Per usual, I’m all over the Beanpot like wanna-be rock stars up on MySpace. Catch my extensive overview of Beanpot Players to Watch on Beantown Athletic Supporters. Tonight, I’ll be live tweeting for BU Today along with several of my co-workers and students, and you’ll also be able to catch my reports direct from Twitter.

Later this week, I’ll be profiling the Charity Beanpot Challenge, a game featuring Beanpot alumni and supporting the Travis Roy and Mark Bavis Foundations.

Happy Beanpot Monday!

Well, that all changes tonight, because here at …On Being a Sports Girl, we have determined an 2009 Unofficial Beanpot All Tournament Team. I consulted with my dear reader Scott, my fellow Terrier blogger Joe of Let’s Go Terriers, and my Twitter followers for input on who should make up such a team. Ground rules: Nick Bonino and Brad Thiessen were inelgible because they won the MVP and Eberly; there has to be a representative from each school; and I’m going to name eight team members because…well, because it’s my blog and I can if I want to.

So, without further adieu, may I present to you the 2009 …On Being a Sports Girl Unofficial Beanpot All Tournament Team:

Pier-Olivier Michaud, Harvard Michaud was an unanimous selection by Joe, Scott and I. Scott gave great reasoning for Michaud’s inclusion: “He scored the game-tying goal flying in the face of momentum with only a few minutes left in the third in the Opening Round against BU, and he scores Harvard’s first two goals and assists on their third in a game that should have gone into overtime had Harvard not been asleep and already planning on sudden death when BC scored their winning goal in the consolation game.”

Also, I think Michaud has an awesome name. That name either screams hockey player, pairs figure skater, or sculptor.

Photo used via Creative Commons license from Blast magazine

A-Number-Twenty-One….I mean Jason Lawrence, BU Hey, I’m biased – if you read this blog on a regular basis, it’s as clear as ice that JLo is my favorite Terrier, and has been for years. But Joe and Scott both agreed that Lawrence deserved a place on an all-tourney team, and some out in the blogosphere are claiming that he could have easily been named tournament MVP.  He scored both BU game-winning goals, and easily played two of his best games of his collegiate career. Besides his game-winners, he made a few solid defensive plays throughout Monday night as well, and was a danger to score anytime he got in vicinity of Hoyle or Thiessen. In his career, Lawrence has scored three Beanpot game-winning goals, and also is on the record books for scoring the most points during the 2006 tournament as a freshman.

Benn Ferriero, BC Sure, this wasn’t BC’s tournament, and they definitely didn’t show up last Monday evening against Northeastern. But I can’t not include an Eagle, especially one who scored two goals in the consolation game.

Chris Donovan, NU He went to town last Monday, and while he didn’t have any points in the championship game, his output against BC alone ties him with Ferriero for a spot on an-all tourney team.

Matt Gilroy, BU Joe, Scott, and quite a few Twitterers insisted on Gilroy, whose leadership skills shine as much as his abilities at the blue line. What can we say about Gilroy that hasn’t been said?

Kevin Shattenkirk, BU Shattenkirk was a Scott and Joe selection.  Again, I’ll let Scott do the explaining on this pick: “Shattenkirk’s confidence and skills that allow him to pinch in the offensive blue line even when a man down along with the same from (Brian) Strait is what accounted for BU to be able to score three short handed goals last night.”

David Strathman, NU This junior defenseman was all over the ice both Mondays, getting helpers and making life just overall difficult for BU and BC. He definitely tries to make Thiessen’s game easier.

Kieran Milan, BU The nerves that showed themselves against Harvard had disspated against Northeastern. In the third period, my favorite Dolph-fan, who was sitting in front of me, turned around and said, “This is just like Curry.” It was indeed. Milan is fun to watch, and is only getting better with confidence and expierence. I won’t argue that Thiessen didn’t deserve the Eberly – he definitely did, and even with his loss last night, I still think he is currently the best goalie in college hockey – but Milan is slowly and surely making a name for himself, and his Beanpot performance only helped that.

