As I mentioned in my last post, the first part of the evening was taken up by the "senior" squads. I-5 Rollergirls A-team and Junior Gems' Reservoir Dolls squared off in a full bout, and what a bout it was! Crushing defense, explosive offense, a 37 point jam (37 points!) and a 67 point lead demolished in 7 jams. It was one of the most exciting games I have seen! If this is what we have to look forward to this season, it's going to be awesome!
The crowd buzzed as the teams were introduced, exploding into cacophony as the home team, The Reservoir Dolls took the floor. Not only was it the first travel team bout of the season for both of these leagues, but it was the final bout for Reservoir Dolls veteran, Twilight Temptation.
Roma Mafia started things off for the Reservoir Dolls, snagging lead Jammer and a quick 4 over I-5 powerhouse Lex Celerator. Twilight Temptation then took the Jammer line against another formidable jammer in Dee Stroir and managed to not only gain lead jammer, but lap her for a grand slam. The Reservoir Dolls pack was present; Spunkee Bruiser, Sinister Attraction, Neal Cassidy and Rattle Skate handled Dee, only allowing her one point on her second pass.
Smash Ketchum and Dee Stroir gained lead jam in the next two for I-5, but were each held to four points. TinkerHell managed to outscore Smash with 5 points while not lead, and Budha Thunder added one point to the tally for Eugene.
Roma Mafia and Smash Ketchum squared off next and Roma was sent off to the box for cutting the track after scoring 4 on her second pass. With no lead jammer on the track, Liv Vicious had an opportunity to make up some of the gap, but the penalty killing of Violet No-Regard, Mini 2 Skates, Tinkerhell and Psycho Crash held her to 3 points after an initial grand slam.
Smash Ketchum and Black Bubbles met each other behind the pack and were off on the second whistle. Smash got caught for back blocking and was sent to the box. She wasn't alone for long as Bubbles scored 3 and joined her for a cutting infraction. Smash was back on the track but had no luck trying to get past a formidable wall of Budha Thunder and Rattle Skate. Bubbles came back on the track after serving the same time Smash did, but ran hard into Lip SmackHer and Kitty Clawberator, back blocking her way into another minute.
Still having no luck, Smash cut the track trying to get around Rattle Skate and was sent off as the jam ended. She would spend most of the next two jams in the box, cutting the track again in the next jam, allowing Spunkee Bruiser and Twilight Temptation to gain 16 unanswered points.
I-5's Liv Vicious and Dee Stroir then gained 3 lead jams in a row, but the Reservoir Dolls jammers were hot on their heals and each jam ended nearly scoreless, Dee managing to score 4 point before being forced to call it off in the 11th.
From then on, I-5 began having some problems. The Reservoir Dolls got 5 lead jams in a row over I-5 and outscored them 35-4. It was pretty clear; the Dolls were serious. Liv Vicious, Dee Stroir and Lex Celerator managed to get 28 points back in the final minutes of the half, but the damage was done. Looking at their bench, they were stunned. I-5 was down 81-58 at the half.
I am not sure what coaches Nasty Niki and Trixxxie had to say to the girls during half time, but the team that came back out was ready to roll. I-5 had made up bigger deficits in the past, but what was coming was going to be tougher still.
Spunkee Bruiser got sent to the box and Dee Stroir rolled for three grand slams to start the half, the lead was cut down to size. During her next pass she was sent in herself, setting up a power play on the next jam. She had one blocker in the box with her.
Then Roma Mafia did the impossible. In a perfect storm of pack play both offensive and defensive, I-5 penalties, and some incredible skating, she had a 37 point jam. Their lead was secure. They would grow it to 67 points over the next several jams. Halfway through the second half, the mountain was looking insurmountable for I-5, but if there is anything I learned watching this team last year, it was never to count them out.
Dee Stroir, Liv Vicious and Lex Celerator were unstoppable. Reservoir Dolls were bouncing off of them in an effort to get them off the track. Key blocks by the I-5 pack created openings where none seemed to be and the speedsters were off. Dee finally gained the lead 193-179 with 30 seconds left.
