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Feb 11, 2025, 10:20 AM ET

While the biggest prize in college hockey clearly is the national championship trophy, in one corner of the sport’s landscape, that accolade has a rival: the Beanpot.

The 72nd tournament, which features Boston College, Boston University, Northeastern and Harvard, concluded Monday at TD Garden with BC facing BU in the championship game. And to paraphrase NESN announcer Tom Caron, BC is the No. 1 team in the country, but BU is No. 1 in Boston.

The Terriers upset the top-ranked Eagles 4-1, rallying from a lackluster first period and early 1-0 deficit to convincingly outplay BC over the last two periods.

Both teams are ranked in the top 10 in the country (BC is No. 1, BU is No. 9 in the most recent polls), but even in years when the Beanpot doesn’t have national implications of that magnitude, the energy, desire and hatred boil over for the schools and their fans.

This year’s final had a different twist, as nine of the players — six from BC, three from BU — were teammates at the IIHF World Junior Championship, where they won the gold medal for Team USA in January. At least one member of the Eagles or Terriers scored or assisted on all but one of the 37 goals the U.S. scored in the tournament.

Any friendships were on hold Monday night.

“It’s just understanding that you can’t have any friends out there,” BC freshman James Hagens told the Boston Globe last month. “You might play with them for a while. They might be your best buddies, but you just have to understand it’s a hockey game, and you have to go out there and win.”

BU’s Cole Eiserman expressed similar sentiments. “You battle with those guys, get close to those guys, but I think we’re all competitive guys,” he told the Globe. “We want to win for our own school.”

The teams met in a home-and-home series in January, with BC sweeping by scores of 6-2 and 2-0. But those results meant little to BU after its trophy-lifting win Monday night. The Terriers won its first Beanpot since 2022, while BC’s most recent championship was in 2016.

While Monday’s game will not count in the Hockey East standings, conference races are heating up around the country as the selection of the NCAA tournament field nears.

The NCAA field includes the winners of the six conference tournaments — Atlantic, Big Ten, CCHA, ECAC, Hockey East and NCHC — and 10 at-large teams based on the PairWise rankings.

Conference tournament championship games are scheduled for March 22, with the NCAA tournament selections to be announced March 23. Regionals will be held March 27-30, with the Frozen Four on April 10 and 12 in St. Louis. Every NCAA tournament game, including the selection show, will be on ESPN networks and streamed on ESPN+.

Here’s a look at where the NCAA field stands, with teams listed in order of the PairWise rankings as of Feb. 11.

Dozens of men’s and women’s college hockey games, including games from Hockey East and the ECAC plus full coverage of the NCAA tournaments, are available to stream on . Subscribe here.

Frozen Four or bust

The head of the class this season, these teams are odds-on favorites to make it to St. Louis.

No. 1 Boston College

Record: 21-5-1, 13-3-1 Hockey East

Last week’s results: Beat Northeastern 8-2; won at New Hampshire 4-2

Key games: Feb. 14-15 home-and-home vs. UMass

No. 2 Michigan State

Record: 22-5-3, 13-4-3 Big Ten

Last week’s results: Lost to Michigan 2-1; beat Michigan 6-1

Key games: Feb. 21-22 vs. Penn State

No. 3 Minnesota

Record: 21-6-3, 12-4-2 Big Ten

Last week’s results: Did not play

Key games: Feb. 14-15 at Michigan; Feb. 21-22 vs. Ohio State

Safe and sound

These teams are all but assured a spot in the NCAA field as either a conference champion or via an at-large spot.

