By: Tara Goodfellow
The golden Snitch was released, the Quaffles were tossed back and forth amongst team members to try to score a goal, and bludgers were hurled at the opposing team, to knock them off their brooms. Algonquin’s Quidditch team played Carleton University and the University of Ottawa’s Quidditch teams for the very first time Oct. 20 on Carleton’s Anniversary Field. Several games were played for each team to have a match against each other.
The game, Quidditch, based on the wizarding sport from the world of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter, is very similar to rugby, with the exception of the players running around with brooms between their legs and also similar to football as they’re shooting the Quaffles through the hoops.
“Go in fast, get the ball, keep the other team close and rolling it in, shoulders down, keep a tight game,” said Karl-Denis Allard-Turootte, an Algonquin player about the strategies his team is working on.
“I’m kind of excited to see what my team’s gonna look like at the end.”
Tackling, sliding, rolling and diving to the ground, the white and green uniforms of Algonquin’s Quidditch team was quickly covered in mud. The mud was flying soon after the first game started.
The team, held their own considering this was their first real Quidditch match playing against more experienced teams and Ontario’s ranking second best; Carleton University’s Quidditch team.
“I think we’re doing very, very well,” said Katie Smit, a first-year library and information technician student. “I heard we scared the other teams with our violence.”
Algonquin players were not shy of grabbing their opponents and taking them down in order to get the quaffle. They played rough and did not back down on the Quidditch field as they ran around on their brooms, scoring goals and taking their opponents down.
The first game was lost to Carleton University.
“First game we lost unfortunately, but the last game we won against U of O,” said Brandon Armstrong, an Algonquin player. “We’re pretty much living up to my expectations. I don’t expect to win the tournament in first place.”
Algonquin finished the tournament with a 2 win, and 1 loss. They head to Queens University on the Tindall Field Sunday, Nov. 11 at 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the Canadian Quidditch Cup. The competing college and university teams are; Queen’s, McGill, University of Toronto, Carleton, Algonquin, Fleming, Ryerson, and McMaster. Everyone is welcome to come out and watch.