One of the signature events on the New England calendar is here.
February means it’s men’s Beanpot time.
The 73rd edition of the tournament takes center stage at TD Garden over the next two weeks. This semifinal round on Feb. 2 has Boston College taking on Harvard before Boston University defends its title against Northeastern. The winners and losers of the two semifinal games will face off a week later.
With local talent dotting all four teams’ rosters, here are 13 former New England prep standouts to watch.
Joe Connor
Northeastern | Sophomore | Forward
Hometown: Nottingham, N.H.
Connor has been a go-to man for the Huskies, trailing only Dylan Hryckowian on the team in goals with eight while totaling 17 points in 24 games. The ex-Avon Old Farms star has been especially consistent since mid-November, marking the scoresheet in 10 of the last 15 games. He won an Elite 8 title with Avon Old Farms in 2023.
READ MORE:Â The latest boys prep rankings
Griffin Erdman
Northeastern | Sophomore | Forward
Erdman, who prepped for a season at Deerfield, has been a productive bottom-six forward for the Huskies despite their 2-6-0 skid. He has five goals and 10 points this season, with three of those goals coming in the last five games.
Richard Gallant
Harvard | Freshman | Forward
Hometown: Concord, Mass.
The former St. Mark’s star and San Jose Sharks prospect has made an immediate impact at Harvard, recently teaming up on a line with classmate Heikki Ruohonen — a World Junior player for Finland — and senior captain Joe Miller. He has five goals and 11 points in 21 games.
Lukas Gustafsson
Boston College | Senior | Defenseman
A former Cushing captain who is also donning a ‘C’ this season, Gustafsson is one of the Eagles’ most reliable defensemen, averaging over 22 minutes per game and ranking second among all Hockey East blueliners with 59 shots on goal. The Georgia native had two goals and seven assists in 16 games before the holiday break, but got back onto the scoresheet with two helpers last Saturday at New Hampshire.
Dylan Hryckowian
Northeastern | Junior | Forward
Looking to win his second Beanpot after helping Salisbury to a New England championship as a prep player, Hryckowian is the leading scorer in all of Hockey East with 31 points (1.29 per game). He has points in 11 of his last 13 games and goals in three of the last five, reaching the 100-point plateau for his career in the Huskies’ Friday overtime loss at UMass. His 14 goals were tied for second in the league after that game.
Ben Merrill
Boston University | Freshman | Forward
Hometown: Hingham, Mass.
A three-year player at St. Sebastian’s on his way to Commonwealth Avenue, Merrill has provided a presence in his first year as a Terrier — and not just with his 6-foot-4, 200-pound size. He has four goals and 10 points in 23 games. Working in roles up and down the lineup, he has seen time with star sophomore Cole Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass.) in recent games.
Landan Resendes
Boston College | Freshman | Forward
Hometown: Marlborough, Mass.
A competitive player who has carved out a regular role on the Eagles’ third and fourth lines, Resendes has two goals and five points in 23 games. Despite his ice time being more limited in a talented BC lineup, he is averaging two shots per game to rank fifth on the team in that category. The 5-foot-10 forward was one of New England’s leading prep scorers with 27 goals as a junior at Cushing.
READ MORE: Our boys prep midseason report
Nick Roukounakis
Boston University | Sophomore | Forward
Hometown: Pembroke, Mass.
The 6-foot-2, 231-pound Thayer product has had to work his way into the lineup during his career as a Terrier thus far. He emerged as a staple in the Terrier lineup during the second half of last season, but didn’t debut until Nov. 15 this year. Coach Jay Pandolfo’s move to insert Roukounakis has paid off, as he has notched a career-high four goals and six points in 15 games since returning.
Lucas St. Louis
Harvard | Sophomore | Defenseman
Hometown: Old Greenwich, Conn.
Formerly an All-New England prep player at Brunswick, St. Louis leads the Crimson with a plus-5 rating and ties for second on the team with nine assists. He made plays in late-game situations throughout last month, dishing three of his last four helpers in the third period.
Casey Severo
Harvard | Senior | Forward
After leading the Crimson with 16 goals last season, Severo has a team-high eight among his 14 points this time around. The Nobles alum has been a major factor in key situations, scoring four goals on the power play and three as eventual game-winners. He has assists in two of his last three games.
Teddy Stiga
Boston College | Sophomore | Forward
Hometown: Sudbury, Mass.
Though he hasn’t produced at the same clip as last season, Stiga remains a key piece to the Eagles’ lineup with four goals and 14 points in 19 games. However, the one-time Belmont Hill player sat out Friday’s rivalry game at BU with an injury and looks to return to the lineup. In his first Beanpot game last year, he posted a goal and an assist against Northeastern.
Philip Tresca
Harvard | Senior | Forward
Hometown: Newton, Mass.
Much like his 50-point junior season at Rivers, Tresca has broken out in his final college season with seven goals and 16 points through 20 games. He sits as the team’s second-leading scorer, playing on a line with Severo and team-leading scorer Mick Thompson. His totals to date exceed those of his junior year (12 points) and his two underclass seasons combined (15 points).
READ MORE: Top boys prep performers from Jan. 21-27
Will Vote
Boston College | Junior | Forward
Hometown: Arlington, Mass.
The Dexter Southfield product has formed great chemistry on a line with breakout sophomore Dean Letourneau of late, topping his previous career-high point total by six with 19 points in 23 games. He scored a natural hat trick last Saturday at New Hampshire and set up the 2024 Bruins first-round draft pick with a nifty assist from behind the net in a 4-1 Friday win at Boston University.
