Galxy Girls win squeaker over the Rosebuds

Photo by Danny Ngan

Whenever two of the top ranked teams in the world meet, you can be assured that the results are going to be good.  When those two teams are also within the most competitive, most highly skilled region, playing some of the best roller derby out there, you know the results are going to be amazing.

Last night, the Seattle Derby Brats’ Galaxy Girls and the Portland Rosebuds met in a clash containing everything a fan would want: strong competitors, awesome moves, great tactics and strategies, and playing the game they clearly all love.  When that happens, the final score almost doesn’t matter, especially when that score could have so easily gone the other way.

It could be argued that I watch a LOT of junior derby, and that I have watched these two teams play against each other more than a few times over the past 3 years.  That argument would be accurate, and I can say without a doubt that last night was one of the most exciting bouts I have seen since the championships last summer.

Things started fast for Galaxy as Portland jammer, Little Bo Weep found herself off her feet and cooling her heels in the penalty box nearly right out of the gate.  The Portland blocker corps stood firm, only allowing 8 points in the power jam, a serious accomplishment against two powerhouses like Flyin’ Hawaiian and Beatin’ Bam!!B.  The Galaxy Girls shot ahead 28-0 in 5 jams before the Portland bench called a time out to regroup.

The 6^th jam saw them with Portland’s first power jam of the game, but Seattle wasn’t going anywhere.  The blockers held the speeding Little Bo Weep to 9 points, but her compatriot Painbow Fright slapped on the star and slapped up a 9-2 decision, pulling the Buds to within 12.  Over the next several jams, Bam!!B, and Flyin’ battled hard on the jammer line against Anaphylactic Shock and Little Bo Weep, Seattle clawing ahead in one jam, Portland clawing back in the other until Tempest Fugit donned the star and brought the Rosebuds to within five points, 44-49.

The rest of the half saw some incredible blocker prowess.  Twice the Galaxy Girls had the power jam and twice they were held to single digits (5 and 2), but their own blocking was holding just as firm as Portland only managed to score twice in the last eight jams of the half.  When the whistle blew, Seattle had managed to extend their lead to 20 points, 72-52.

But this is Junior derby, and these two are teams of titans.  They.Will.Not.Give.Up!  All it took was a single cut track by DisLykeHer, some great pack management by Portland  and a power jamming Tempest Fugit to close that pesky 20 point gap and tie the game in the first jam in the second half.  Quickly following it up with a ten spot of her own to finish out the power jam was Little Bo Weep and Portland had their first lead of the game!

You could almost hear the hearts of the Galaxy fans drop as the screams and cheers of the Buds’ supporters filled the Southgate Roller Rink.  Those cheers were quieted and the Seattle fans had reason to add to the din as tSAMnami snatched the lead right back in the next with an 11 point power jam before heading to the sin bin at the conclusion of the jam for a back block, advantage Portland!  Painbow Fright took the lead back, 87-83.

The Rosebuds extended that lead to eight points before Lilly Lightning and Bam!!B gave a one-two punch and brought a 12 point lead back to their bench!

Enurgizer Bunny found herself the beneficiary of an error on the part of Scream Cheese and battled her way to a 14 point score, expanding that lead to 22 points, 117-95.  But once again, folks!  These teams just don’t know the meaning of the word quit.  A-shock took the star in the box for a fouled-out Cheese and took every advantage of Bam!!B’s only error of the night, throwing up a 20 point power jam to pull within 6.  Strong blocking and quick jamming by Mal Intent and and Bunny kept Tempest Fugit to 2 points and Rainbow Dash to 4, but they were blanked themselves and Portland’s lead stood at seven as Dash found herself the victim of the referees and was sent to the box for a low block.

A chant went up as Seattle took a time out and Lilly Lightning took the star and a 15 point power jam, calling it off just as Dash was standing in the box.  Enurgizer Bunny put up a 10-0 decision of her own on the back of withering Galaxy blocking.  The Galaxy Girls again had a double digit lead of 18 points. And again, this one wasn’t over!

Lilly Lightning and Jesus Feist on the jammer line.  The whistle blows and the jammers begin to fight through the pack.  Lilly is called for cutting and Feisty runs up 15 points!  She calls the jam with 26 seconds left on the clock!  The 30 second rundown starts with Lilly still in the box and the teams lining up.  The Seattle fans are holding their breath as the clock winds down and the Portland fans are screaming for a time out!  No time out call comes from the bench, the final whistle blows and the Seattle fans let out their breath in a howl of victory as the final tally stands at 150-147!

