NW Junior Derby Finals - Preview

Well, this is it!  We started off the season with six leagues and a vision of seeing competition between all of the leagues in the Northwestern region playing against each other.  Along the way, that vision was altered a bit.  Spokane had to drop out, so not everyone was available to play.  This meant that the competition was down to 5 teams, making this weekend’s tournament to decide the NW Junior Derby championships a little off.  It was looking possible that there might be a B team from Portland to fill the empty spot, but the Kitsap Derby Brats decided to pull out due to budget and travel issues so the b team idea wasn't needed...

So!  Change is a constant, and the final tourney on Saturday, August 6^th at the Willmalane Center for Sports and Recreation in Springfield, Oregon sees four teams coming together to battle it out for supremacy.  One with one loss and 3 with 2 losses, everyone looks to be pretty even in skill.  Thus, they drew the order of play out of a hat! 

SDB’s Galaxy Girls will play the Eugene Jr Gems’  Reservoir Dolls in the opener, then the I5 Rollergirls will do battle with the Portland Rosebuds.  The final two games will be a grudge match for third and fourth and the championship game between the winners of the first two games!

Portland Rosebuds  - This team has dominated their competition this season.  Starting out against the Kitsap Derby Brats and ending with a second game against I-5, they stood tall with only one loss against Eugene in a 120-119 squeaker that went down to the last jam.  They saw the departure of Braidy Punch to the adult leagues, but Scream Cheese and Cheese Grater of Despair are still around, and they have new blood like Sumthang Sassy who will look to make sure that this is a team to look out for in the coming years.  They are a definite favorite going into this weekend!

Reservoir Dolls – They started off the season strong, shocking I5 and Portland, but seemed to falter a bit in the stretch after their team changed things up with their spring tryouts.  They dropped  a tough bout against a revitalized Kitsap Derby Brats team at the Father’s Day double header and a hard fought bout against the Galaxy Girls in Seattle last month.  They are the home team, though, and it looks as though their team should definitely be in fine form as they defend their turf. Roma Mafia, Spunkee Bruiser and RattleSkate are defintely going to bring it!

I5 Rollergirls – Fresh off their victory against Fort Wayne last weekend, the I-5 Rollergirls look to be in fine form coming into this weekend’s contests.  They are taking on Portland in their first bout this weekend, though, and they have yet to find a combo that worked against that team.  You know they have to be hungry after losing twice to the Rosebuds!

Galaxy Girls - Last weekend’s victory saw the closest to healthy this team has been all season.  This weekend brings almost the entire team back to the track.  With the additions of Beatin!!BamB and Salami Stompson moving up from the SDB league teams to fill empty spots, they are looking pretty strong.  Lilly Lightning, Radom Max of Violence, Rockin' Red and all the rest are ready for whatever tomorrow brings!

Here’s the schedule for the day –

12:30 doors open
1:00 Rules Demo and Anthem
1:15-2:45 Game 1 Galaxy Girls vs. Reservoir Dolls
3:00-4:30 Game 2 Rosebuds vs. I-5 Roller Girls
4:30-4:45 Speed Dealer show
4:45 or 5:00 Game 3 Losers of 1&2 (30 minutes)
5:15 or 5:30 Game 4 Winners of 1& 2 (30 Minutes)

KO and I will be announcing the I5 v Portland game, and hopefully one of the final two as well.  I will also have pen and paper in hand to take notes on the other games and will have the recaps up as soon as possible next week!

I5 Rollergirls win squeaker over Fort Wayne

Death by Beth and Gory Locks combine to stop a Fort Wayne jammer
Photo by Whamsday Adams

If Fort Wayne had any questions about how the Northwest game of roller derby was played before they played the Galaxy Girls, they were definitely gone when they faced the I5 Rollergirls on Saturday evening at the Southgate Roller Rink. Hard hits and physical play were the order of the day and both teams were more than happy to deliver!

The bout had more lead changes than I have fingers (by one) and one of the most amazing finishes I have seen this year.

I5 started it off in their usual way with Lex Celerator showing her speed skating greatness and picking up a 9-0 decision, but Fort Wayne was not deterred. Malibruise Barbie, Mac Attack and Cleo Paintra all slapped some points on the scoreboard on their way to the first lead change, but it was Cleo's 14 point jam while Audrey Headburn was sitting in the penalty box along with some very impressive blocking by Liv-R-Die and Buttercup which brought them to a 24-21 advantage in the 9th Jam.

That seemed to light a fire under the I5 blockers and the physical game stepped up a notch. Over the next five jams I-5 outscored the Fort Wayne lineups 13-0, but only to the tune of a few points per jam as both teams began to slog it out in the pack and the penalties began to mount. Fort Wayne clawed back once more to take the lead (48-47) powered by some awesome blocking by Bad Kitty and Liv-R-Die as they opened lanes on I5, but at the half it was I-5 on top by a mere two points! This was a definite omen of things to come!

The second half saw I-5 employing the 4 and out strategy which is a hallmark of strategic roller derby. Get your jammer through for lead, grab your four points and call it before the other jammer can get back into the pack. This worked very well and they managed to get a 22 point lead (the largest of the game) before Hunt-Her-Down gave up a 17 point power jam to Mak-Attack which launched Fort Wayne right back into the game! They continued riding that momentum all the way the lead at 102-108, but I-5 took it right back with a 9 point blast by Lex Celerator.

Liv Vicious tried to extend the lead, but the Fort Wayne blockers were having none of it! The entire pack seemed to swarm Liv wherever she tried to get through. Bad Kitty, Buttercup, Cleo Paintra and Trademark were a site to behold as they stopped Liv cold and allowed Mak Attack to post up 13 points and take the lead yet again!

The next two jams were a see-saw affair and both teams gained the lead over the other before the final two jams were in the offing. And these? These were two of the most exciting roller derby I have seen!

Lex Celerator and Traqdemark started off the jam with I5 ahead 116-115with 2:00:02 left on the clock Lex fought through for lead jammer and slapped up four points before being called off for cutting the track a little over a minute into the jam! Trademark had already answered back for four of her own so all she had to do was score two more points and run out the clock. She got her two and sped around to try to get four more as the jam clock wound down. Reed d Rules whistled the jam finished with 2 seconds left and I5 coach Nasty Nicky ran onto the track with her hands in a T screaming for her time out to stop the clock! Two seconds left, Lex Celerator standing in the box and the Fort Wayne phenom Mac Attack standing on the jammer line with a 121-120 lead waiting for the time out to finish... but that was not how it would turn out!

During the time out, the refs conferred and determined that Trademark had run into the back of an I5 blocker for a major penalty! She would be sent to the box and there would be no jammer to start the jam! With Lex already standing which meant that Trademark would have about a minute to serve while her team tried to stop on of the best jammers the Northwest has to offer while holding only a one point lead!

Lex clawed her way through the pack as the Fort Wayne Blockers tried desperately to stop her and gained lead jammer, then fought through again for the grand slam before slapping her hands to her hips to end the game! I-5 had the lead and the victory by a mere 4 point margin 125-121!

What a finish! An extremely strong reminder, as Elwood said in his article, that if you are not watching junior derby, you are definitely missing out!

Three stars for Fort Wayne -

Buttercup - This girl was a force to be reckoned with during this bout! I saw her lay down several big hits which cleared the line for her jammer, sending the I5 blockers scattering over line while she skated on looking for her next target. She also slapped the star and stripe on her lid pulling triple duty. She definitely caught my attention as one to watch!

Liv R Die - Just like the previous night, this young lady was amazing! She didn't just open lanes, she was a highway wrecking crew sending multiple I5 blockers to the floor at least 3 times that I was able to count!

Mac Attack - What a jammer! She scored nearly half of her team's points, got lead jammer 50% of the jams she was in (most of which were against Lex Celerator) and had a +/- of 28 (meaning she scored 28 more points than her opponents on the jammer line). She definitely wins the stats line and a star for her jamming prowess!

Three stars for I5 Rollergirls -

Hunt-Her Down - Not only was she on the track more than anyone but Lex Celerator, she proved to be one of the strongest forces in the I5 pack, and even took several turns as Jammer putting up nine points. As I mentioned in her featured skater post, this woman is very much one to watch out for. Her 3.64 average blocker +/- (her team scored an average of 3.64 points per jam more than the opponents when she was blocking) and her over all avg +/- of 1.84 (tops for her team) give her this star!

Lex Celerator - 72 points, 79% lead jammer and amazing play in the pack when she wasn't pooring on the speed. Lex Celerator proved once again why she is considered one of the best. This skater is a superstar!

Death by Beth - Last year this skater was with SDB and I had the opportunity to see her play on numerous occasions. This past year I have watched her grow in skill by leaps and bounds! This past bout I saw her stopping jammers and playing defense like I had not seen before. She is definitely going to be one to watch out for next season!

This was one of the best bouts I have had the pleasure to watch and announce.  Those last 3 minutes were so intense!  I think I yelled myself hoarse over the microphone!  A huge thank you to Reed D Rules for getting me the stat sheets!  They really make things easier when I haven't had the chance to write things down due to my announcerly duties!

Fort Wayne finds what they were looking for

This past weekend, the Fort Wayne Derby Brats travelled across the country. Before coming, they did an Interview for a podcast with NIPR with WBOI's Sean Beuter. In it, they talked about their desire to test themselves. They had not had one defeat in their history, and they were beginning to wonder if there was stiffer competition elsewhere in the country. In the Great Northwest, they found it.

Friday evening they met the Seattle Derby Brats in a fierce battle. These two teams had never seen each other before, of course, and I don't think either team really knew what to expect. The Galaxy Girls were used to the play style of the northwest teams and Fort Wayne was not ready to play that way.

Tough, physical play seemed the order of the day for Fort Wayne, and it seemed to catch the Galaxy Girls a bit by surprise in the first 7 jams as Fort Wayne jumped out to a 27-17 lead using five different jammers over Mal Intent, Rockin’ Red and Random Max of Violence before Galaxy Girl freshman, Beatin!!BamB, entered the game and took advantage of a power jam to rattle off 12 points and give SDB the lead.

Three jams later, Aussie Bossie brought home 10 points of her own and gave Fort Wayne the lead again, But Max had found her Random groove and blasted through the pack 3 times for 15 points and snagged the lead back for the Seattle Brats.  Fort Wayne fought hard to get it back, but the end of the first half saw them down 62-57.

The first 9 jams of the second half were almost all Galaxy Girls.  While the Fort Wayne jammers were extremely proficient at getting lead jammer (4 of those 9 jams), they also found themselves on the receiving end of some major penalties on their jammers allowing SDB to expand their lead to 45 points before they began to claw their way back in. 

Liv-r-Die and Bad Kitty were fiercely holding strong in the pack and were NOT going to let their team be blown out.  The Fort Wayne Pack slowed down the pace and began to punish the Galaxy Girls with big hits and some impressive positional play.  This really seemed to break the Galaxy Girls’ stride as Random Max, Flyin’ Hawaiian and Rockin’ Red were all held to single digit jams while Mak Attack found open lanes and lapped the SDB jammer twice for 13 points in the 16^th to bring the lead back down to 23, a not impossible task in the final jam of the game.  Mak Attack and Evil O lined up for the final jam, but Mak was called out for cutting in the, allowing Evil O to close the door on Fort Wayne’s come back, and close out the game with a grand slam for a 137-109 Galaxy Girl victory

3 Stars for Fort Wayne!

Aussie Bossie - This skater was awesome on the jammer line, skating for 43 point and getting lead jammer in 89% of the jams she was in!  She also contributed heavily in the pack with defensive play. 

Bad Kitty – What more can I say?  Blocker extraordinaire!  She punished the Galaxy Girl Jammers on just about every pass and made them earn every point when she was on the track

Liv-R-Die – Along with Bad Kitty, she kept her team in this one, leading all blockers with hits and stopped SDB jammers as well as opening up huge lanes for her own.  Do NOT get in her way!

3 Stars for the Galaxy Girls!

Random Max of Violence – I have said it before, and I am 100% certain I will be saying again, this skater is amazing to watch.  Max was up to her usual standards and the Fort Wayne girls had trouble hitting a jammer who was there one second, and had her body in some weird position avoiding their hits the next.

Rosie D KreamHer – Her huge hits and strong pack play contributed heavily in this victory, but more astoundingly, she spent zero minutes in penalty box while doing it!

