Weekend before last, I got to go to The Big O as an announcer. The best part? They gave me almost all of the junior derby!
All of the action took place on Saturday, starting early... 10am is early, right?
First up was the the hosting team , the Rerservoir Dolls vs a newcomer to inter league play, the Lava City Sparks! It was a treat to see them since I have been anticipating their arrival for over a year now, and they did not disappoint.
Reservoir Dolls played hard, with Rattle Skate, Roma Mafia and Spunkee Bruizer earning standout spots in this 30 minute challenge bout, but I think the true stars were the Sparks. Reservoir Dolls were dominant. Their skating and strategy were excellent, and they well outscored their opponents, but the Sparks stayed in it no matter what it said on the scoreboard. The future looks bright for this team, and I look forward to seeing more of them as they progress. Hopefully, they will be able to join in the regional competition soon!
Next up was another one I was very much looking forward to. Reservoir Dolls against a Rosebuds team with something to prove. Last season, the Rosebuds went nearly undefeated until the championship games. The month of lag time between the end of their season and the finals seemed to have really hurt them and they ended up taking some hard losses. Reservoir Dolls were one of their only regular season losses, who shocked them last May with a 1 point victory. This time, the Buds were out in force, and were not going to allow that to happen again.
From the first jam, it was a knock-down fight in the pack as these two teams both seemed to be playing a physical, high strategy game. The Dolls held their own for quite some time, but penalties began to have a very detrimental effect. Their jammers were spending too much time in the box and their blockers seemed to want to keep them company. The Buds were treated to multiple power jams against a weakened pack, and the scoreboard swung irrevocably in their favor. I know these names by heart, as I am sure many NW junior fans do, but I'll say them anyway: Scream Cheese, Cheese Grater of Despair and Jesus Feist. Mike Chexx said Jesus Feist is one of the smartest skaters on the track today. I am inclined to agree.
Finally, there was a full bout with the Rosebuds against the Sparks. Once again, the Buds were in awesome form. Against this new team, they were nigh on unstoppable. While they rolled to a nearly 200 point victory, I have to hand it to the Lava City juniors.
These girls just do not give up. One of their skaters took a tumble after a huge hit which I was absolutely positive was going to take her out of the game. Sure enough, two jams later, there she was with the star on her head fighting to get through the impossibly strong Rosebuds front wall. This same skater took an inredibly hard shoulder block and skated through it. Her tenacity was a physical metaphor for what I saw in her entire team. No matter how hard they were being hit, they kept on going. That kind of can do attitude is a credit to them, and will serve them well as they take these losses back home and learn from them. Heck, even during the tournament I saw them beginning to utilize the things they were seeing from the Dolls and Buds. I look forward to seeing them again!
I really had a great time watching these bouts. While they were not a part of the ranked regional play, it was awesome to see 3 teams who were obviously loving the heck out of their sport, and enjoying the time on and off the track together. We often say in the junior ranks, "The Future of Derby is now", new teams like the Sparks remind me that the future is only just beginning.
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