Amazing bout!

Three cheers for the Galaxy Girls:

Mal Intent – in years past, I have seen Mal Intent mainly as a jammer, and a damned fine one at that.  Towards the end of last season I began to see her blocking really solidifying, and last night it came forward in an amazing fashion. Throwing up 4 assists, 2 stopped jammers and 2 big hits, she earns the first cheer!

Beatin’ Bam!!B -  Holy wow, this girl was awesome last night!  55 points across 10 jams and a 90% lead jammer rate.  90%!  That more than earns her the second cheer for Seattle!

Flyin’ Hawaiian – I love watching this girl skate!  While didn’t find a lot of success on the jammer line, coch Betty put her out on the floor as a blocker, and she definitely showed her power.  With 5 jammer stops, three big hits and an assist she earns that third cheer!

Three cheers for the Rosebuds!

Tempest Fugit – Not only a terror on the jammer line with 38 points across 10 jams, she also earns a double threat badge with three big hits, a jammer stop and an opening.  Definitely a cheer is deserved here!

Jesus Feist – Far and away, she’s one of the best.  She showed why she’s an All Star last night with 23 points, 3 big hits, an assist and an opening.  Second cheer for her!

Scream Cheese – While she may have fouled out of the game, she did manage to score an impressive tally as a blocker, putting up stop after stop and laying down some shattering hits.  She proved why she is one of the most respected blockers in the NW junior game.  Third cheer for Scream Cheese!

Blocker StatsAnd now, the blocker stats! A blocker has three categories: jammer stops, open holes and big hits. 

B - Big hits are, well, big hits, but they have to be clean and they have to be significant. 
S - Jammer stops have to keep the jammer from getting through the pack in a significant way.
O - Open holes are awarded for creating an opening for your jammer to get through. 
A - Assists are awarded if you contribute significantly in a play which gives your teammate the ability to make a big play.

Remember, this is only based on what I can see. If I missed a big hit for you, I am sorry!

Galaxy Blocker Stats
Stella Mental  S-2, A-1
Mal Intent  B-2, A-4, S-2
Poison Izzie  B-2, A-1, O-1
DisLykeHer S-2, A-1
Lilly Lightning S-2, O-1, A-1
Rosie D Kream-Her B-3, S-2, A-1
Tina Angst S-2, A-1
Rockin' Red S-2, A-1
Brutiful Beast S-1, A-2
Enurgizer Bunny B-2, A-3
Flyin' Hawaiian B-3, S-5, A-1

Rosebuds
Scream Cheese B-2, S-4
Painbow Fight B-1, A-1
Lemon Stinger A-1, O-1, S-1
Annaphylactic Shock S-2
Lemon Stinger A-1, O-1, S-1
Medula Oblongotchya B-1, S-4, A-1
Tempest Fugit B-2, S-1, A-1, O-1
Mackenzie B-1, A-2
Root of All Evil S-1

Update! Jammer stats for SDb v Kitsap

Thanks, Mama Bunny!

galaxy	Leads	Jams	Pts	diff
Bambii	4	7	30	7
Bunny	5	7	73	53
Lilly	5	8	36	20
Lava	0	3	5	-17
Elly	4	5	18	4
Syd	3	5	20	2
Sam	5	7	28	3
malli	2	4	17	17

 

 

kitsap	leads	Jams	pts	diff
Kae oss	2	11	19	-31
Champ pain	5	8	24	18
Aqua	0	1	3	3
Lolly palooza	0	1	0	-24
Mean sunshine	3	8	49	8
t- pain	3	8	32	4
Red rage	1	2	4	4

Photo by Wyatt

Kitsap gets win over Roller Punks 232-188

I caught the ferry over, thinking about the girls I knew were going to be bouting tonight.  Both rosters had some names I didn't recognize, but some old standards from the western side of the sound were all going to be there.  Chewbecca, Red Rager, Cookie Dozer and Little Mean Sunshine... but tonight they would be playing against each other. The new team in the A team mix, the Port Scandalous Roller Punks, would be taking the track for their first ranked bout and several of the skaters formerly skated with KDB.  It was going to be interesting to see how they fared against their former teammates!

I got there as warm-ups were in full swing, the Punks working together in precision, the D-bombers (as the KDB team is now known) skating with practiced calm.  Very shortly, this one was under way.

The first jam was a shocker as the Kitsap penalty bench filled with incredible speed.  3 skaters in the box and no jammer gave T-WrecksHer a 19-0 decision.  It was clear that the refs were calling this game close, and the 2013 no minors rule set was making for some hot times in the penalty box.

Two jams later, a bit of jammer musical chairs (a cut track for Port Scandalous and a low block for Kitsap) ended in Kitsaps favor and Little Mean Sunshine bolted out for a 15 point run of her own, bringing Kitsap in striking distance of taking the lead.  The teams battled back and forth, with Kitsap taking the brunt of the penalty calls until Kae-Oss took to the track against T-WrecksHer in the 13th jam.T-WrecksHer cut the track coming through the pack, allowing Kae-Oss a power jam opportunity, which she used to great advantage, rattling off 19 points and giving Kitsap the lead.

A slim lead it was, though, and the Punks were fighting hard.  Halftime saw the score separated by a mere 20 points at 111 D-Bombers - 91 for the Punks.  As we know, in a game where a single jam can yield that many, this was still anyone's game.
The first three jams of the new half saw that fight continue as the Kitsap squad managed only seven points while blanking punks. In jam four the Scandalous crew had their shot. A forearm by Champ Pain in the 3rd gave Smack Miller a power jam in the 4th and she used it to gain 20 points, lapping a short pack four times and bringing the Roller Punks within 8.

After that, the D-Bomber defense went into overdrive and a 43-3 run for Kitsap over the next 6 jams  put this one out of reach.  While Madde Go Round did post up the highest scoring jam just before the final whistle blew (29 points), it wasn't enough as the D-Bombers stood tall with their fist win of 2013, 232-188

Three Cheers for D-Bombers
Red Rager - Usually seen  as a blocker, this young woman has upped her stamina and speed significantly.  Tonight saw her lead the Kitsap charge with 63 points, a 76% lead rate and an average of 4.84 points per jam.  Go, Red!

Quarter Poundher - She led the blocker stats with two big hits, 2 stops and an assist.  Just about every time I looked up, she was there in front of the jammer, daring her to challenge.  She definitely earned this cheer!
Krissy Karnage - One of the faces I didn't recognize tonight is one I will be watching for more this season.  With 2 assists, a big hit and opening one hole for her jammer on offense, she has earned the third Kitsap cheer!

Three Cheers for the Roller Punks
Madde Go Round - The thing they tell you is that you have to get lead in order to control the scoring.  While this young lady only got lead 30% of the time, she outscored Red across the same number of jams (13 each) with 69.  Her never-give-up attitude and 5.84 points per jam earns her the first Port Scandalous cheer of 2013!

Smack Miller - Right behind her teammate in scoring with 56 points of her own, a 46% lead rate and 3.73 PPJ, Smack Miller earns cheer number 2!

Talli Whack'her - She helped keep my team in the game on Saturday night at a black and white demo (I was bench coaching, to my surprise), and she definitely helped keep the Punks alive in this one.  With three big hits, an assist and a jammer opening she led her team in the blocker stats and earns the third cheer!

 Jammer Stats
My stats are not the official stats as gathered by the NSO's during the bout.  I use those when I can get them, but often it's just me being super NSO, gathering points per jam, lead jammer, jammer penalties, and doing the blocker stats as well.  Somtimes I write down a number wrong in the rush (which is why I love the NSO's who are so willing to share numbers!)  Here's what I have for the bout!
Name - total points, lead %, jams skated, ppj

KDB
Kae-oss - 37, 83%, 6, 6.16
T-Pain - 25, 25%, 4, 6.25
Little Mean Sunshine - 38, 40%, 14, 7.6
Champ Pain - 41, 42%, 14, 2.9
Red Rager - 63, 76%, 13, 4.84
Aqua Knock U Out - 20, 50%, 2, 10.0

PSRP
T-WrecksHer, 42, 40%, 15, 2.8
Smack Miller, 56, 46%, 15, 3.73
Madde-Go-Round, 69, 30%, 13, 5.3
ChewBecca, 18, 0%, 1, 18.0

Blocker Stats
And now, the blocker stats! A blocker has three categories: jammer stops, open holes and big hits. 