Thumpurr – Partnered with Rosie D Kreamher and playing in what is likely to be her last junior bout before going to Jet City (She was injured in the bout and her status for next weekend is unknown at this time), she had a +/- of 9 points and, just like Rosie, did it without hitting the penalty box once.

I should have the stat sheets for the I-5 game very soon and will be doing the writeup for that game as soon as I get them.  In the meant time, as Promised, you can find two great write-ups from Elwood Bruise on this weekend's action with Fort Wayne at the Examiner!

Galaxy Girls v Fort Wayne
I5 v Fort Wayne

I want to personally thank Fort Wayne for coming out.  It was great to see such exciting play from elsewhere in the country, and it fills me with hope and expectation for the the future!  Nationals, anyone?

They're not in Indiana anymore!

Ft Wayne comes for a visit!

One of the best things about the explosive growth of junior derby is, of course, that this movement is now seen from coast to coast.  Teams and leagues are found in every section of the US, and this weekend, one of the best of the Midwest is going to come and test themselves against two of the best the Northwest has to offer:  The Seattle Derby Brats and the I-5 Rollergirls!

I have to admit, I have not really tracked the Midwest teams very closely, but my research over the past couple of days has revealed a team that has clearly dominated all comers.  You can watch the second half their game at the 2010 Spring Roll tournament against the Chicago Riots on Justin TV where they are ahead by about 100+ points all the way through. 

Ft Wayne v Chicago Riot 2nd period

And that?  Was a little over a year ago!  According to their web site, they once again dominated the competition at this year’s tourney and stand undefeated in 2011.

First up to take the Ft Wayne challenge will be the Seattle Derby Brats. The injury woes continue this year for the brats, but this time we are going to see some future Galaxy Girls who have been invited from the league’s home teams to train and try out at the end of this season.  Li’l Moko, Pooky Poundya , Salami Stompson and Beatin’ Bambi have a pretty good chance of being on the floor and we will know soon which of the alternates are going to be able to hit the track to replace Brutiful Beast, Tina Angst and Energizur Bunny.

The team has been training hard for the final tourney on August 6^th and most of the core is strong and healthy.  Look for Random Max to ply her noodly trade and Rockin' Red to light up the track from the jammer line joined (I am told) by Voodoo Lady Googoo!   Thumpurr (playing in her last games before heading out to Jet City) will join ranks in the pack with Evil O and Poison Izzy to lay some serious hits on the girls from Ft Wayne.  All in all, this is probably the strongest the SDB team has looked in a few months.  Ft Wayne had better be ready!

After a day’s rest, Ft Wayne will be at it again against the ever dangerous I5 Rollergirls!  Lex Celerator is fresh off an astounding performance at the speed nationals, reaching the finals in every event she competes in!  You know she’s going to be one to watch out for as she turns on the afterburners.  As every team here in the NW knows, the speedsters of I5 are a force to be reckoned with.  Of course, they are only half of the equation.  I5’s pack is just as dangerous, able to shut down jammers at will.  Hunher Down and Kitty Clawberator will definitely be looking for some neon green stars to knock to the sidelines!

Frankly?  This is going to be awesome fun to watch.  I am likely to be on the mic, and will do a brief wrap-up after the bout, but I am also told that there is a possibility that the great Elwood Bruise will be on hand for Friday’s play-by-play writeup!  It’s not a public bout so watch this space and the examiner for the results!

Featured Skater for July - Hunt-Her Down!

Hello, folks!  June was a busy month for me, so I missed a month in my featured skaters!  I have two interviews done, and I will be doing them in July and August.

This month is Grainne Hunter (Hunt-her Down) of the I5 Rollergirls!  Hunther is someone I have definitely enjoyed watching over the last couple of years.  Her no-nonsense approach in the pack leads to some very efficient blocking, and she applies it to jamming as well.  She may not be the high scoring, high flying jammer, or have the biggest hits, but she is one of the most steady and reliable players I have seen out there.  That is exactly what makes Hunt-her one of my picks for an all-star team.

As Promised, here's the interview! 

My name is Grainne Hunter, and my derby name is Hunt-Her Down.

