Quest for the Beanpot Highlights "Rivalry Week" in College Hockey

A college hockey tradition resumes today, as New England schools fight it out for a mythical crock of beans.

"The Beanpot" opens in Boston with a pair of games this afternoon. Northeastern University plays Harvard, followed by the bitter meeting of local rivals Boston College and Boston University. The winners meet next Monday for the 53rd Beanpot. As the Boston Herald reports, the Beanpot is not what it used to be, and the changes are lamented by some oldtimers. But there is still one reason to love it:

"We don't have to be called the 'Tostitos Beanpot,' " says former Harvard coach Bill Cleary. "I hope it never goes that way. It's a great amateur event. It's the best tournament of its kind."

In its tournament preview, ESPN.com notes that the Beanpot is just one of several regional rivalries to watch in NCAA hockey this week:

"Michigan and Michigan State play in the CCHA, once in Ann Arbor and once at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena. Minnesota and Wisconsin will play two games in Madison, and Maine visits New Hampshire for two. Finally, Army hosts Canada's Royal Military College in a rivalry started by Gen. Douglas MacArthur more than 80 years ago."

Beanpot Update: