Broomball was never a plan or even an idea as the spring 2005 semester began. The idea was brought up more as a joke rather than an actual plan. No one would have thought that this would become the spectacle it has become today.

 

The idea of a name was more of a joke than a serious consideration. The group had become familiar with a cartoon called the Happy Tree Friends. It was a cartoon supplied by Austin Marvin during the Fall semester of 2004. When brainstorming ideas, Anthony Sikora suggested the name, and it became the first franchise name.

 

The team was formed quickly. The captains at the time were Anthony Sikora and Robert Mellon. Made up of mainly freshmen with the rare sighting of other, older players, the team was rounded off with people such as Ian Mckinny-Wood, Mike Maino, and Erin Bouwens. The goaltender at the start of the 2005 season was Monica Schumacher, who proved to be quite worthy in the opening games of the regular season.

 

Starting out the 2005 season was more of an experiment than anything else. The team played to a 0-0 tie in regulation and went into overtime without much of a plan or strategy. Within minutes, the Tree Friends were pinned in there own zone, only to let by the game winner, going down in defeat in the franchises first game 1-0.

 

The Tree Friends didn't wait long before getting the franchises first win. Sparked in the second game of the season with two goals by Captain Robert Mellon, and a superb goaltending performance by Monica Schumacher, the Tree Friends coasted to a 4-0 score and the franchises first win!

 

The Tree Friends comfortably went into the playoffs with a 3-2 regular season record, but at this point the team had taken a different look. Austin Marvin and Monica Schumacher had been removed from the roster due to personal differences, and the Tree Friends were forced to make a defensive addition who would be a mainstay for years to come. The acquisition of Jess Tamulonis to the defense helped secure the D-line infront of newly promoted goaltender Ian Mckinny-Wood.

 

The first game of the playoffs would have to be played with out team captain Robert Mellon. This was seen as no problem for the Tree Friends as superb goaltending by Mckinny-Wood, along with resilient defense from Tamulonis and goals by Anthony Sikora and Erin Bouwens helped the Tree Friends win there first franchise playoff game 2-0.

 

In the second game of the playoffs the Tree Friends took on rival Frostbite in a stand still for the first 25 minutes of the game. Both teams knotted up at 0-0, it was Mike Maino, who had not scored a goal all season, scoring to make it 1-0 in sliding fashion. With five minutes left in the game, the Tree Friends were pinned in there zone, but were secured in net by Ian Mckinny-Wood who made a great kick save as regulation winded down. The Tree Friends had won there first two playoff games, and Ian Mckinny-Wood had now gone 4 straight periods without letting up a goal in the playoffs.

 

Unfortunately, for the 2005 Tree Friends, a championship was not in the cards. They met their match in the Conference Finals to a much superior broomball team by the name of The Double Deuces. Mckinny-Wood kept his streak going strong for 5 periods, but the Deuces offense was too much of a dominant force for the Tree Friends, and Mckinny-Wood would let by his first goal of the playoffs. Twelve minutes later the Tree Friends were on the outside looking in as the Deuces celebrated there chance at the Broomball Championship.  This would be the start of a bitter rivalry that would escalate in the 2006 Broomball season.

 

 

The loss to the Deuces was still fresh in the minds of the returning Tree Friends. Unfortunately the Tree Friends struggled to score goals throughout the 2006 season. With another female addition, this being Nikki Hall, and adding another offensive threat in Adam Guenthner, the Tree Friends felt they had made a positive stride to winning. Winning was not how it started though, and for the second season in a row the Tree Friends would lose in overtime as a poorly timed line change proved to be the decider, giving the opponent an easy empty net goal.

 

Following the loss, the Tree Friends posted a 2-0 win against the Prisoners of Darkness bringing their record to 1-1. The third game of the season was against the rival Deuces. This would be their first meeting since the 2005 playoffs and both teams played a phenomenal game with good chances at both ends. Ian Mckinny-Wood played his best game as a Tree Friend, supplying a number of great saves. The Defense played a large part as well with Jess Tamulonis helping secure the defensive zone by breaking up numerous scoring opportunities. The hero on this night though was a right winger by the name of Mike Maino. Maino was able to score the only goal in this game. Truly one of the greatest moments in Franchise history, Maino helped lead the Tree Friends past the Deuces for the first time, 1-0.

 

The Tree Friends would end the season at a respectable 3-2 for the second straight season. This was thanks in large part due to Rob Mellon's game winning overtime goal in the season finale. Now it was on to the playoffs for the second straight season. Once again the Tree Friends' lack of scoring proved to be there weak point, and for the second straight week they found themselves in overtime. With a franchise record of 1-2 in overtime, the odds were unfortunately against them. Robert Mellon went out onto the ice to hopefully lead his team with some heroics again. Heroics was right, when just 1 minute into overtime Mellon was able to deke the defender on the left wing and mimic his patented back hand shot for the game winner in the seond consecutive game. The Tree Friends rushed the ice for celebration, but this year the celebration would not last.

 

In the semi-finals the Deuces were once again the Tree Friends' opponent. Only 5 minutes into the game the Deuces scored to make it 1-0. The Tree Friends were frustrated for the rest of the night as they watched the time quickly expire and there hopes for another shot at the Conference Finals evaporate. Suffering defeat at the hands of there rivals the Deuces, in consecutive seasons, the Tree Friends left the ice that night never to be called the Tree Friends again. With a lack of offense in 2006, they swore it would change for the 2007 season.