Beanpot semifinal preview: Boston University vs. Harvard
Boston University (13-9-1) is heavily favored in its Beanpot semifinal matchup against the Harvard Crimson. The Terriers are ranked No. 10 in the nation, according to the Pairwise Comparison Rating System and USCHO.com’s Men’s DI Top-20 poll. Comparatively, Harvard (7-10-2) is ranked No. 39, so it is fair to say that BU are the favorites in this game.
However, it is not uncommon for the Beanpot to present unlikely upsets.
Boston University is a team that relies heavily on strong play from their top players (Cole Eiserman, Quinn and Cole Hutson, Ryan Greene), so Harvard’s recipe for victory would be to shut down production from those guys. Obviously, it’s a very difficult task to limit some of the best players in college hockey, but if Harvard can slow down the pace of play and utilize lockdown defense to create offense, they could stand as a tough task for the Terriers.
Moreover, the last time these two programs played each other in October, they tied. Granted, that game was a scrimmage, but regardless, it suggests that Harvard could be a difficult matchup for BU.
There is another question mark surround the Terriers: their goaltender situation. On Tuesday, BU called up Russian goalie Mikhail Yegorov from the USHL. Bringing up Yegorov was an unexpected decision by the Terriers, but the play of starter Mathieu Caron warranted a change. Caron posted a 3.17 goals against average and .898 save percentage in 20 games for the Terriers.
So, BU’s new goalie is an unknown. Yegorov is a high draft pick, in fact he is the highest picked goaltender in the tournament, at 49th overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. But, he is unproven at the collegiate level. The 18-year-old has played one game for BU, just this past Saturday, in a loss to Boston College.
It is very possible Yegorov will be an elite collegiate goaltender. In his one collegiate start, against No. 1-ranked Boston College, he stopped 23-of-24 shots, and the one goal was on the power play. His play for BU so far suggests he may become a star – and his draft selection suggests he will be. In fact, he is the second-highest-drafted goaltender in the Hockey East Conference, behind Michael Hrabal of UMass Amherst.
Over his two years in the USHL, Yegorov played in 62 games, 19 in the 2024-25 season, with a combined save percentage of .902 and a combined GAA of 3.49.
Overall, Harvard must test Yegorov and the BU defense. This new development in the BU goalie situation creates a chance for Harvard to pull off an upset in the first matchup of the 2025 Beanpot.
Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Follow him on X @LukeGraham05.