Beanpot a family affair for BU’s Shane Lachance
Boston University freshman left wing Shane Lachance is a third generation Terrier.
Lachance will attempt to become the third family member to hoist the Beanpot Trophy when the No. 3-ranked Terriers (19-7-1) engage the defending champion Northeastern Huskies (12-12-2) in the 71st title game on Monday night (7:30) at TD Garden. No. 1-ranked Boston College (20-5-1) will play Harvard (4-14-4) in the Consolation game at 4:30 p.m.
Lachance’s father, Scott, won a Beanpot at BU in 1991 before embarking on a 13-year NHL career. Lachance’s maternal grandfather is legendary former BU coach Jack Parker, a name synonymous with success in the Beanpot.
Parker was 3-for-3 as a player under Jack Kelley and won 21 as the Terriers’ head coach that included a record six straight from 1995 to 2000. The institute of higher learning at the lower end of Commonwealth Ave. became known as “Beanpot University” on Parker’s watch.
“Obviously it (Beanpot) has been drilled into me a lot and that’s why you come to this school,” said Lachance following a spirited but brief practice on Sunday at Agganis Arena. “You come to BU to win a Beanpot and win a national championship and this is one step towards that.
“Once you get here everybody knows how amplified it is. It is one of those things where we are going to come together as a group. We play for each other and play for the seniors and hopefully we will come out on the right side.”
The 6-5, 218-pound Lachance is from Andover and has been coming to the Beanpot since he was in grammar school. The Edmonton Oilers draft pick made his Beanpot debut in the Terriers’ 4-3 victory over Boston College in the nightcap on Feb. 5 at the Garden.
Lachance plays on the line with graduate center Sam Stevens and sophomore right wing Devin Kaplan. He has played in 27 games and has nine goals and seven assists with a plus six.
“I grew up going to a lot of Beanpots and now it is time to take care of business,” said Lachance. “Winning the Beanpot would mean the world to me, growing up being bombarded with BU history.
“All I wanted to do was accomplish those things since I was little and the Beanpot is one of them. It would mean the world to me.”
While Lachance was immersed in Beanpot culture at a tender age, his teammate, second line sophomore center Ryan Greene, picked up on it quickly upon arrival at BU. Greene, a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick, is from Paradise in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador and developed his hockey skills with Green Bay of the USHL.
Greene’s first Beanpot experience was a 3-1 loss to Northeastern in the 2023 opener. That bad experience was exacerbated by a 4-2 loss to rival BC in the consolation game. It was the first time in the history of the tournament that BC and BU met in the consolation game.
“It is exciting and this is our first chance to win a trophy together,” said Greene. “This is my first time playing in the Beanpot final and I’m pretty excited.
“I honestly didn’t know much about the Beanpot until I came here being from Canada, but it is the biggest thing. It would be awesome to win the Beanpot and this is when it gets fun down the stretch.
“Playing for the Beanpot, the Hockey East and NCAA tournaments, those are the important games you want to win. This is what we have been preparing for all year.”
BU has been the dominant program in the Beanpot. The Terriers are appearing in the final for the 56th time and have won a record 31 championships.
While Northeastern takes up the rear with eight Beanpot titles since 1952, the Huskies have enjoyed a mini-dynasty having won four of the last five.
NU was expected to repeat in 2021 when the tournament was cancelled due to the pandemic. BU broke the Huskies’ streak by winning the Beanpot in 2022.
NU is the hottest team in Hockey East and enters the Beanpot title tilt riding a five-game win streak. NU knocked off BU 4-3 in overtime on Jan. 30 and beat No. 6 Maine 6-3 on Feb. 2.
“It definitely helps having experienced it and I have played with a lot of great leaders and captains throughout the years,” said NU senior left wing Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, who scored the overtime game winner against Harvard in the Beanpot opener.
“Having played in the Beanpot and playing in those high stakes moments, you feel more poised in these moments when you get older and have been through in. You have a greater appreciation for winning the thing when you lost it before. My freshman year, we came up short. It gets you going a little more.”