Every year the wonderful people at Phi Mu put on an all night charity broomball tournament. 

This year was my first tournament appearance, but I was on a veteran team that had played in the tourney the past three years.

  However, in an effort to keep me from getting my hopes up for winning the tournament, my team informed me that every year the same team dominated it.  It was a legacy as they called it.

 The legacy known as Scott's Team was made up of former hockey players that, I assume, came to the tournament every year just to put another trophy on the wall.

Let's take a minute and step back, I'd like to lead you through the night as I saw it.  I'll give you a second hand experience of the competition the way I remember it.

9:30 p.m. --- the registration period ends, and the tournament action begins.  Scott's Team, named after their captain, was on the ice first.  Luckily for my team, the Wombats, Scott's Team was placed on the opposite end of the tournament bracket which meant that we would not have to play them until the finals, if we made it that far. 

I decided to watch their first game, but I was quickly turned off after I saw them score five unanswered goals.  My teammates were busy playing electronic catch phrase, and there was plenty of energy throughout the arena so I decided to hang out and enjoy the fun atmosphere.

11:30 p.m. --- the excitement builds as we prepare for our first game against a team called the Cosby Sweaters.  The action was intense as we played our first match.  We started out slow with neither team scoring during the first fifteen minute half. 

Eventually we slipped in a single goal and managed to shut them out 1-0.  As we walked off the ice, in a blissfully sweet victory daze, we were called immediately back for our second game.

12:15 a.m. --- we attempt to exercise some stamina in back to back games.  Our second game was against Team Swag, I spent more time picking up the all girls team and their equipment that was strewn across the ice, than I did actually trying to score.  We had a good time and won this game with no problems 8-0.

12:50 a.m. --- we find out our next game isn't until 4:00 am. so I give in and head back to my apartment to take a quick shower.  I ended up doing the worst possible thing by taking a nap waking up only 40 minutes before my next game.

3:20 a.m. --- I rush to the hockey arena with the worst feeling in my stomach, and in my groggy haze I found it hard to believe that I'd be able to play in our next game.

3:45 a.m. --- I choke down some Goldfish crackers in an attempt to calm the lion clawing through my stomach.  There were people everywhere, but the scene has changed since the early hours of the tournament. 

Some people were fast asleep in sleeping bags, others were barely awake nodding in and out of consciousness, and still others were on the ice playing games in both the toilet bowl (the loser's bracket) as well as the winner's bracket.

4:00 a.m. --- we face our first real challenge against the Girls Hockey Team and Friends.  I think their team name is pretty self-explanatory so I'll move on to the game. 

These girls could really handle themselves on the ice, which isn't that surprising, even though they were wearing shoes instead of ice-skates.  My team showed some real enthusiasm, and the game was just the thing to tame the lion in my stomach.  We really came together winning the semi-final matchup 2-0. 

5:00 a.m. --- we await our final game Scott's Team is the only obstacle left on the horizon.  I can tell my team is nervous, but we have all seen this final battle coming since the beginning of the night. 

We watch as Scott's team wins their semi-final game with no problems.  Cross your fingers and hope for the underdog.

6:15 a.m. --- the championship games for both the toilet bowl and the winner's bracket begin.  Our hopes were high as we started off the game, but we were quickly put in our place as Scott's team put in a hard slap shot with one of their duct tape modified brooms. 

It was the first goal scored on us all night, but believe me Scott's team was not done scoring.  They swept us away like crumbs on the floor.  Unlike the movies, it's pretty hard for a team to beat another team that is ten times better.  I forget the final score but let's just call it a lot-0. 

6:45 a.m. --- they begin to award the winners trophies.  To the winner of the toilet bowl went a bedazzled toilet seat, and to the winner of the winner's bracket, which was Scott's Team, went a shiny trophy.  Like good losers, my team and I high-tailed it home so we could get some sleep.

At the tournament's end it had raised $1500 in proceeds for the Children's Miracle Network, and it provided a night of entertainment for hundreds of students and community members.  It was an excellent time and I would be willing to do it again in a heartbeat.  I recommend this tournament to anyone, and I hope more people choose to enter the tourney next year.

By Dan Syckle