At what age did you start skating?
I started skating when I was twelve after learning about Roller Derby.

When did you first find roller derby?
I first discovered Roller Derby about five years ago, my dad and I saw Blood on the Flat Track during SIFF and I said, "I want to be a roller girl when I'm older!" My dad didn't really pay any mind to the comment because we didn’t know about junior derby! Then, one night we were watching TV and the Seattle Derby Brats were being profiled on a PBS show called In Focus so we researched it and attended an SDB practice at Bellevue Skate King to watch. I got skate gear the next day at Fast Girl Skates and the rest is history.

What was the best thing about skating with your league?
The best thing about skating with the I-5 Rollergirls is that we all work very well together and we're all friends outside of skating, additionally I love our coaching staff! Nikki and Trixxxie are committed to teaching no nonsense Derby skills and the entire team really respects them!

Is there a skater or team you see as an inspiration to you in roller derby?
I like many teams and individual players the list is pretty big. The Oly Rollers are amazing! All of the skaters for that team make me want to skate and play like them! I love watching my coaches play as well, they definitely inspire me.

Which is your favorite team to play against and why?
I like playing all of the junior teams, but a couple of my favorite teams to play are The Portland Rosebuds, and The Kitsap Derby Brats. PDX because they are all super nice but have amazing teamwork and are a challenge to bout, in a good way! KDB because I feel pretty close with most of their skaters! Both teams are awesome Roller Derby Teams! And I can’t say enough about the Reservoir Dolls from Eugene they are a little further away and we usually only play them once a year but they are a great team and of course it is always great to play SDB because I learned to play there and their team is tough.

I have seen you NSO, ref and coach, so clearly you are involved in all aspects of derby. Which of your non-competitive activities do you enjoy the most?
This is a hard question because I LOVE doing all of those. I like to be involved with bouts even when I am not skating. It is fun and a lot of work to pay attention to a bout when you're off skates. But I have to say that I like to NSO because I like to give back to the sport, it takes a lot of people to make a bout successful and we could not bout without the Ref’s and NSO’s

What advice would you give skaters just starting out in Jr Derby?
Some advice that I have for incoming skaters: Everyone was a beginner at one point, come to practice because that is the only way you will improve! But, I think a big thing is to watch lots of other bouts especially adult teams, see how everyone else plays or maybe how you want to play. Derby is mostly a dedication sport and if you put in the time you will have fun and improve. Skate whenever you can.

Galaxy Girls take win over Reservoir Dolls in hard fought bout!

Photo by Wyatte Wood

The picture above says it all.  The Galaxy Girls and Reservoir Dolls met last night at the Southgate Roller Rink in Seattle in what promised to be a well fought bout.  These two teams definitely delivered on that promise.

The bout started out fairly slowly, each team being incredibly stingy on the points.  It was clear that they were both going to fight it out in the pack, and this was going to be about playing a physical game.  For the next hour, it was big hits, big misses and penalty timers with plenty to do.

In the first half, it was SDB having trouble.  Their jammer spent quite a bit of time sitting down, and, as we know, you can't score from the box!  Reservoir dolls had plenty of opportunities at power jams, but the Galaxy Girls had some awesome penalty killing going on. 

Rather than do what we have seen from most teams this season, and racing the pack, Coach Betty opted for stopping their jammers in the pack.  And boy, howdy were those jammers stopped!  Killa Candy, Roma Mafia and Tinker Hell made up the core of the Reservoir jammer rotation (Spunkee Bruizer started the game, but ended up out due to medical issues), and none of the three seemed to find the magic bullet which would slay the Galaxy pack.  Halftime showed the results: 52-47 Reservoir Dolls.

The second half showed the tables turned, and the Dolls were really hurt by penalties.  Jammers were being called off often, but it was mostly in the pack that the Galaxy Girls found themselves with an advantage of one or two for most jams.  Rattle Skate and Neal Cassady spet a lot of time sitting, allowing the Galaxy Girls an easier time to create the openings for their jammers. (Rattle Skate actually got her 7th penalty right at the end of the bout, but the time wound down before the ejection occured). 

