the 3-1 final against the Huskies may sound indicative of a resounding win, fans had to wait until the 6:00 minute mark of the third before Skylar Irving broke things open with one of her two goals of the game.
Despite the higher ranking in both the quarter and semifinals, Boston University required overtime in both games to earn their seat at this weekend’s finals. First, a 4-3 overtime victory against eighth seeded Vermont and then a 3-2 double overtime win over third seeded Boston College, a game which ended after a strong drive to the net from fifth year Lindsay Bochna, along with an incredible 38-save performance from starting goaltender Callie Shanahan.
What to Expect
One word: Revenge.
Part of what makes this matchup so enticing for both fans and the players is this long standing rivalry between the two programs. The 2025 Beanpot Championship, played earlier this year on January 21st, featured these exact two teams and resulted in a 4-0 shutout win for Northeastern on the backs of an outstanding goaltending performance from rookie Lisa Jönsson. That marked the third consecutive Beanpot Championship win for Northeastern, and will undoubtedly serve as extra fuel and incentive for BU to flip the script in this one and to rebound from that tough loss.
Northeastern will be motivated to defeat their crosstown rivals once again and hold bragging rights heading into the offseason, knowing that they finished off another successful year for the program.
By The Numbers
Boston University finished a mere single spot ahead of Northeastern in the standings during the regular season and both teams finished virtually tied in terms of collective goals and points, which also includes special teams success.
One area which BU can hold above Northeastern is in the face-off dot, as they had a season success rate of 55% versus 50%, while Northeastern can counter with their strong defensive play, specifically when it comes to blocked shots, where they lead BU 487-337 during the regular season.
On The Radar
Sydney Healey finished with the most goals on the season for BU (14) and between her and forward Clara Yuhn, the latter of which was instrumental in the team’s win over BC, along with big defender Julia Shaunessy, it’s a formidable cast of goal scorers. A sleeper pick here would be the Welcke sisters. Their “pass first” mentality and ability to drive the lanes and create chances will make it difficult on Northeastern and they’ve looked good this postseason.
For Northeastern, it should come as no surprise to see Skylar Irving at the top of this list, as she finished with 17 goals during the regular season and has had a strong playoff run. Layer in the likes of Lily Shannon and Éloïse Caron and you have a strong forward group who can do some damage offensively. But offence doesn’t always win you a game and Lisa Jönsson is the poster for that. Keep a close eye on her play in this game as she is more than capable of stealing a game while making it look easy, even when it shouldn’t be. Case in point, a 30-save shutout performance in the Beanpot finals in front of 13,279 fans, and being named the Most Outstanding Goaltender and Beanpot Most Valuable Player, all in her rookie season.
Prediction:
In stark contrast to the final result from the Beanpot, this game will be close as we’ve seen these two teams do so many times before. BU puts up a valiant fight to the final buzzer but it is Northeastern who comes out victorious, winning 3-2 in overtime.
The 2025 Hockey East Championship will take place on Saturday, March 8th at 12:00PM.