Northeastern women’s hockey is heading into the 2026 Beanpot as the favorite by a mile. Not only is the team ranked sixth in the country — the only ranked Beanpot team — it has already swept both Boston College and Boston University this season and sits at the top of Hockey East. After three consecutive wins, the Huskies will look to add to their Beanpot empire.
For fans attending the game, look out for captain and senior forward Lily Shannon, who tends to come up in the most high-stakes moments. In the team’s final game in Matthews Arena, Shannon pulled through with two minutes to go for the game-winning shot. She currently averages 0.70 goals per game.
Another standout for the Huskies is senior defender Jules Constantinople, who has made four goals this season — all on the power play — and is one of the best scoring defenders in the NCAA. She is joined by freshman defender Alessia Baechler, who will appear on the Switzerland Olympic team in Milan.
It is highly likely that sophomore goaltender Lisa Jönsson will be in the net this tournament, despite occasionally switching off with freshman goaltender Renna Trembecky this season. At last year’s tournament, Jönsson was named Beanpot MVP after a shutout against Boston University in the championship game.
Moving up the ice is freshman forward Stryker Zablocki, who has earned 21 points and has built an excellent connection with Shannon on the first line. Sophomore forwards Éloïse Caron and Morgan Jackson, who play on the second line, have also been productive, with 11 and 17 points, respectively.
Northeastern will take on the Boston University Terriers for the semifinal in Walter Brown Arena Jan. 13. The Terriers had a rough first half of the season; once projected to be serious contenders after coming off a Hockey East Championship victory last year, the Terriers have plummeted to a .342 record this season. Northeastern swept the team 3-1 and 7-3 in Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 games, respectively.
In the other semifinal, the Boston College Eagles take on the Harvard Crimson. The Eagles have been a middling team this season, getting away with a 9-10-1 overall record and a 7-4-1 conference record, a nose dive compared to their .611 overall record from last year. Harvard has a 8-7-1 overall record and was recently beaten by Boston University 3-2.
Despite Northeastern being the most accomplished team this year, this tournament and the intense rivalries tend to defy season records, so fans should be ready for anything in these matchups.