Random Max of Violence, Rockin Red and Lilly Lightning started the jammer duties, but Flyin' Hawaiian got her lick in, too and the Galaxy Girls blasted out to a 30 point lead.  But this is roller derby!  Fortunes can change quickly, and they often do. The Dolls battled back to within 15 points and 15 minutes into the second half saw Neal Cassady slap on the star and rattle off a magnificent jam which gave the lead back to Eugene.  They extended the lead a bit, but then SDB threw Whamsday Addams (Borrowed from the Kitsap Derby Brats... I still say she looks good in black! ;) ), Lilly Lightning and Flyin' Hawaiian into several quick 4 and out series which saw that lead evaporate.  Once the Galaxy Girls got the lead this time, they would not let it go.  In the end, they skated the victory lap with the scoreboard showing 142-107

3 stars for Eugene:

Rattle Skate - Once again, she is a force to be reckoned with in the pack.  She may have gotten enough penalties to foul out, but those penalties came because she was in there fighting it out.  Every time I see her play, I just know I am seeing a future star blocker!

Neal Cassady - She was a force in the pack, but it was the awesome power jam that brought her team back into the game which has her in this list.  Before that jam, the Dolls were beginning to sit a little lower in their chairs.  After that jam, they were back on the edges of their seats.  She not only brought back the lead, she brought her team back, too.

Killa Candy - This kid has heart.  She got beat up in the pack quite a bit, but she always got back on her feet and kept going.  To me, she exemplified a lot of what I love about junior derby.  More than points scored or lead jams (and she had her share of both), there's something more that these girls bring to the track.  Killa has it, and there are no stats which track it.

3 stars for the Galaxy Girls:

Lilly Lightning - Lilly was extremely consistent on the jammer line and truly helped lead her team to victory.  She has been out with an injury for a while, so it was good to see her out there once again with a C on her shoulder. 

Flyin' Hawaiian - While I don't have the stats for hits, actions or errors, I am betting Flyin' Hawaiian would be high on the list of big hitters.  Straight off the jammer line, in the pack, jammer stopping, hole opening big hits were her bread and butter last night.  As I said on the mic (yes, I was announcing again), "Thank you for Flyin' Hawaiian!"

Random Max of Violence - Elbows akimbo, legs in every which direction and a body that is seemingly made of spaghetti, Max made her way through the pack and beat solo blockers all night.  She was definitely on her A game jamming.  The moves this skater can make are far from your traditional juke and jive moves, she uses subtler subterfuge of a different type.  Her fakes seem to come from her whole body as she will shape her self around her opponents.  It's awesome fun to watch!

So there you have it: the end of the regular season games for NW Junior Derby.  Next stop is Eugene on August 6th, where it looks like we'll be having a tourney setup with starting bouts drawn from a hat because we are all so evenly matched this year!  With this bout, 3 teams are now 2-2 and every team has at least one victory.  One thing is for certain, this region has some of the best Roller Derby in the nation on the adult level, and the juniors are following suit.

And the hits keep on coming!

Some day, there will be televised derby on a more regular basis. During those telecasts, the introductions of the teams will, of course, have the stats of the player in question, and there in the lower left will be a junior league name showing where the skater started. Sure, it's a dream, but it could happen! And if girls keep on graduating and joining the "big girls", eventually that could definitely happen!

I just got word that Kitsap's Mutch Mayhem has graduated to Slaughter County and has made their travel team, Saints of Slaughter!  That?  Is awesome.  The Jr derby girls of the NW are beginning to make an impact on an adult level, and they will keep on coming.  After August 6th, Thumpurr looks to join Jet City, making her the first SDB to transfer into an adult league (and  rumor has it that they are letting skaters from junior leagues straight up transfer in when they meet the age/education requirements, like several of the other adult leagues in the region).  I also am told that Kitsap will have a few more graduating out this year as well!

It should only be a couple more years before the trickle of this season becomes a flood moving into the NW regional adult leagues.  While it's really exciting to think about the girls who are moving up, and seeing them gain success on another level, I also wonder how it will ultimately effect the game.  These girls are coming in with not only experience skating and playing the game, but with experience in the beginning stages of most of these leagues.  They have been a part of the fund raising, and the decision making (in many leagues), and have a good base for the DIY atmosphere the WFTDA leagues are all about. 

The future of Derby?  Now.