Junior goaltender Laura Bellamy, shown here in last year’s Beanpot, struggled to prevent a strong, physical BU team from finding the back of the net, as the Crimson fell, 5-2, on Tuesday night.

BOSTON, Mass.—The No. 7/8 Harvard women’s hockey team lost, 5-2, to Boston University on Tuesday at the Walter Brown Arena in Boston, Massachusetts.

The Crimson fell short in the final round of the Beanpot last season and was looking to get off to a strong start in the first round of the Beanpot against a quality opponent.

“It’s a pride game—there is no question about it,” Harvard coach Katey Stone said.

The Terriers (15-12-1, 9-7 WHEA) were seeking to end a 31-year Beanpot tropy drought, while the Crimson  (14-7-1, 11-4-1 ECAC) was looking to add number 14 to its collection of tournament wins.

Harvard’s hopes for a title were rocked early, as BU got off to a fast start and controlled the puck for a majority of the opening minutes.

After Terriers freshman Caroline Campbell earned a penalty for tripping, Harvard looked poised to take advantage of the opportunity.

But BU stayed aggressive. Senior Tara Watchorn got control of the puck in the Crimson zone and slid it to junior Jill Cordella, who fired a shot past Harvard goaltender junior Laura Bellamy through the five hole to give the Terriers a 1-0 advantage just over six minutes into the contest.

“I think we were out of sync a bit at the beginning of the game with personnel, and that shorthanded goal takes the wind out of your sails a bit,” Stone said. “Also, BU did an excellent job of killing penalties all night.”

Then the Crimson got sloppy and started committing penalties. Junior Kelsey Romatoski went to the box for slashing, and freshman Sarah Edney  joined her for tripping only 63 seconds later, giving Harvard the tough task of killing a 5-on-3 power play.

The Crimson initially did a good job of limiting BU’s shots. But shortly after Romatoski’s return, Harvard faced another setback when junior Josephine Pucci was called for body checking.

The Terriers were able to control the puck on the long 5-on-3 and swing it around the perimeter, looking for opportunities. One opened as senior Kasey  Boucher shuffled a pass to sophomore Kaleigh Fratkin who fired a well-placed slap shot past Bellamy’s left shoulder into the goal.

The score gave BU a 2-0 lead with seven minutes remaning in the opening frame.

The Crimson seemed to be off to a better start in the second period, but the Terriers controlled the puck early and sophomore Marie-Phillip Poulin made it a three-goal game off a well placed backhand after a pass from sophomore Louise Warren.

BU was able to stretch the lead when junior Isabel Menard rifled a shot past Bellamy on the left side of the goal, giving the Terriers a dominant 4-0 lead with just under two minutes remaining in the second period.