The entire crowd was cheering as Lex Celearator took the line in what was surely the final jam. She blasted through the pack for lead jammer and called it... with 15 seconds left on the clock!
Roma Mafia and Lex Celerator lined up again, the crowd cheering louder still. The whistle blew and Lex was off like a shot. She was making her way through the pack, when a cutting 4th minor sent her to the box! Roma Mafia had a power play and took full advantage for 4 grand slams, regaining the lead and called it for a Reservoir Dolls win!
Final score 199-193 for the Reservoir Dolls.
Keys of the game - Jamming. An incredibly high scoring game was helped along by some incredible jamming from both teams. On the I-5 squad it was Dee Stroir, Liv Vicious and Lex Celerator. For Reservoir Dolls it was Roma Mafia, Twilight Temptation and Neal Cassidy. I definitely have to say that Roma's 37 point jam, some really good blocking from Rattle Skate, Spunkee Bruiser and Budha Thunder keeping the I-5 jammers from doing too much damage for a very long time along with some extremely rare mistakes from I-5 at the end of the bout combined to hand the win to Eugene.
A huge thanks to both I-5 and the Junior Gems for being so accommodating with rosters beforehand and stats afterward. Also a huge thank you to Twilights mom, The Muffinator for doing stats right next to me so we could ask each other questions as things flew by and we missed a key stat.
Awesome bout! Next ones are in about a month as I-5 and Kitsap meet in Everett and Portland comes to Seattle to take on the Galaxy Girls both on March 26th.. how am I going to cover my own home team? I think I need to find a guest blogger!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Rink Rash Mayhem!
What a night of roller derby! After a marathon drive down I-5 to get to the Regional Sports Facility in Springfield, OR (where the championship games will be in August), It was a great pleasure to see all of the girls and parents arriving. I had a chance to ask a few of the I-5 parents what they thought of the upcoming bouts. I also had a chance to to talk to a couple of the Eugene folks. "Nervous" was the order of the day.
With many new girls on both I-5 teams, and most of them not very experienced on the slicker sportcourt surface, there was some definite concern abut the bouts. On the Eugene side, they were nervous because, well, it was I-5 standing over there!
The A teams bouted first, but I am still working through the stat sheets for that one. Let's just say that it involved a lot of surprises and one AWESOME come back. High derby drama, indeed!
I-5 B team vs Misfit Mafia (Eugene Jr Gems) -
On to the B team recap! Remember that the B teams are playing NW Junior positional derby. While the are allowed to push and "ride", they are not allowed to intentionally hit. Any hitting results in time in the box on a misconduct major. Blessedly, there was not a lot of misconduct. Though back blocking and track cutting? Plenty of that.
Originally slated as the Shipwreck Shielas vs the I-5 Rollergirls B Team, there was a last minute change to the Misfit Mafia. After announcer Ophelia Melons introduced the teams and called things to order, the girls took to the track, GRRR-Lee taking the jammer line for I-5 against the Misfit's Tiny Badness to kick off this 30 minute bout. Whistles blew and the bout was under way!
Tiny Badness blasted through the pack with ease, securing the first Misfit lead jammer status and a double grand slam, calling off the jam before GRRR-lee could hit the back of the pack on her scoring pass. Next Jam, Tiny Boom Harangue attempted the same feat for the Misfits, getting her own 10-spot, but Maya Massacre managed to squeak by, scoring four on the final pass before the Misfits could call it off.
Next up for I-5 was Karmic Death up against the misfits Low Blow. Low Blow managed to squeak by for lead jammer status, but then the Rollergirls pack work came into play. Coach Hockey Honey has clearly been working hard with these girls as Helle Diablo, SyRum and Lil Miss Chaos kept Low Blow to 4 point after her first pass and Karmic Death managed 6 points from her position as "not lead jammer."
Tiny Badness came back on the floor looking for a little payback against Diablo who was taking her first turn as jammer. Tiny again sliced through the pack and scored 4 while her packmates kept Helle in check, but Helle turned on the afterburners. She got through and both jammers hit the pack nearly simultaneously. Tiny passed 3 and called it off, but not before Helle managed 3 of her own.
Boom Harangue rattled off a 23 point jam before being sent to the box for back blocking, allowing Lil' Miss Chaos to score 4 of her own and setting up the first power Jam for I-5. Maky Splatterhead took the jammer line with Boom still serving time and secured I-5's first lead jammer status! Unfortunately, the Mafia has been studying their penalty killing. Maky managed to score only one point and forgot to call off the jam when Boom came out of the box, allowing her to score 3 after her initial pass.
The next three jams were heavily marred with back blocking as the jammers tried to get through the pack. Izzie Exterminated, Angelina Devilina, Jess Trippin, Low Blow, and Mad Smaxx all took turns playing jammer musical chairs over by the sin bin. The Misfits came out on top of the exchange outscoring I-5 30-6 over three jams, including an 18 point jam by Low Blow. Unfortunately for them, Mad Smaxx had one too many penalties (they were allowed 4 over the 30 minute bout) and became the first ejection casualty at 12:15 left.
That seemed to spur I-5 into action a bit as they managed to secure the next two lead jammers (Maya Massacre and Helle Diablo), unfortunately it also seemed to spur on Angelina Devilna and Tiny Badness as they forced I-5 to call off the jams before they could take too much advantage. Maya was held scoreless. Helle managed 4 points, but Tiny also scored 4 while Helle was trying to call it off.
Other than a successful star pass by I-5 in jam 13 (GRRR-Lee to Maya Massacre), and a double grand slam by Helle Diablo in the 15th, the rest of the bout was pretty much all Misfits. They scored 61 points in 6 jams to I-5's 25 over the same period to take the game.
Final score 148-53 for the Misfit Mafia.
Keys to the game -
Experience, pack control, lead jammer. The Misfits had all of these over their opponents. While several of the I-5 skaters came from Seattle Derby Brats' Tootsie Roller program and practiced on sport court, the entire team has only been practicing together since mid-January on wood. The Misfit's have been practicing together since the start of the Jr Gem season in September and definitely had the home court advantage on the slicker surface.
The Misfits also managed to gain 12 lead jammer statuses to I-5's three. Being in control of the scoring allowed them to keep the B's from gaining an advantage. They used this to great effect, controlling the I-5 jammer in the pack and allowing their lead jammers to score.
MVP's -
I-5 gave their MVP award to number 33, Low Blow. As far as jamming goes, I definitely concur. I would also call out Boondock Skates and Tootsie roller who combined several times as an effective wall. The Misfits chose to award Helle Diablo, and it was well deserved. In the pack or on the jammer line, she was formidable. I would also call out Maya Massacre and Jess Trippin for their impressive pack work.
Congratulations to ALL of the skaters! It's great to see inter-league positional competition. I VERY much look forward to seeing this continue. Full contact is fun and impressive, but these girls are the future of the future. The skills they are learning in positional blocking and pack awareness are going to only improve the game!
Coming up! This evening, I will likely have the full contact stats sorted with a post either late tonight or sometime tomorrow.
With many new girls on both I-5 teams, and most of them not very experienced on the slicker sportcourt surface, there was some definite concern abut the bouts. On the Eugene side, they were nervous because, well, it was I-5 standing over there!
The A teams bouted first, but I am still working through the stat sheets for that one. Let's just say that it involved a lot of surprises and one AWESOME come back. High derby drama, indeed!
I-5 B team vs Misfit Mafia (Eugene Jr Gems) -
On to the B team recap! Remember that the B teams are playing NW Junior positional derby. While the are allowed to push and "ride", they are not allowed to intentionally hit. Any hitting results in time in the box on a misconduct major. Blessedly, there was not a lot of misconduct. Though back blocking and track cutting? Plenty of that.
Originally slated as the Shipwreck Shielas vs the I-5 Rollergirls B Team, there was a last minute change to the Misfit Mafia. After announcer Ophelia Melons introduced the teams and called things to order, the girls took to the track, GRRR-Lee taking the jammer line for I-5 against the Misfit's Tiny Badness to kick off this 30 minute bout. Whistles blew and the bout was under way!
