The Yukon Broomball Association got its season underway with the Bob Park Opening Tournament. Nine teams battled it out beginning on Thursday evening in hopes of raising the cup after the final game Saturday at Takhini Arena.

In the final game, Sports Experts defeated Nacho Nyak Dun, 1-0.

Sports Experts finished middle of the pack after round-robin play with a 2-2-0 record.

Experts player, Scott Smith, said the win came as a surprise to everyone on the team.

“It’s the goal when you enter it,” said Smith. “But it’s hard to know where you will end up. We were pleasantly surprised. We worked hard and the results showed.”

Smith said as the game progressed it began to get chippy.

“It was back and forth and getting a bit physical,” said Smith. “The refs tried to let us play and you’re not trying to be too rough. The demands and the emotions are high at that point and everyone is going real hard.”

The winning goal came off the broom of Antoine Dion-Lafortune in regulation time.

Smith said the team wanted to avoid overtime. In the playoffs, four of the eight games went into extra time with three of them going into double OT. In double overtime, the goalie gets pulled.

To get into the championship game, Sports Experts played the Spectrum Bears in a game that went to double overtime.

The Bears goalie had zero goals allowed throughout the Bob Park Opening Tournament.

“It’s a harsh way to go,” said Smith. “In double overtime with no goalies, it’s anybody’s game. That’s the rules.”

Smith, who coached the Yukon team that went to the world championships in Minnesota last year, said the Sports Experts team had four new players and that there is no shortage of people looking to play.

“It’s becoming a popular sport again,” said Smith. “Other people are finding out about it. There is the social draw and it gets you out during winter. There is still room for players as long as they are older than 16.”

With the new injection of players joining, Smith said all the teams are getting stronger.

Since the league is getting better still, Smith said it made winning the opening tournament that much more special.

“It was worth the pain,” said Smith. “We were ecstatic. We filled the cup a couple of times. There are very few Sports Experts etched on the cup. Not everyone can win it and get through.”

After round-robin play was completed, the Spectrum Bears entered the playoffs seeded first having gone undefeated and Ridge Pub second with a 2-1-1 record.

The Bears fell to the eventual champions. Ridge Pub was knocked out by Yukon Brewing after a lucky bounce from a shot behind the net squeaked between the goalie’s legs.

League play will begin once there is ice at the broomball arena. Those looking to learn more about broomball or want to try playing can find everything they need at yukonbroomball.net.