CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – For the 47
th time in program history, the Harvard women's ice hockey team will Battle for the Beanpot against its Boston-based rivals. The Crimson (9-8-1 5-6-1 ECAC) will begin its chase for the Dunkin' Women's Beanpot title when it takes on the Boston College Eagles (9-11-1, 7-5-1 HEA) in the semifinal round at Walter Brown Arena on the campus of Boston University on Tuesday (Jan. 13) at 4:30 PM.
The Battle for Boston
Beanpot season is officially here as Harvard and the three other Boston-based schools are set to hit the ice at Walter Brown Arena this Tuesday (Jan. 13) for the semifinal round of the 2026 Dunkin' women's Beanpot Tournament. The Crimson will take on the Boston College Eagles in the first round of the tournament with the puck set to drop at 4:30 PM. The winner of the game will move on to the Championship game at TD Garden next Tuesday (Jan. 20) to meet the winner of the BU-Northeastern game which is set for 8:00 PM on Tuesday (Jan. 13). All the action from the Beanpot will air live on NESN.
Last Time Out
The Crimson is coming off a weekend split against Brown and No. 14 Yale in what was an action-packed weekend of hockey at Bright-Landry. In the Friday tilt against the Bears, Harvard posted a thrilling overtime win after
Emi Biotti scored the game-winning-goal as time expired to give the Crimson a 2-1 result.
Ainsley Tuffy recorded another win after making 35 saves in the contest.
In the second game of the weekend, Harvard went toe-to-toe with No. 14 Yale in what became a track meet. The teams raced up and down the ice trading shots before the Bulldogs eventually scored the game-winning-goal with under four minutes remaining. Annie Dinges and
Elle Sproule scored the goals for Harvard, who moved to 9-8-1 on the season with the results.
Series History Against Boston College
- Harvard leads in the all-time series against Boston College with a 42-24-2 record.
- The series is tied 4-4-1 in the last nine meetings dating back to 2018-19.
- The sides have met in the Beanpot third-place game in each of the last two season, winning the first matchup in a shootout – the game finished in a 2-2 tie - before falling in last year's meeting, 1-4.
- Harvard owns a 18-12-1 advantage against Boston College in the Beanpot.
Player History in the Beanpot
- Three active Harvard skaters enter the Beanpot with points.
- Angelica Megdanis scored a memorable goal in last year's semifinal at BU, the first goal of her career.
- Brooke Manning and Kaley MacDonald both own assists in their Beanpot careers.
- Ainsley Tuffy (3.57 GAA, .900 SVP) and Emily Davidson (2.12 GAA, .957 SVP) have each played in two Beanpot games. Davidson earned the win against Boston College in the 2023-24 Beanpot.
Scouting Boston College
- The Boston College Eagles head into the 2026 Beanpot with a 9-11-1 record and a 7-5-1 mark in Hockey East play. The Eagles have posted a 2-5-0 record in non-conference games this season and a 5-7-1 mark away from Conte Forum.
- The team's best results this season have been wins against No. 8 UConn (2-1, Nov. 8) and St. Lawrence (3-2 (OT), Nov. 28). The Eagles have dropped their past five games dating back to Nov. 29.
- As a team, BC is being outscored by opponents 61-45 and outshot at a clip of 36.8-29.5. The team's powerplay ranks 34th in the nation with a success rate of 11.9-percent and its penalty kill ranks 11th nationally with a 85.7-percent kill rate.
- First-year forward, Ava Thomas, is having a strong first collegiate season, posting 25 points with 12 goals and 13 assists to lead the team in all three categories.
- Grace Campbell is the Eagles' leader between the pipes, posting a 2.7 GAA and a .926 save percentage in 21 games this season.
Biotti Beats the Buzzer
First-year defender
Emi Biotti scored the latest game-winning goal in Harvard Women's Ice Hockey history on Friday night, beating the buzzer and putting the puck in the back of the net with just 0.2 second remaining in overtime against Brown (Jan. 9). It was Biotti's third goal of the season and sent Harvard off with its first win over Brown in four years.
Success at the Friendship Series
Harvard is coming off a stellar run at the 2026 Friendship Series in Belfast, Northern Ireland this past weekend. It was the Crimson's first ever appearance in the event that saw four teams compete for the Belpot Trophy at SSE Arena, the home of the Belfast Giants (EIHL).
