If the Boston University Terriers want to secure a record 31st Beanpot title, the freshmen might have to lead them, just like last year.
Actually, a season ago it was freshman, not freshmen. But Jack Eichel is spending what would have been his sophomore year as a member of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, leaving BU without the nation’s leading scorer and Hobey Baker Award winner.
They’ve managed, taking a 14-7-4 record and No. 9 national ranking into Monday night’s Beanpot opener against Northeastern at TD Garden, a rematch of last year’s championship game, won in overtime by the Terriers. Boston College meets Harvard at 5 p.m. in the opening game.
Replacing Eichel’s numbers — he had 71 points in 40 games — wouldn’t be easy, and would almost certainly require more than one player. BU has done it partly with a talented group of freshmen, who have blended with a solid returning cast. They’ve reached the Beanpot in peak form. The Terriers have won three straight games. A four-game win streak would mark a season high.
A pair of seniors, Danny O’Regan and Ahti Oksanen, lead BU in points. But among the Terriers’ top 12 scorers, five are freshmen: Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson has 22 points, followed by Jordan Greenway (15), Ryan Cloonan (13), Charlie McAvoy (13), and Bobo Carpenter (10).
“I knew we had a really good class coming in, and we’ve done really well so far,’’ said Cloonan, a native of East Longmeadow. “We’ve learned a lot from the older guys. They’re good role models and they keep our head on straight. I definitely attribute it to the older guys, they’ve set a good example. It’s been a good start.’’
Playing at TD Garden in one of the most prestigious college hockey events isn’t the same as most regular-season games, and the magnitude, the crowd, and the pressure can cause anyone to blink, especially freshmen. None of BU’s has ever played in a Beanpot. Cloonan, at least, grew up going to a handful of Beanpot games, and watching others on television. Not so for those who lived elsewhere.
“I’m not from around here, I’m from Stockholm, so the first time I heard about the Beanpot was when I was playing junior hockey in Omaha and starting to look at colleges. It’s actually one of the reasons to come to BU, to play in a tournament like the Beanpot,’’ said Forsbacka Karlsson. “I’ve heard it’s a crazy atmosphere, pretty intense crowd, huge rivalries between these schools. I’m really excited.’’
That excitement sometimes comes with a warning. Freshmen who have never experienced a Beanpot often find the newness difficult to deal with. The scope and the setting are different, and always a challenge. BU coach Dave Quinn hopes that his group of first-year players can transition smoothly, and he is confident they will for two reasons.
“One, we played in front of 20,000 people at Madison Square Garden in November [against Cornell], so there’s not going to be that walking onto the rink and going, ‘Whoa. We’ve never done this before.’ They’ve done that before,’’ Quinn said. “And two, we’ve played every team in the Beanpot already, so there will be a familiarity with your opponent, which will take the edge off a little bit. So the two things that might be a little bit overwhelming for these guys, we’ve done both of those things. But they wouldn’t be human if there wasn’t a little bit of extra emotion and nerves.’’
The Terriers swept Northeastern in a home-and-home series in early November, scoring nine goals over the weekend. Cloonan had one, part of an opening stretch that saw him earn points in his first four college games, and six of his first seven. Now he’s gone 18 games without a goal, and would love to end the drought on Monday.
“That would definitely be a good time to do it,’’ Cloonan said. “Especially at the Garden, because I’ve never played there.’’
Neither has Forsbacka Karlsson, but he’s really hoping that changes in the years to come. Not long after committing to attend BU, the 19-year-old Swede was selected in the second round (45th overall) of the 2015 NHL Draft by the Bruins.
“It’s a coincidence, obviously I didn’t choose where I was going to get drafted. It’s convenient they have me in the backyard and can check in on me often during the season,’’ said Forsbacka Karlsson, who has 8 points (3-5—8) over his last six games. “It’s all positive, the Bruins are a great organization.’’
Professional hockey can wait for now. Next up for Forsbacka Karlsson and BU is the Beanpot, against a Northeastern team that is 7-0-1 in its last eight games after starting the season 1-8-1. The Huskies also pushed the Terriers to overtime in the Beanpot final a year ago, when Matt Grzelcyk — now a senior — scored twice, including the winner. Eichel had an assist on the winning goal, his only Beanpot point.
Freshmen can have their moments. BU’s have had a lot of them this season.
“The best part is they’ve all come in and contributed, in different ways. They all have played to their strengths, they’ve given us depth. It’s nice when you bring a group in and they can all contribute,’’ Quinn said. “You don’t want to put too much pressure on your freshman class, because we believe your team’s success is always tied to your seniors and juniors. That’s how you’re able to sustain success, that’s the core of your team. Then when you get freshmen in who can contribute, then you have a chance to have something special.
“We have a great senior class, that’s for sure, but these freshmen have come in and complemented them very well.’’
Michael Whitmer can be reached at mwhitmer@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeWhitmer.
