BOSTON – After years of being checked into the boards by its Boston rivals, the Northeastern men's hockey team was experiencing a Beanpot golden era during the 1980s. The Huskies had kicked off the decade with their first ever tournament championship in 1980, and had successfully defended their title run in 1984 with another crown coming in 1985.
By 1988, Northeastern's three Beanpot championships in the 1980s were tied with Boston University for the most among the four local schools during the decade, but the two-time defending champion Terriers were still the clear tournament favorites. Revenge was also on the minds of the Huskies in the weeks leading up to the Beanpot as BU had defeated NU on a game-winning goal in overtime of the 1987 championship game.
A 5-4 extra-period loss to New Hampshire caused Northeastern (12-9-4, 10-7-4 HEA) to miss out on the opportunity of carrying a four-game winning streak into the 1988 Beanpot, but did allow the Huskies to refocus prior to taking the ice against Boston College on Feb. 1 in the semifinals. NU led BC, 1-0-1, in the season series after downing the Eagles, 6-3, on Nov. 4 and playing to a 4-4 tie at Matthews Arena on Jan. 9.
Northeastern took control of its semifinal game right from the opening faceoff as Harry Mews scored 59 seconds into the opening period, putting the Huskies in front 1-0. Mews would later be whistled for tripping midway through the stanza at 9:26, but NU would kill the penalty to remain ahead of the Eagles.
The Huskies would receive their first extra-man opportunity at 16:44 when Boston College's Dennehy was sent off for hooking, and David Buda netted a power-play goal to give Northeastern a 2-0 lead at 17:45 in the first.
NU successfully killed its second penalty of the game early in the second period, and took a commanding, 3-0, lead on BC at 7:42 in the frame when Will Averill and Brian Sullivan assisted on David O'Brien's 12th goal of the season. Goaltender Bruce Racine kept the Eagles off the scoreboard by saving all 16 shots sent his way during the first two periods, and Northeastern headed into the intermission with a three-goal advantage.
Just in case three goals were not enough to secure a spot in the Beanpot championship, Sullivan tacked on his 15th goal of the year at 12:02 in the final period to assure that the Huskies would advance to the title round. Mews, O'Brien, Averill, and Sullivan all had two-point games for NU, while Racine saved a perfect 25 shots as Northeastern celebrated its first all-time shutout in Beanpot history with a 4-0 blanking of Boston College.
Having orchestrated a defensively sound performance against BC in the semifinals, the Huskies would need another one if they were to reclaim Beanpot glory in 1988 against Boston University. Fortunately for Northeastern, the Huskies had already swept the Terriers in the 1987-88 season series, winning both games by a combined 9-4.
Like in the semifinals, NU dictated the pace of the championship game right from the start, working hard to create offensive chances. Northeastern managed to break through midway through the first period, when Joe MacInnis scored an unassisted goal to put NU in front, 1-0.
Exceptional goaltending by 1985 Eberly Award winner Racine allowed Northeastern to focus solely on its goal production as the Huskies tacked on two more goals in the second to lead 3-0. Paul Russo and Tom Bivona assisted on Peter Schure's goal at 7:46, while Buda found Mews at 14:05.
After not allowing a goal in five consecutive periods of the 1988 Beanpot, the Terriers finally figured out Racine 39 seconds into the third as Mike Sullivan bought BU within two goals at 3-1. Another quick goal by Mike Kelfer at 3:01 suddenly cut Northeastern's lead to one, but Buda responded with his second goal of the tournament at 4:51 to send the Huskies back in front by two, 4-2.
Northeastern was able to capitalize on a unique four-on-three opportunity at 6:36 as O'Brien scored one for the NU thumb with assists credited to Kevin Heffernan and Claude Lodin. Trailing 5-2, Boston University had a chance to pull back to within two on a power-play with just less than 10 minutes remaining in the final period, but O'Brien netted a shorthanded goal that all but sealed the Huskies' fourth Beanpot championship in nine years.
Chris McCann would score for the Terriers in the final 13 seconds of the game to make the line score, 6-3, but the celebration was already beginning down Huntington Avenue. Racine received Eberly Award and Most Valuable Player honors for the second time during his career after allowing just three goals in 120 minutes of hockey. To this day, Racine is one of three Northeastern goalies to win the Eberly Award multiple times, and is the only player in program history to win the tournament's Most Valuable Player award twice.
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