Beanflop - Beat in Overtime

It's Beanpot time and the Terriors face the Eagles in their first game. It's exciting to enter TD Banknorth Garden on Monday night and join the BU student section, ready to root for the BU hockey team..and more importantly root against the BC hockey team. Facing our biggest rivalry makes the game all that much more interesting. The BU/BC Beanpot competition has even acquired "The B-Line Rivalry" nickname in reference to the T.

As the game begins, cheers start up. Anti-BC cheers range from "Fuck 'em up, fuck 'em up BC sucks!" to "Not from Boston!" and are shouted at almost all games, regardless of what team BU is actually playing. So at Beanpot, in direct competition, these cheers become roars. Back and forth from across the stadium fly taunts..even the bands become involved.

BU's section is much more heavily populated than that of BC. This could be because BU
has a long history of winning performances in the Beanpot, having won 24 times in the last 38 years.

Every devoted character makes its appearance in the student section. The hotdog and Jesus are mixed in the crowd, the kid that wears a red hat and starts a ton of cheers is in his usual spot down front, and the hairy Sasquatch shows up waving the flag wildly and stirring chaotic cheers. The goalie, Bennet, makes 30 saves, hailed each time by the BU crowd and each penalty period strikes up the two minute "Olay" chant.

The first period ends with BC in the lead. The second ends with BU up 3-2. In the third period the score is tied up and the teams approach overtime. Overtime begins and all eyes are glued to the puck. I hold my breath for almost every minute of it. Unfortunately BC scores and wins the game. The crowds pour out of the stadium and regardless of the disappointing and unexpected loss, BU students continue to cheer "GO BU!" and "BC sucks!"

I overhear a BC girl grumble, "We beat you..you can stop cheering now." Request neglected, the chants don't stop the whole T ride back to campus.