B - Big hits are, well, big hits, but they have to be clean and they have to be significant. 
S - Jammer stops have to keep the jammer from getting through the pack in a significant way.
O - Open holes are awarded for creating an opening for your jammer to get through. 
A - Assists are awarded if you contribute significantly in a play which gives your teammate the ability to make a big play.

Remember, this is only based on what I can see. If I missed a big hit for you, I am sorry!

KDB
Champ Pain - B-1, S-2
Allison Wonderslam – B-1, A-2
Quarter Poundher – B-2, S-2, A-1
Hollypalooza – S-1, A-2
Aqua Knock U Out – B-1
Krissy Karnage – B-1, O-1, A-2
Gaines Slayer – B-2, A-1
Kayti Katastrophe – A-1
T-Pain – S-1
Stabby Gabby – B-1, S-1, O-2

PSRP
Carma Kick Sass – A-1
Chewbeca – B-1, S-3
Cookie Dozer – A-2
Dose-Her Pain – B-1
Madde-Go-Round – A-1
Talli Whack’her – B-3, S-1, A-1, O-1
Tess-La-Coil – S-4, O-1, A-1
T-WrecksHer – A-1, O-1

So there you have it!  Week 2 down, week lots of derby to go!  Next weekend is going to be a real battle as Portland are bringing not only the Buds, but a home team to battle against the Galaxy B team.  Should be a night not to miss at Southgate Roller Rink!

x

Week one in the books!

The first game of the 2013 NW Jr derby season is in the books!  SDB Galaxy Girls met the KDB D-Bombers as the first bout of a double header up in Belingham, WA.  While I was not there, I did get a chance to talk to a few people who were and got some reports on the action during the bout.  From what I heard, KDB actually pulled ahead in the first half before a high scoring jam by Lilly Lightning.  At the half, the score stood at 67-127.  From there, the Galaxy Girls ruled lead jammer and control of the scoreboard, ending the game with a final of 133-252.

Photo by Kim Lincoln

Then comes the bouts I was at, I5 Rollergirls vs JBLM.  While I was busy during the bouts doing NSO work, I did get to see some amazing roller derby!  I hjad the opportunity to see the JBLM Bettie Brats a few weeks ago in a bout against my own SJRD.  It was clear that they were working hard, developing strategies and practicing hard for their game against the I5 B team.

The first half saw the I5 squad zooming to a 40-0 lead in two jams on the back of a massive 35 point jam by Maya Massacre.  Fom there, the I5 squad was spending more time in the box than on the track, allowing the Brats' Stranger Danger to take a 65-57 point lead 5 jams later with a 34 point power jam.  Karmic death tied it up in the next jam (69-69).  From there I5 kept the jams on lock-down, snagging lead and grabbing 4 and out decisions and taking the lead for good.  At the half, JBLM was still in easy striking distance with I5 only ahead 100-84.

The second half saw the I5 squad coming out and doing what they know best.  Strong, powerful jamming and precision teamwork coupled with crippling defense nearly shutting down the scoring efforts of JBLM.  The Brats only managed to score in 4 of the 26 jams while Tiny Terror, Maya Massacre and Karmic Death racked up 20+ points each in the same number of jams.  At the end, the I5 B's took the victory lap with a final score of 276-117.

Three cheers for the Bettie Brats!
Stranger Danger - This kid is awesome.  Great agility and speed and a great head for being where he needs to be.  His team leading 43 points earns him a cheer!

Lil Fox - Scoring 27 points and a 40% lead jammer rate, as well as some impressive turns at pivot and blocker earn her the second cheer for the Bettie Brats!

Kill Joy - Skating in a huge number of the jams at Pivot, she kept her effort up through the entire game and earns the third cheer!

Three cheers for I5 B team
Maya Massacre - 114 points, 12.67 per jam average, 78% lead rate.  Nuff said!  She wins cheer number one!

Karmic Death - Just behind Maya Massacre with 87 points, 12.43 per jam and winning an 86% lead rate? Cheer number 2!