No. 4 Maine

Record: 18-5-4, 10-3-4 Hockey East

Last week’s results: Tied at Providence 3-3; won at Providence 1-0 (OT)

Key games: Feb. 21 at UConn; March 7-8 at UMass

No. 5 Western Michigan

Record: 20-5-1, 13-2-1 NCHC

Last week’s results: Beat St. Cloud State 4-0 and 6-1

Key games: Feb. 14-15 vs. Omaha; Feb. 21-22 at Arizona State

No. 6 Boston University

Record: 16-10-1, 10-6-1 Hockey East

Last week’s results: Beat Harvard 7-1; lost at Merrimack 2-1 (OT)

Key games: Feb. 14-15 home-and-home vs. Providence

No. 7 Providence

Record: 16-7-5, 6-6-5 Hockey East

Last week’s results: Tied Maine 3-3; lost to Maine 1-0 (OT)

Key games: Feb. 14-15 home-and-home vs. BU; Feb. 22 vs. UMass-Lowell

No. 8 Ohio State

Record: 18-8-2, 11-6-1 Big Ten

Last week’s results: Won at Notre Dame 5-1 and 5-1

Key games: Feb. 21-22 at Minnesota; Feb. 27-28 vs. Michigan

No. 9 UConn

Record: 15-10-3, 8-8-3 Hockey East

Last week’s results: Lost to UMass 5-4; beat UMass-Lowell 5-4 (OT)

Key games: Feb. 21 vs. Maine; Feb. 25 vs. BU

No. 10 Denver

Record: 20-7-1, 9-6-1 NCHC

Last week’s results: Won at Arizona State 5-4 (OT); lost at Arizona State 6-5 (OT)

Key games: Feb. 14-15 vs. North Dakota; March 7-8 home-and-home vs. Colorado College

In the field — for now

UMass-Lowell has slipped a few notches with three losses in four games, while Michigan and Arizona State improved their standing this past weekend with splits against Michigan State and Denver, respectively.

No. 11 UMass-Lowell

Record: 14-10-3, 7-8-2 Hockey East

Last week’s results: Lost to Vermont 5-3; lost at UConn 5-4 (OT)

Key games: Feb. 22 at Providence; Feb. 27-March 1 home-and-home vs. UMass

No. 12 Michigan

Record: 16-12-2, 10-9-1 Big Ten

Last week’s results: Won at Michigan State 2-1; lost to Michigan State 6-1

Key games: Feb. 14-15 vs. Minnesota; Feb. 27-28 at Ohio State

No. 13 Arizona State

Record: 17-10-1, 12-6-0 NCHC

Last week’s results: Lost to Denver 5-4 (OT); beat Denver 6-5 (OT)

Key games: Feb. 21-22 vs. Western Michigan; Feb. 28-March 1 at Omaha

One-bid league champs

It’s looking more and more likely we’ll have three one-bid leagues — the ECAC, CCHA and Atlantic. Quinnipiac and Minnesota State are on the fringes of the at-large bubble, but if they fail to win their conference tournaments, the losses along the way seem likely to dash their at-large hopes.

Quinnipiac leads a tight ECAC race, with the top five teams within five points of each other, while Minnesota State has a solid hold on first place in the CCHA. So we’re penciling the Bobcats and Mavericks in the NCAA field for now.

In the Atlantic, Sacred Heart, Holy Cross and Bentley are within one point of each other in the league standings — although Holy Cross and Bentley have played two fewer games than Sacred Heart — and are bunched together in the PairWise. We gave the nod to the Crusaders, who are one spot ahead of Bentley in the PairWise, but as with the other three leagues in this group, it will all come down to the conference tournament.

Quinnipiac

Record: 17-9-2, 11-4-1 ECAC (No. 15 in PairWise)

Last week’s results: Beat St. Lawrence 6-1; lost to Clarkson 3-2 (OT)

Key games: Feb. 14 at Union; Feb. 28 at Clarkson

Minnesota State

Record: 20-8-2, 15-5-2 CCHA (No. 17 in PairWise)

Last week’s results: Beat Augustana 4-1 and 2-1

Key games: Feb. 21-22 at Lake Superior State

Holy Cross

Record: 17-11-2, 16-4-2 Atlantic (No. 30 in PairWise)

Last week’s results: Won at RIT 9-2 and 3-0

Key games: Feb. 20 vs. Bentley; Feb. 24 vs. AIC

On the bubble

Assuming there will be three conference champions outside of the top 16 in PairWise, teams below No. 13 will be out of luck in terms of grabbing an at-large NCAA bid. But the standings in this range are very tight, with positions changing with almost every result. These teams will have opportunities for key wins to gain critical PairWise capital, but the margin for error is slim.