Tiny Badness blasted through the pack with ease, securing the first Misfit lead jammer status and a double grand slam, calling off the jam before GRRR-lee could hit the back of the pack on her scoring pass. Next Jam, Tiny Boom Harangue attempted the same feat for the Misfits, getting her own 10-spot, but Maya Massacre managed to squeak by, scoring four on the final pass before the Misfits could call it off.
Next up for I-5 was Karmic Death up against the misfits Low Blow. Low Blow managed to squeak by for lead jammer status, but then the Rollergirls pack work came into play. Coach Hockey Honey has clearly been working hard with these girls as Helle Diablo, SyRum and Lil Miss Chaos kept Low Blow to 4 point after her first pass and Karmic Death managed 6 points from her position as "not lead jammer."
Tiny Badness came back on the floor looking for a little payback against Diablo who was taking her first turn as jammer. Tiny again sliced through the pack and scored 4 while her packmates kept Helle in check, but Helle turned on the afterburners. She got through and both jammers hit the pack nearly simultaneously. Tiny passed 3 and called it off, but not before Helle managed 3 of her own.
Boom Harangue rattled off a 23 point jam before being sent to the box for back blocking, allowing Lil' Miss Chaos to score 4 of her own and setting up the first power Jam for I-5. Maky Splatterhead took the jammer line with Boom still serving time and secured I-5's first lead jammer status! Unfortunately, the Mafia has been studying their penalty killing. Maky managed to score only one point and forgot to call off the jam when Boom came out of the box, allowing her to score 3 after her initial pass.
The next three jams were heavily marred with back blocking as the jammers tried to get through the pack. Izzie Exterminated, Angelina Devilina, Jess Trippin, Low Blow, and Mad Smaxx all took turns playing jammer musical chairs over by the sin bin. The Misfits came out on top of the exchange outscoring I-5 30-6 over three jams, including an 18 point jam by Low Blow. Unfortunately for them, Mad Smaxx had one too many penalties (they were allowed 4 over the 30 minute bout) and became the first ejection casualty at 12:15 left.
That seemed to spur I-5 into action a bit as they managed to secure the next two lead jammers (Maya Massacre and Helle Diablo), unfortunately it also seemed to spur on Angelina Devilna and Tiny Badness as they forced I-5 to call off the jams before they could take too much advantage. Maya was held scoreless. Helle managed 4 points, but Tiny also scored 4 while Helle was trying to call it off.
Other than a successful star pass by I-5 in jam 13 (GRRR-Lee to Maya Massacre), and a double grand slam by Helle Diablo in the 15th, the rest of the bout was pretty much all Misfits. They scored 61 points in 6 jams to I-5's 25 over the same period to take the game.
Final score 148-53 for the Misfit Mafia.
Keys to the game -
Experience, pack control, lead jammer. The Misfits had all of these over their opponents. While several of the I-5 skaters came from Seattle Derby Brats' Tootsie Roller program and practiced on sport court, the entire team has only been practicing together since mid-January on wood. The Misfit's have been practicing together since the start of the Jr Gem season in September and definitely had the home court advantage on the slicker surface.
The Misfits also managed to gain 12 lead jammer statuses to I-5's three. Being in control of the scoring allowed them to keep the B's from gaining an advantage. They used this to great effect, controlling the I-5 jammer in the pack and allowing their lead jammers to score.
MVP's -
I-5 gave their MVP award to number 33, Low Blow. As far as jamming goes, I definitely concur. I would also call out Boondock Skates and Tootsie roller who combined several times as an effective wall. The Misfits chose to award Helle Diablo, and it was well deserved. In the pack or on the jammer line, she was formidable. I would also call out Maya Massacre and Jess Trippin for their impressive pack work.
Congratulations to ALL of the skaters! It's great to see inter-league positional competition. I VERY much look forward to seeing this continue. Full contact is fun and impressive, but these girls are the future of the future. The skills they are learning in positional blocking and pack awareness are going to only improve the game!
Coming up! This evening, I will likely have the full contact stats sorted with a post either late tonight or sometime tomorrow.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
The Preview Continued! Reservoir Dolls and "Modified Contact"
Reservoir Dolls vs. I-5 Rollergirls (full contact)
Grease Monkeys vs. Misfit Mafia (modified contact)
Shipwreck Sheilas vs. I-5 Rollergirls (modified contact)
Reservoir Dolls are really a fun team to watch play. I had the opportunity to visit them twice last year and see them in the Seattle area as well. Each time they played the Galaxy Girls, I was impressed with their score management and raw drive. Buddha Thunder is one to watch out for when she takes the jam line and Rattle Skate is a wrecking ball extraordinaire! Veterans Twilight Temptation and Violet No-Regard were very tough on their opponents last year, and I look forward to seeing what they all bring to the track.
Along with the returning skaters in the roster, it looks as though there are several new names.
Buddha Thunder
Violet No-Regard
Cocomotive
Spunkee Bruizer
Mini 2 Sk8tes
Sinister Attraction
Rattle Skate
Bust Her-Hyde
Black Bubblez
Neal Cassady
Roma Mafia
TinkerHell
Twilight Temptation
Fizzy Bubbly
As you can see from the schedule above, I-5 is bringing down their modified contact team to play against a Junior Gem team. Modified contact is usually defined as allowing pushing with legal hitting areas as well as "riding" fellow skaters, but not outright hitting.
This is kind of a grey area in junior derby has yet to really be fully codified. In fact, the JRDA is in consult with many leagues as to just what this means and how best to implement it. Seattle Derby Brats are doing the same internally and have talked to some of the NW Regional teams. Now that we are all getting to the point where modified contact competition is a possibility, it's going to be exciting to see this develop!
So let's take a look at the I-5 B team!
At first glance of the roster, I see some names that I definitely recognize from last year's Tootsie Roller squad of the Seattle Derby Brats. Helle Diablo, Lil' Miss Chaos and Maky Splatterhead bring some serious bouting experience and positional knowledge to the team. And coached by Hockey Honey? This should be squad to watch! It's great to see that junior derby is growing at all levels and that the competition is just getting better. Watch out, WFTDA! These girls are coming!
Helle Diablo
Kickin' Caboodle
Jess Trippin
Emily Kickin Shin
Last Cookie
Terrace Terror
Sy RuM
Izzie Xterminated
Lil' Miss Chaos
Maky Splatterhead
GRRR-Lee
Karmic Death
iSnarly
Garcezilla
Grease Monkeys vs. Misfit Mafia (modified contact)
Shipwreck Sheilas vs. I-5 Rollergirls (modified contact)
Reservoir Dolls are really a fun team to watch play. I had the opportunity to visit them twice last year and see them in the Seattle area as well. Each time they played the Galaxy Girls, I was impressed with their score management and raw drive. Buddha Thunder is one to watch out for when she takes the jam line and Rattle Skate is a wrecking ball extraordinaire! Veterans Twilight Temptation and Violet No-Regard were very tough on their opponents last year, and I look forward to seeing what they all bring to the track.
Along with the returning skaters in the roster, it looks as though there are several new names.
Buddha Thunder
Violet No-Regard
Cocomotive
Spunkee Bruizer
Mini 2 Sk8tes
Sinister Attraction
Rattle Skate
Bust Her-Hyde
Black Bubblez
Neal Cassady
Roma Mafia
TinkerHell
Twilight Temptation
Fizzy Bubbly
As you can see from the schedule above, I-5 is bringing down their modified contact team to play against a Junior Gem team. Modified contact is usually defined as allowing pushing with legal hitting areas as well as "riding" fellow skaters, but not outright hitting.
This is kind of a grey area in junior derby has yet to really be fully codified. In fact, the JRDA is in consult with many leagues as to just what this means and how best to implement it. Seattle Derby Brats are doing the same internally and have talked to some of the NW Regional teams. Now that we are all getting to the point where modified contact competition is a possibility, it's going to be exciting to see this develop!
So let's take a look at the I-5 B team!
At first glance of the roster, I see some names that I definitely recognize from last year's Tootsie Roller squad of the Seattle Derby Brats. Helle Diablo, Lil' Miss Chaos and Maky Splatterhead bring some serious bouting experience and positional knowledge to the team. And coached by Hockey Honey? This should be squad to watch! It's great to see that junior derby is growing at all levels and that the competition is just getting better. Watch out, WFTDA! These girls are coming!
Helle Diablo
Kickin' Caboodle
Jess Trippin
Emily Kickin Shin
Last Cookie
Terrace Terror
Sy RuM
Izzie Xterminated
Lil' Miss Chaos
Maky Splatterhead
GRRR-Lee
Karmic Death
iSnarly
Garcezilla
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Seattle Derby Brats on New Day Northwest
Since this is my daughter's home league, I just have to pause with the previews and recaps to share this.
http://www.king5.com/new-day-northwest/Roller-Derby-Brats-Invade-New-Day-116248699.html
http://www.king5.com/new-day-northwest/Roller-Derby-Brats-Invade-New-Day-116248699.html
Monday, February 14, 2011
Rink Rash Mayhem! Preview I-5 Rollergirls A Team
Coming up on February 26th, the I-5 Rollergirls will travel to Eugene to face the Reservoire dolls. Both leagues have positional as well as full contact teams, so it will be a double header!
Since not every league has positional teams, only the full contact games count for standings for the championship tourney in August, but these teams represent a fantastic growth in junior roller derby! I just hope the leagues continue to grow so every level of skating can have competition across the northwest!
Back to the preview! The I-5 Rollergirls were a dominating force last season. They stood undefeated in every sanctioned contest. Coaches Trixxxie and Nasty Nikki Nightstick did a fantastic job of bringing a first year team to an incredible level. This season's roster seems to have some significant changes, though they still have the explosive speed and power of Lex Celerator and Dee Stroir who combined to confound so many squads last season.
The great thing about this teamn last year was the fact that they worked so well together. They knew each other on the track and seemed to be able to stop most advances cold. They kept their heads under pressure and managed to out-perform down the stretch. If they manage to keep that part of their team, they should do just fine this season as well.
They also added 3 transfers from Seattle Derby Brats to their A team roster: Lip Smackher, Kitty Clawberator, and Death by Beth. Kitty Clawberator was a part of the Galaxy Girl squad last year, but Beth and Smackher are new to the inter-league competition level.
All in all, it looks like a solid squad and should be a formidable opponent! I look forward to travelling down to Eugene for the bout!
Roster -
52 - Death by Beth
13 - Britney tears
12 - Lip Smackher
11 - Auda-Cious
21 - FeeBeeSting
24 - Smash Ketchum
17 - Rage-E-Anna
8 - Miss B. Haver
88 - Kitty Clawberator
5 - Gory Locks
91 - Dee Stroir
25 - Sierrated Blade
9 - Audrey Headburn
18 - Lex Celerator
6 - Liv Vicious
Since not every league has positional teams, only the full contact games count for standings for the championship tourney in August, but these teams represent a fantastic growth in junior roller derby! I just hope the leagues continue to grow so every level of skating can have competition across the northwest!
Back to the preview! The I-5 Rollergirls were a dominating force last season. They stood undefeated in every sanctioned contest. Coaches Trixxxie and Nasty Nikki Nightstick did a fantastic job of bringing a first year team to an incredible level. This season's roster seems to have some significant changes, though they still have the explosive speed and power of Lex Celerator and Dee Stroir who combined to confound so many squads last season.
The great thing about this teamn last year was the fact that they worked so well together. They knew each other on the track and seemed to be able to stop most advances cold. They kept their heads under pressure and managed to out-perform down the stretch. If they manage to keep that part of their team, they should do just fine this season as well.
They also added 3 transfers from Seattle Derby Brats to their A team roster: Lip Smackher, Kitty Clawberator, and Death by Beth. Kitty Clawberator was a part of the Galaxy Girl squad last year, but Beth and Smackher are new to the inter-league competition level.
All in all, it looks like a solid squad and should be a formidable opponent! I look forward to travelling down to Eugene for the bout!
Roster -
52 - Death by Beth
13 - Britney tears
12 - Lip Smackher
11 - Auda-Cious
21 - FeeBeeSting
24 - Smash Ketchum
17 - Rage-E-Anna
8 - Miss B. Haver
88 - Kitty Clawberator
5 - Gory Locks
91 - Dee Stroir
25 - Sierrated Blade
9 - Audrey Headburn
18 - Lex Celerator
6 - Liv Vicious
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Photos are up!
Masonite Burn has put up the photos from the Portland v Kitsap bout
http://www.flickr.com/photos/masonite-burn/5423743537/in/set-72157625994390260/
Enjoy! Coming up later this week will be a preview of one of the teams for the February 26th bout of I5 Rollergirls v Reservoir Dolls!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/masonite-burn/5423743537/in/set-72157625994390260/
Enjoy! Coming up later this week will be a preview of one of the teams for the February 26th bout of I5 Rollergirls v Reservoir Dolls!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Portland Rosebuds vs. Kitsap Derby Brats, Sunday, January 30th 2nd Half
Champ Pain kicked off the fun for Kitsap in the second half, snagging lead jammer from Anaphylactic Shock but was unable to overcome the Rosebud defense while missing two of her blockers due to trips to the sin bin. She was outscored 2-7 as Portland took advantage of the short Kitsap lineup. The second jam had Red Rager taking a 3 grand slam advantage right back for Kitsap as Bleeda Ford was sent off for an out of bounds block after gaining lead and scoring 4 on the first pass.
At this point the Rosebuds repeated their first half performance with 7 straight lead jammers, but Kitsap had heard that song before and held them each to one scoring pass with some extremely quick and agile pack skating and an impressive display of positional blocking. It wasn’t until Anaphylactic Shock managed to outrun J-Rowdy in the 8th jam for a 14-0 advantage and Sumthang Sassy had a 10 point power play run (Speedy Foul Mouth-Her was sent off for cutting the track) that Portland managed to break that pattern… but not for long!
Other than an amazing 22 point power play jam by Braidy Punch when Speedy was sent off for her 6th major penalty and Sumthang Sassy brought in 10 on a power play of her own in 16th (and second to last) jam of the half, it was nearly all Derby Brats! Red Rager, Mutch Mayhem, Hardley Sane and Punches –n-Cream combined for 27 points in 6 jams for a very bright offensive finish for the Brats. Final Score: Portland 215, Kitsap 96
New skaters to watch
Moving from year to year in junior derby, there can be a lot of churn in team rosters. As I mentioned in my last post, both the Rosebuds and Kitsap have added to their rosters this year. As we go through the games this season, I will be calling out the new skaters who I feel are the ones to watch out for in the future. For this bout, that would be Sumthang Sassy and Speedy Foul Mouth-Her.
Kitsap - While Speedy had some serious trouble with penalties (She fouled out in the 16th jam of the second half), she showed some very definite sparks of brilliance. Her tenacity and aggression on the track were a sight to behold and will definitely serve her team well if she can learn to focus it JUST a tad better to avoid hurting her team with time in the box.
Portland - Sumthang Sassy? Speed, poise, grace under fire. She’s a little small which becomes a disadvantage since she seems to still be getting her bearings in a hostile pack, but when she broke free she was awesome. She was the Kitsap choice for MVP and was awarded a beautiful, jeweled tiara for it! She’s my choice for Portland’s new skater to watch.
Hail to the veterans
Kitsap – this one is a toss-up. While Mutch Mayhem (as always) was great to watch as a jammer, Red Rager was truly a triple threat on the track. I am going to give my nod to both of them!
Portland – While I would be remiss not to call out Braidy’s 22 point jam, I have to hand this one to Scream Cheese. Big hits, stops, holes opened, great jams. All in all a well-rounded skater that will be the terror of the teams she faces this season!
Keys of the game - Portland's defense. Straight up, that wall is formidable. Combined with their improvements in the positional game it is going to be tough to beat! While the lead jam numbers were fairly even through the bout (21 for Portland, 16 for Kitsap), the Rosebuds were able to stop Kitsap from scoring.
I really had a blast at this bout. Great derby played by two dedicated and tenacious teams. As I mentioned to one Kitsap skater, “Don’t let the score fool you! There were good things happening!” I would like to thank the Portland NSO crew for being forthcoming with the stat sheets. They were invaluable in creating this blog! As always, a huge thank you to all of the refs, NSO’s, parents, coaches and other volunteers. Without all of you, Junior Derby would be going nowhere fast!
Portland Rosebuds vs. Kitsap Derby Brats, Sunday, January 30th 1st Half
If you’ve never been to a bout at the Hangar, go! The Portland Rosebuds have a unique opportunity to have their bouts in one of the coolest derby venues I have seen (apart from Key Arena, of course!). I arrived just as the doors were opening and met up with Kimora Lee Sinnin’, a Portland Rosebud skater who was not participating in the bouting that day. I would like to thank her for acting as a spotter for me as I scrambled about trying to get the rosters written down and find peoples’ numbers. For, you see, there were no programs! Honestly, that’s my ONLY complaint.
Both teams were skating their warm-ups as I asked Kimora about the Portland team about to take the floor. She reported that the league has expanded to 75 girls this season, and that all of the skaters we knew and loved from last season would be joining us again, along with several new skaters! Since I saw the same from Kitsap, I knew this would be a fun bout to watch as I settled in for the first half action.
The intros done, the girls took to the track; Mutch Mayhem (Kitsap) and Braidy Punch (Rosebuds) on the jammer line. Braidy broke through for lead jammer just ahead of Mutch and was only able to score two points before calling it off. They handed it over to Speedy Foul MouthHer for Kitsap and Tempest Fugit for Portland. Speedy lived up to the first part of her name and seized lead jammer as Tempest got tangled in the pack. Both jammers scored the full four on the first pass and Speedy managed to widen a gap enough to score two more before calling off the first multi-pass jam of the bout. The score was tied 6 all.
Then the Rosebuds took full control of the pack. Braidy Punch, Scream Cheese and anyone they worked with kept a 3-wall up front while the rhino mixed things up behind allowing Jesus Feist to rattle off 3 grand slams and Hardley Sane was held scoreless. Kitsap’s Champ Pain and Portland’s Sumthang Sassy traded 4’s in the next jam before Portland rattled off 6 straight lead jams and 50 unanswered points. It wasn’t until the 11th jam that Mutch Mayhem was able to gain lead jammer over Anaphylactic Shock and slow the Rosebud assault, outscoring her 4-3. Speedy Foul Mouth-Her then matched Mayhem’s advance with a 4-3 of her own over Scream Cheese.
The defenses of both teams came alive in the next couple of jams with the only scoring being Scream Cheese with a 4-spot over Red Rager.
Kitsap caught a bit of a break when Tempest Fugit was sent in for back blocking on her initial pass in the 15th jam of the half. Champ Pain rattled off two grand slams as Portland raced the pack in a penalty killing attempt. Tempest answered quickly in the next jam with 2 grand slams of her own while new Kitsap skater Kae-Oss was held scoreless by the aforementioned 3 wall of doom.
Whamsday Adams and Hardly Sane gained the next two lead jams for Kitsap, but Acid Pest and Cheese Grater of Despair paced them well, forcing them call off the jams scoreless. Not to be outdone, Kitsap skater Punches and Cream took lead as well, but failed to call off the jam allowing Braidy Punch to lap her and score a grand slam along with a 9-4 scoring advantage. Bleeda Ford snagged the last lead jam of the half and lapped the pack 3 times for 15 points. Score at the half: Portland – 120, Kistap - 32
Welcome
Hello, World!
Are you ready for some Junior Roller Derby?! So am I! Here in the Northwest, we have some of the best programs in the country for Junior Roller Derby, and this year we have all banded together to plan out a schedule, including a championship tournament at the end of the season. This blog is dedicated to writeups for those games, analysis of programs, skater profiles, maybe even an interview or three.
So grab your signs and shout yourself hoarse as the future of roller derby rolls on!
Are you ready for some Junior Roller Derby?! So am I! Here in the Northwest, we have some of the best programs in the country for Junior Roller Derby, and this year we have all banded together to plan out a schedule, including a championship tournament at the end of the season. This blog is dedicated to writeups for those games, analysis of programs, skater profiles, maybe even an interview or three.
So grab your signs and shout yourself hoarse as the future of roller derby rolls on!
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