Photo by James McDaniel

Barbie Brutal - While she led the team in penalties (4), she also led the blocker stats!  She was on the floor more than anyone else on the team, all of it as blocker.  Her jammers scored 185 points with her on the floor, earning her a well deserved 3rd cheer!

A huge thanks to James McDaniel and Kim Lincoln for use of their photos.  See more!

I5 A v JBLM Roller betties
D-Bombers v SDB Galaxy Girls

Coming tomorrow, I5 A v JBLM Roller Betties in a battle of junior derby vs an adult team!

The 2013 season is upon us!

Well, then!  The leagues have rolled off the rust, done the workouts and made themselves ready to do battle for the prize in 2013!

As you can see in the rankings widget to the right, the Port Scandalous Roller Punks have added themselves to the A team rankings for 2013 and will fight it out through the first 6 months of the year for the seeding in Championship tourney in July in Seattle (hosted by the Seattle Derby Brats this year).

This year, I actually have some more B team articles planned, including my own SJRD, SDB Div I and Div II, I5 B team, Spoakne's Cherry Bomb Brawlers and the as yet unveiled West Sound Roller Girls, and even a bout of the I5 Rollergirls vs an adult team, JBLM!  It should be a lot of awesome fun!

NW Junior Roller Derby Blog attendance/Writing schedule for the 2013 season

January 12th - I5 Rollergirls v JBLM (A vs Adult, B vs Bettie Bratz) - NSOing, so it will be a summary article
January 19th - West Sound Rollergirls and SJRD B&W bout
Januahry 20th Kitsap Derby Brats v Port Scandalous
January 26th SDB Galaxy Girls v Rosebuds
Feb 16th - SJRD v Cherry Bomb Brawlers (in Spokane)
March 2-3 - Wild West Showdown (Kitsap v Rosebuds, I5 v Galaxy, Reservoir Dolls v Port Scandalous) as well as a tournament involving teams from across the country and Canada!
March 23rd SJRD v SDB Div I
March 24th I5RG v Rosebuds (in Portland)
April 20th SJRD v Toxic 253
May 4th SDB Mighty Roller v I5 B, SDB Galaxy Girls v Port Scandalous 
May 11th SJRD v JBLM Bettie Bratz
May 17-18 Big O (Rosebuds, Reservoir Dolls, Lava City, Kitsap)
June 1 I5B v SJRD
June 23 KDB v Eugene Reservoir Dolls
July 6-7 NW Junior Derby Championships

Looking for one more game in June, hopefully. I know it's kind of Seattle-centric this season, but gas is expensive!

Edit - Have to change my June 1 plans.  SJRD and I5 on June 1 (can't miss my own girl playing, can I?) and adding in KDB v Reservoir Dolls on June 23 for my trip south.

Writer All-Star Elwood Bruise!

Around the country, there are folks writing articles about roller derby, the all stars, and the best of the best.  Here in the NW, we know we have the treasure:  Elwood Bruise.

Through years of writing about and watching the sport, he has been able to set a high bar for quality and analysis in a derby article.  Others emulate him, in fact I myself took inspiration from not only his writing, but his stats keeping as well. 

He goes all over the Northwest, pen and stats sheets in hand, often doing the job of 3 people by himself.  Leagues everywhere wait with bated breath for his 3 stars, wondering who he will single out for one of the most sought after unofficial accolades out there.

This time of year, he spends untold hours tabulating votes and compiling articles on the all stars of the NW, expanding to doing Montana, Idaho and British Columbia as well as Washington State.  What he does is nothing short of amazing.

I have had the distinct honor of working with this man on numerous occasions as we both scramble to write down the big hits, stopped jammers, and big moves of the roller derby community, and I am so often amazed at what he is able to bring to his articles.  To my mind, he defines what writing about Roller Derby is all about.  I am a better writer because of him.

So thank you, Elwood Bruise!

"He believed in junior derby when everyone else still thought it was cute....maybe he's on to something" - Jenyfer-Jenocidal Ewig

“Elwood personifies all Pacific Northwest Roller derby. His insightful and uplifting articles , bout reviews and yearly all star ratings show how much he not only loves sports, but roller derby. While we know that this time of year he would much rather be rink side watching Ice Hockey, Elwood take his time to make us all feel the love of the huge family we all are, in the PNW Derby community.” – Ann Pearson Sevaatsi

When I started skating, after every bout I played in the first thing I would look for is Elwood's bout recap.Ever Since I joined derby I've looked to those recap to measure my progress, find motivation, and look for inspiration. Even before he was my coach Elwood was pushing me to become a better skater, and you could say that he's partially responsible for the skater I am today - Chewbecca

And it's official...