No. 14 UMass

Record: 15-11-2, 6-8-2 Hockey East

Last week’s results: Won at UConn 5-4

Key games: Feb. 14-15 home-and-home vs. BC; Feb. 27-March 1 home-and-home vs. UMass-Lowell

No. 16 Penn State

Record: 14-11-3, 5-10-3 Big Ten

Last week’s results: Won at Wisconsin 2-0 and 6-2

Key games: Feb. 21-22 at Michigan State; Feb. 28-March 1 vs. Minnesota

No. 18 New Hampshire

Record: 11-12-3, 3-11-2 Hockey East

Last week’s results: Lost to BC 4-2; lost to Merrimack 5-4

Key games: Feb. 14-15 at Maine; Feb. 28-March 1 home-and-home vs. BC

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‘It was time’: Yanks welcome new facial-hair rule

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14 hours ago

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February 22, 2025

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'It was time': Yanks welcome new facial-hair rule

For nearly a half-century, the New York Yankees‘ facial-hair policy kept the visages of some of the world’s most famous baseball players whisker-free. Over the past week, with a nudge from a new player and the advice of an All-Star cast, team owner Hal Steinbrenner changed the face of the Yankees. Literally.

“Everyone was kind of stunned,” said Yankees closer Devin Williams, whose desire to sport his signature beard helped spur the rule change that will allow players to wear more than a mustache. “There were a few guys who had heard it was being discussed and a possibility, but that it actually happened — I’m just looking forward to it growing back.”

The announcement by the Yankees on Friday morning that players would be allowed to grow a “well-groomed beard” sent shockwaves through the sport. The draconian rule instituted in 1976 by then-owner George Steinbrenner had been maintained for more than a decade and a half since his death, and Hal Steinbrenner, his son, had shown no signs of relenting.

When Williams showed up to Yankees spring training in Tampa, Florida, last week for the first time after arriving in an offseason trade with the Milwaukee Brewers, he finally came face-to-face with his longtime nemesis: a razor. Never had Williams thrown a pitch in the major leagues without at least a healthy layer of stubble. After shearing his beard, he looked in the mirror, didn’t recognize who was looking back and eventually took his concerns to Yankees manager Aaron Boone.

Williams later relayed the frustration to general manager Brian Cashman, who listened to his points — about how players who feel their best will play their best, about the hypocrisy of a policy implemented to promote clean-cut players applying only to facial hair below the upper lip — and agreed. Steinbrenner then sat down with Williams, and the moment to push for a facial-hair revolution had arrived.

The inconsistent application of the policy — from Goose Gossage’s Fu Manchu to later-than-5-o’clock shadows on the faces of Thurman Munson to Andy Pettitte to Roger Clemens — was just the beginning of the argument for change. There were concerns that players might pass up opportunities to play for the Yankees because of an attachment to their beards. Steinbrenner heard the case and Monday discussed with a cast of stars — alumni Ron Guidry, Pettitte and newly minted Hall of Famer CC Sabathia plus current players Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton — how they saw it.

In the days thereafter, Steinbrenner came away from the conversations convinced: No longer was banning stubble worth the trouble.

“Winning was the most important thing to my father,” Steinbrenner said. “And again, if somebody came and told him that they were very sure that this could affect us getting the players we want to get, all we’re trying to do every offseason, right, is put ourselves in the best position to get a player that we’re trying to get. And if something like this would detract from that, lessen our chances, I don’t know. I think he might be a little apt to do the change that I did than people think because it was about winning.”