I know several of you out there will not agree with these selections, and if you don’t, please give me your selections in the comments below.  And yes, I know these selections are heavily leaning towards BU – most of whom I polled were BU or Harvard fans, so it is a bit biased.  But no attacks on any player or team please – just make your case for your all-tournament team selections without getting too mean.

The rest of Boston is off to inexplicably jump on the Northeastern University bandwagon – which makes me angry, because if the Beanpot is quintessentially Boston, why are Bostonians openly rooting against a team with 10 players with Boston ties, including 4 on the top line alone? Does that make any sense? You want to openly root against guys who have dreamed of Beanpot glory since they knew what ice skates were?

I’ll be live tweeting from the Garden again, and I promise to do a far better job than last weeks debacle, where I spent most of the third period covering my face. I’ll start with the Boston College – Harvard University matchup at 5pm because I’ll use any excuse to spend more time in the TDBanknorth Garden (I have a thing for arenas) and because I want to see Harvard freshman goalie Matt Hoyle again in an unbiased atmosphere. Hoyle faced 50 shots and saved 45 of them against Yale on Friday night, and Harvard still lost 5-1. I think Hoyle might be the real deal for Harvard, yet unfortunately, the rest of his team can’t get things together.

If you enjoy hockey of any kind, I implore you to follow the Northeastern – BU game. This is arguably the biggest game in college hockey yet this year, and already is the most highly anticipated college hockey game I have ever experienced.

But enough about my political thoughts.  I come to you today with links to articles that also have nothing to do with politics, because there will be a point sometime on Tuesday where you are going to want to bang your head against the wall if you hear one more iota about the election:

-Julie Robenhymer, from Hockey Buzz.com has fallen hard for the Boston University men’s hockey team. I love this article because she talks about the sense of team that has really seemed to form this year.

-”I claim voter fraud.” announced my partner-in-crime (aka the fiance) this evening.  “There is no way a team needs overtime to beat Merrimack and still stays in second place in the national polls.”  Chalk it up to a national championship boost for Boston College, as they are held up above BU in today’s polls (Colorado College stays in first.)  Boston College goalie John Muse has weaknesses – it’s just going to take a UNH, BU or Northeastern to expose them fully (NU already has.) I also would have flip-flopped Northeastern and Princeton at spots 9 and 10, because I’m wicked scared of NU this year.  Brad Theissen is too good, almost Curry-esque.

-I think I’m going to forgo the whole buying a Trent Edwards jersey/t-shirt, and just ask for a Ryan Miller shirt for the holidays.  Miller from my parents, and a Phil Kessel t-shirt from the fiance.  They are my two favorite NHL hockey players, and I seriously lack NHL wear. I’ll wear a Bruins shirt for non-Sabres related Bruins games, and the Miller when I’m back in Western New York and when the Sabres play the Bruins.  Is this wrong?

-If Bill Simmons doesn’t want his job, may I have it? Seriously, I don’t understand what’s going on between Simmons and ESPN, and I don’t even think I want to know.  His NFL picks are one of the only regular columns I and many others read on the site (along with anything Bucci), and for ESPN to forego publishing it is questionable. Did Simmons miss a deadline or submit something not up to par?

-Everyone’s Favorite Goalie continues his winning ways with a 5-4 win over the Houston Aeros. John Curry made 34 saves in the 4-3 win.  It’ll be interesting to see if they start a goalie rotation between him and former Rochester American Adam Berkhoel, who showed a lot of spark in the games he filled in for Curry.

-Two fun t-shirt retailers from my old and new homes: Buffalo Sports Tees (gotta love the “Remember the Aud” tee) and CPR Gear (fun and catchy shirts for New England sports fans.)

-Last, but certainly not least – I am looking for a few folks to interview for my new stint over at Examiner Boston.  The groups of interviewees I am looking for:

• those of you who play both lacrosse and hockey, for an article on the correlation between the two sports
• parents of lacrosse players, specifically in the New England area, for a series of pieces on getting your child involved in lacrosse.

Interviews will take place over email, and will be three to four questions at most.  Email me at sportsgirlkat AT gmail DOT com if you are willing to help out.

Sports fans, I’m with you on Election Day.  Keep fighting the good fight, and don’t get bogged down with Election Central on every station if you can help it.