BU crowd

You know it’s the day of the Beanpot when, after the automated voice over the intercom on the outbound B-line train informs riders of its terminus at Boston College, most passengers scream “SUCKS!!!” at once.

You know it’s the day of the Beanpot when an underdog Harvard squad jumps out to a 2-zip lead in the second period over the premiere team in the tournament — perhaps in the country — Boston University, and plants a seed of doubt in the minds of Terrier fans.

You know it’s the day of the Beanpot when Northeastern fans outnumber and outperform the Harvard faithless — a full two hours before the Huskies would take the ice against Boston College. 

And finally, you know it’s the day of the Beanpot when you start making plans for where to meet before next Monday’s game. As is usually the case, BU won its opening round match-up to advance to the Beanpot final next week with the chance to win title No. 29.  This is the 57th year of the tournament.  Do the math. There’s a reason some have nicknamed the tournament the BU Invitational.

Two Mondays in the dead of winter should not be this exciting. 

A sea of Scarlet and White Terriers jerseys filled 10 sections of the balcony at TD Banknorth Garden late Monday afternoon, as fans occupied seats typically reserved for Celtics and Bruins aficionados. As the afternoon turned to early evening, the tide turned for the Terriers as two third-period goals lifted BU to victory.

You can find plenty of game stories online, so I won’t waste your time with yet another.  Instead, let me take you inside the Garden, and inside the BU student experience at the annual tournament.

In addition to the action on the ice, there’s another high-level competition going on in the stands. As you can see from the accompanying picture, the Terriers travel well.  And by travel, I mean walking maybe 40 seconds to the nearest B-line stop for a half-hour train ride downtown. 

Once we take our seats at the Garden, we sit and wait for Harvard fans to show up.  We wait some more.  Then we think that Northeastern followers read the schedule wrong. The Huskies play the Eagles at 8 p.m., not the Terriers at 5 p.m. But the Northeastern fans are ready, even if those in Crimson aren’t. When Harvard scores a goal halfway through the first period, virtual silence shakes the foundation of the building.  When Harvard scores in the second frame, increasing their lead, Huskies fans pick up the slack in the balcony.

Where else can Northeastern students do something better than those Harvard brainiacs?

After the game, it’s a guarantee that you will be crammed into a T with your fellow Comm. Ave. denizens, from North Station to Blandford Street and beyond.  Terrier fans actually hijack the train for that ride — and it’s like the game never ended.  Chants and ridiculing BC continues. 

This year, however, BC is not the subject of our vitriol (or at least the main subject). Instead it’s the Huskies of Huntington Avenue. Northeastern is hungry. Last year the Huskies lost to Harvard in a first-round upset. 

NU is ranked third in the country and beat BC, 6-1, in the nightcap Monday.  The title game next week now pits No. 1 BU against No. 3 NU, which means the cheering sections have fewer than seven days to create clever material for the battle of the balcony.

It’s the Dog Pound (BU) versus the Dog House (NU), and some of the classics are sure to surface. 

When NU asks:  “Where’s your cam-pus?!?”

BU answers: “Five-year pro-gram!” (OK, so that doesn’t exactly answer the question…)

NU responds: “BU foot-ball!” 

BU answers: “Un-de-fea-ted!” 

This is nice and all, but it’s time for some fresh stuff. 

Northeastern came up with a new one for ‘09. It plays off the Subway commercial:

“Five.”

“Five year.”

“Five year prograaaaaam.”

Not only does Northeastern claim new material, but in a clear act of war, its band played BU’s signature victory song, “Hey Baby (Won’t you be My Girl).”

It’s time we step up our (off-ice) game. If you’ve got some suggestions, please add them below.

And if things go well where it really matters, next Monday and beyond, the BU train could roll all the way along to the Dog Pound & friends’ much-preferred destination:  the Frozen Four. 

I can think of some better suffixes to attach to this final stop.