Steinbrenner and Cashman announced the change to the team Friday morning — and the players responded with appreciation.

“It’s a big deal,” said Cole, who had worn a beard with his past two teams, Pittsburgh and Houston. “I just threw today, and no one cares. Nobody is talking about how I look. I feel like I obviously, being a Yankee fan [growing up], wanted to emulate everything the Yankees did, so it was kind of cool that I was able to shave and be a part of that legacy. And then it’s also really cool at the same time that we’re transitioning to a different legacy to a certain extent, moving forward.”

Williams will be moving forward by not shaving. He said he expects his beard to grow back in two to three weeks. While he believes his past facial hair “was pretty well-groomed,” he’s happy to cut it shorter if the team desires “because it’s nice to feel like you’re being listened to.”

“Hal took the time to hear Devin out, spoke with other players and made a decision that I’m sure was very difficult,” said Nate Heisler of Klutch Sports Group, Williams’ agent. “The Yankees showed today why they are one of the best organizations in professional sports.”

No longer are they the most fresh-faced. Free agent signings with bearded pasts — from Cole to Stanton to left-hander Carlos Rodon to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to reliever Tim Hill — are free to return to their hirsute ways. Homegrown players can celebrate no-shave November eight months early. And Boone — once himself a cleanly shaven Yankees player — summed up the mood in the clubhouse for everyone.

Said Boone: “It was time for this.”

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Soto slams 426-foot HR in 1st at-bat with Mets

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14 hours ago

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February 22, 2025

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Soto slams 426-foot HR in 1st at-bat with Mets

  • Associated Press

Feb 22, 2025, 02:11 PM ET

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Juan Soto homered in his first spring training at-bat for his new team, hitting a solo shot to left-center field in the first inning for the New York Mets against the Houston Astros on Saturday.

Soto signed a record 15-year, $765 million contract this offseason, moving across New York from the Yankees to the Mets.

He hit second in the order Saturday, between Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso, and drilled a 426-foot homer on a 2-1 pitch from left-hander Colton Gordon. The following inning, Soto drove in another run with a ground ball.

Soto entered Saturday’s game with a career .302 average and 13 home runs in 86 spring training games.

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Tigers’ Baddoo to miss start of regular season

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14 hours ago

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February 22, 2025

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Tigers' Baddoo to miss start of regular season

  • Associated Press

Feb 21, 2025, 02:33 PM ET

LAKELAND, Fla. — Detroit Tigers outfielder Akil Baddoo had surgery to repair a broken bone in his right hand and will miss the start of the regular season.

Manager A.J. Hinch said Friday that Baddoo had more tests done after some continued wrist soreness since the start of spring training. Those tests revealed the hamate hook fracture in his right hand that was surgically repaired Thursday.

Baddoo, 26, who has been with the Tigers since 2021, is at spring training as a non-roster player. He was designated for assignment in December after Detroit signed veteran right-hander Alex Cobb to a $15 million, one-year contract. Baddoo cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo.

Cobb is expected to miss the start of the season after an injection to treat hip inflammation that developed as the right-hander was throwing at the start of camp. He has had hip surgery twice.

Baddoo hit .137 with two homers and five RBIs in 31 games last season. The left-hander has a .226 career average with 28 homers and 103 RBI in 340 games.

After the Tigers acquired him from Minnesota in the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings in December 2020, Baddoo hit .259 with 13 homers, 55 RBIs, 18 stolen bases and a .330 on-base percentage in 124 games as a rookie in 2021. Those are all career bests.

Baddoo went into camp in a crowded outfield. The six outfielders on Detroit’s 40-man roster include three other left-handed hitters (Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter and Parker Meadows) and switch-hitter Wenceel Pérez. The other outfielders are right-handers Matt Vierling and Justyn-Henry Malloy.

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