ROSEBUDS!



Rose City Rosebuds with 1st place trophy.  Photo by Bradley Bartlett

That's right, the Rose City Rosebuds completed their season with an undefeated run in the championship tourney, winning three EXTREMELY close bouts.  Add to that their wins in every bout they played this season, and you have an absolutely astounding undefeated team.

But as someone said this weekend, a lot of the bouts amounted to who was ahead when the time ran out.  Yes, these bouts were that close, these teams that closely matched.  While there was only one switch in the championship results from the season standings, it could have very easily been completely switched up.

Bout one saw the Galaxy Girls vs the Reservoir Dolls, and the tourney was off with a bang.  Galaxy took a tough fought bout in this one. 

In bout two, Kitsap took to the track against the I5 Rollergirls.  While I5 took the victory, Kitsap was clearly in control for a good portion of the bout, keeping the I5 speed team in check with some extremely tight pack work and some seriously well timed jamming.

Game 3?  The Galaxy Girls, winners of bout one, faced off with the Rosebuds.  This one, quite literally, came down to the last jam.  With the Galaxy Girls up by just a few points and a scrum holding back the jammers, Jesus Feist took a star pass and managed to score four points, taking the lead (a feat they would repeat later on down 13 in the last jam against I5 in game 5).

See what I mean?  Every team brought everything they had and left it on the track.  Both I5 and the Galaxy Girls played four bouts through the weekend as they would their way to 2nd (I5) and 3rd (Galaxy Girls) place finishes, while the Buds and Dolls played 3 of their own in the stifling Sk8 Town heat. 

I saw girls fighting through pain and fatigue to keep the jams going, girls who were clearly at the end of their reserves dig deep and find something else to keep on skating.  There were apex jumps, muscling through scrums, extreme agility as they shrugged off hits or barely kept their feet inbounds to force a track cutting penalty on a passing jammer, and a Pegassist (Jesus Feist lifting Anaphylactic Shock past the scrum with I-5 to snag lead jammer).  I saw refs, NSO's and volunteers giving everything THEY had to keep each other going, and trying to keep up with these phenomenal girls. 

In short, while the Rosebuds went home with the 1st place trophy, the real winner was roller derby.  If anyone had any doubt about junior derby going into this weekend, they should not have a shadow of a doubt going out.  This was, far and away, the best derby I have seen this past year.  These girls amaze me, these people amaze me, and I am so very proud to have been a part of this event.  Thank you, girls.  Seriously.

2012 has been great, and 2013 cannot come soon enough!

And now, three cheers for each team!  Each of them is chosen for their excellence during this tournament.  While these are the three from each team who stood out in my kind and in the stats I tracked while I was not annoucning, there are so many more I could call out for each team!

5th place - Kitsap Derby Brats
Quarter Poundher
Red Rager
Little Mean Sunshine

4th place - Reservoir Dolls
Spunkee Bruizer
Rattle Skate
Tiny Badness

3rd Place - Galaxy Girls
Enurgizer Bunny
Flyin' Hawaiian
Beatin' Bam!!B

2nd Place -  I5 Roller Girls
Hunt-her Down
Smash Ketchum
Dee Stroir

1st place - Portland Rosebuds
Cheese Grater of Despair
Scream Cheese
Anaphylactic Shock

NOTE!!
Yes, this is not truly a recap of the blow by blow action.  As Elwood Bruise (who kept stats every game) compeltes his recaps, I will be putting links to those recaps.  Thanks for readin, and head on over to Elwood's page for more!

Game 1 - SDB v Reservoir Dolls
Game 2 - Kitsap v I5
Game 3 - Rosebuds v Galaxy Girls
Game 4 - Reservoir Dolls v Kitsap Derby Brats
Game 5 - Rosebuds v I5
Game 6 - Galaxy Girls v Reservoir Dolls
Game 7 - I5 v Galaxy Girls
Game 8 - Rosebuds v I5

There you go!  All 8 games from the tournament.