The Crimson was matched up against No. 5 Minnesota Duluth in the first-round game on Friday (Jan. 2) that saw over 3,000 fans pour into the arena to cheer on the teams. After memorable goals from
Kate Kasica – her first career goal that came short-handed – and
Ella Lucia, Harvard found itself tied with the national power, Duluth at the end of regulation. Carla McSweeneny broke the tied with under a minute left in overtime to send the Crimson to the finals with one of the biggest upset wins the program has had in the past 10 years.
Ainsley Tuffy posted 55 saves – the third most in a game in program history and the most by a goalie in a winning effort in team history – to stonewall the Bulldogs and earn the ranked win.
In the final against BU, the Crimson battled against its Beanpot rival for 60 minutes, falling just short in a 2-3 defeat.
Carla McSweeney struck again in the championship game and
Elle Sproule also scored a goal in the matchup to aid the Harvard offense.
Taking Home ECAC Weekly Awards
For her spectacular play in net, sophomore goaltender,
Ainsley Tuffy earned the ECAC's MAC Goaltending Goalie of the Week award on Jan. 5. The sixth weekly award for the Crimson this season, Tuffy earned the nomination after posting a 55-save win over No. 5 Minnesota Duluth in the Friendship Series Semifinal (Jan. 2). It is the first ECAC weekly honor in Tuffy's career and the first Goaltender of the Week award since
Emily Davidson in the 2024-25 season.
Standing Tall
The Crimson defense has been outstanding in 18 games played this season, allowing just 38 goals and holding opponents to just 2.1 goals per game. That number makes Harvard the 14th best scoring defense in the NCAA heading into the week. The defense has allowed two or fewer goals in 11 of 18 games and has secured three shutouts on the year.
Off to a stellar start in the 2025-26 season, Tuffy ranks first nationally with a .953 save percentage in her seven starts. She has allowed two or fewer goals in six of her seven starts and ranks 8th in the nation with a 1.691 GAA.
Tuffy put together one of the best goaltending performances in Harvard Women's Ice Hockey history this past Friday (Jan. 2) against the No. 5 University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. The Duxbury native made 55 saves – the third most in a single game in program history – to stump the national power and lead Harvard to a 3-2 victory in the Friendship Series semifinal. The effort saw her make 23 saves in the third period which is the most saves in a period by a Harvard goaltender since at least the 1981-82 season.
The sophomore netminder finished the weekend with 80 saves, a .941 save percentage and just five goals allowed in the Friendship Series Tournament.
Down a Skater, Up for the Challenge
The Harvard penalty kill has been on an excellent run this season, stopping opponents on 36-of-42 penalties. The team's penalty killing percentage of .857 ranks fourth in the ECAC heading into the week. The Crimson had a season-best 16-kill streak snapped against Brown on Nov. 15.
Youth Movement
The Crimson offensive resurgence has been led by its undergraduate players, who account for 74 of the teams 112 points this season. Harvard's undergraduate points percentage of 66 is the highest in the ECAC after passing St. Lawrence (63-percent) and Brown (61-percent) last semester.
Nine of the team's 11 points in win over Maine were scored by undergraduate players which was the most points by the group in a game this season.
The Crimson Climb
The Crimson showed rapid improvement from its 2024-25 season in just the first semester of 2025-26. The team posted seven wins, which tied the program's wins total from the last two seasons combined. Harvard also scored 36 goals in the first semester schedule which was more than the team's 2024-25 season total of 35 goals.
Lucia Leading the Way
Sophomore center,
Ella Lucia, kicked it into high gear in her second season with the Crimson, leading the team with 11 points through 18 games. A Michigan native, Lucia has notched seven points in her last ten games and secured a point in each game of the Friendship Series.
McClutch
One of the hottest players in the ECAC heading into the weekend,
Carla McSweeney lived up to her "McClutch" nickname in the Friendship Series, scoring the game-winning goal against No. 5 Minnesota Duluth in the semifinal round of the tournament. Already her second game-winner of the season, her first came in the final minutes of the team's contest against New Hampshire (Oct. 18) on opening weekend.
A Chicago native, McSweeney's goal scoring ability has made an immediate impact on the Crimson. She currently leads the team with six goals on the year and just had a six-game point streak snapped in the contest against Yale (Jan. 10). It was the longest first-year point streak for the Crimson since Kristin Della Rovere '23 in the 2018-19 season.
Keeping it Clean
One of the least penalized teams in college hockey, the Crimson is averaging less than six penalty minutes per game this season. At 5.22 penalty minutes per game, Harvard's total is third-fewest in the NCAA and its total of 94 penalty minutes is the lowest in the nation.
