Beanpot Final Extra Special for Terriers' Local Stars
February 8, 2026 | Men's Ice Hockey
by Scott Weighart, GoTerriers.com
BOSTON – For the college hockey community in New England, it doesn't get much better than a Boston University–Boston College Beanpot championship game.
Unless, of course, you grew up around Boston and now have a chance to take the ice at TD Garden with the possibility of hoisting the hefty trophy.
That's what awaits the Terriers' Massachusetts natives on the BU roster—all of whom grew up within an hour of Causeway Street, enjoying ample opportunities to watch from the stands.
Sophomore Nick Roukounakis is from Pembroke on the South Shore of Boston. "I remember pretty vivid memories," the burly winger recalled after Friday's 3-2 overtime win against Maine. "Not exactly of the game so much but going out for pizza on Comm Ave, taking the T down to the rink with my dad and my dad's buddies when I was probably nine years old. I don't remember too much of the game, but I remember walking in and out of the rink a little bit, so it's pretty cool."
After missing the early part of the season due to injury, Roukounakis has had quite a literal impact on the lineup since getting healthy, dishing out big hits and shielding the puck while powering behind the opposing net with his big body. In recent weeks, he and his linemates - freshmen Jonathan Morello and Ryder Ritchie - have been the team's standout trio in several games.
"I think we all bring a little bit of something different," Roukounakis said. "Ritchie's got that skill that we need; he can find guys anywhere. And then Mo just has that unlimited motor. I think we cause some chaos when we're on the ice. We like playing in the o-zone, we have a good compete and good things happen."
Good things certainly happened in last week's opening-round win over Northeastern. With his team down 2-1 in the second period, Roukounakis skated in and sniped a shot that beat Husky goaltender Lawton Zacher for the tying goal.
Was that his hockey highlight of a lifetime to date?
"It's definitely up there," Roukounakis acknowledged. "It was pretty surreal. I mean, you go to those games as a kid growing up, especially with my dad. When I scored, the first guy I actually saw in the stands was him celebrating, so it was a pretty cool experience."
When it comes to the Beanpot, the left winger has perhaps the most startling stats on the team. In just three career Beanpot games, he has one goal and three assists thus far - over a point a game. In his other 35 collegiate games, he has just eight points total.
"Yeah, it's been good to me," Roukounakis. "It's pretty much everything you dream of coming, especially coming to BU. With the rivalry with BC, it could be it could be a game at Wally B in October, and it would still be exciting, but it just adds that much more being at the Garden: the rivalry from last year, they're going to be looking for revenge; we're hungry to bring it back again. It's going to be exciting."
While Roukounakis already had a sense of what to expect from last season, freshman winger Ben Merrill - another South Shore native from Hingham - got to fulfill the dream of playing in a Beanpot for the first time last Monday.
"Yeah, I'd say I've been to a lot of Beanpot games," Merrill said. "The first one was when Northeastern and Adam Gaudette won it. That was probably my first memory of a championship."
The fact that Monday represents the 300th game in the storied "Battle of Comm Ave" rivalry only makes it better for Merrill.
"Being from here, I've been able to go to a lot of those games, so I know how iconic they are, how much energy it brings. Just the fact that it's against BC, 300th game, that'll be real special. There's a lot on the line here for sure."
Merrill has been everything the Terrier coaches could have hoped for this season. Starting off on the fourth line, he has consistently brought energy, tenacity, size and penalty-killing prowess to the lineup. More recently, he has seen a healthy amount of time on the first and second lines, even getting a good number of power-play minutes. Wherever he lands on the lineup, he tries to stick to his identity as a player.
"Just that competitive edge I bring and the big body I have, I've just got to keep that play up and stick to my game; don't try to make plays like some of the other guys can. For me personally, just be hard and heavy, quick on pucks and go to the net."
What would it mean for Merrill to take a lap with the trophy on Monday night?
"Oh, everything. All the boys said they'll never forget it from last year. I'm really excited."
Playing in this year's Beanpot is extra special for junior Mick Frechette, who grew up closest to Boston in the town of Weston. Although this is his third year on the roster, this is the first time he has earned a spot in the lineup for the Beanpot. It's the culmination of a long and special journey for him.
"I don't remember specific dates or times, but I definitely would go," Frechette said of his childhood Beanpot memories. "My dad, my brother, occasionally my sisters, we would always go, and we had a blast going. It was always looking around and being in awe.
"Then later I went to Dexter Southfield (in nearby Brookline) for high school, so we would always run over from practice, the whole team. That was when I was wondering if it would ever be a possibility to play in it, and for a while it felt like it wouldn't. It was really special for me, and I smile looking back with all my buddies being a part of that atmosphere and getting to watch it. Now getting to play in it is really special for me."
That appeared to be a longshot back in early October.
"It definitely wasn't a lock," Frechette recalled. "We were a really talented team, and we had seven drafted D to start the year. I always believed in my game and where I stacked up, especially being here a couple of years, knowing our system, knowing what our coaches need from us night in and night out."
Hard work over the summer made a big impact. "I got a lot stronger, faster, my puck play got a lot better, and I focused on a lot of things and I just came in with, 'Let's go earn it; let's give the coaches no choice about playing me,' and that materialized."
Indeed, when the Terriers suffered through all too many defensive breakdowns - as well as some injuries to their forwards - in the fall semester, Frechette got his opportunity and never looked back. He has been a stabilizing force on the blue line and even played a handful of games on the wing.
BU has always been a meritocracy. Every year, the team brings in high draft picks and others with gaudy junior credentials. In the end, though, everyone has to earn the right to stay in the lineup. Over the decades, that happened most notably for walk-ons like goaltender John Curry and eventual Hobey Baker winner Matt Gilroy. Now it's happening for Roukounakis and Frechette, the only two skaters playing for BU Monday night who were not drafted when eligible.
"You've got to come in and earn it no matter who you are, and that was my goal," Frechette said. "Just to earn it."
The hard-earned journey to the Beanpot lineup sunk in early last Monday.
"Getting to be out there, doing warmups, obviously I was nervous," Frechette said. "I've gotten to play in some big-time games this year at MSG and things like that, but there's nothing like the Beanpot. I remember during warmups skating around: I had a smile on my face at times, just trying to enjoy it, not letting my emotions get too high and just playing my game."
The smile should be even wider on Monday night.
"I actually got a text in my family group chat about this being the 300th game," Frechette said. "My brother texted, '300th game, Beanpot final. It doesn't get much better than that!'
"It's going to be pretty special for all of us."
