Minnesota RollerGirls - Flat-track, skater-owned roller derby league in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul

Over 3700 fans of the Minnesota RollerGirls saw two very different matches on a brutally cold, windy night. The Rockits continued to play their brand of efficient, suffocating Derby as they defeated the Atomic Bombshells and brought their winning streak to six. Meanwhile, the Garda Belts came back from a twenty-one point deficit at the half to earn a win against the Dagger Dolls.

Both the Garda Belts and the Dagger Dolls skated with a depleted staff. Of the eighteen Dolls on the active roster, only fifteen laced up to play the Greens. The Garda Belts were similarly depleted; pivot breakout Demora Liza fell to tonsilitis, while Garda jammer Angelfire continues to rehab from shoulder surgery.

But Derby will not be denied, and so the Gardas and the Dolls assembled on the track with the spectacular Sparkle Ninja and point threat Suzie Smashbox dueling for the first lead. The jam commenced and Suzie snuck through the line while the Garda pack engaged the Dollies, lapped, and scored four unanswered points. In the next two jams, the Gardas racked up eight more points as the Dolls adjusted to the rhythms of the Garda Belts and jammer-in-pink Mary Tyler Roar got stranded in the box following a major penalty. The Gardas looked steady and solid in these first five minutes, but Doll pivots Candi Pain and Lydia Punch - throughout those first jams - were calling audibles and starting to bring the pack forward to meet the threat. Gardas 12 - Dolls 0.

The change in tactics paid off as Dagger Doll Mary Tyler Roar took to the line against Suzie Smashbox. Suzie skated into the Doll wall with an illegal blocking move from behind and was sent to the box, giving MTR the Doll's first power jam of the night. Mary made up for lost opportunity by double-slamming the pack, ghosting through despite Tiki Torture trying to slingshot Cupcake into her way. Sparkle Ninja would not be outdone in the next jam; with Doll Scootaloo picking at Garda rookie jammer Rita Rawkus in the back and two Gardas out on penalties, Sparkle Ninja double-slammed as well and brought the Dolls into the lead, 20-12.

In the next jam, Suzie took an unanswered four points while Garda Belt blocker Tiki Torture started to put MTR to the fire, poking her once, twice, three times. Dagger vet Roxanne Rolls took those four points right back as her teammates Wonderbroad, Sinnamin, and Norah Torious hemmed in the Garda jammer. The Gardas scored once more in the half as Suzie Smashbox gained four points despite the Dolls taking the lead for that jam...but from then on, it was all Dolls. Rumblebee went to the box jamming against MTR, giving Mary her second power jam. Once again, Mary double-slammed them; although Inspectress Gadget raced after her, the Dolls ran a pull-back trap and caught Gadget out front. Sparkle Ninja jammed unopposed for the final run of the half with Garda Rumblebee fouling twice in the previous jam; Ninja took four points, and half-time was called as the Dagger Dolls capitalized on several power jam opportunities and stranding the Garda Belts' jammer far from her blockers. At the half, Dolls 41, Garda Belts 20.

With the Gardas twenty-one points behind, the girls in green appeared to regroup during halftime and start working their basics as the second half began. Suzie and Rumblebee each scored four unanswered points against a normally potent one-two Dagger gut-thrust of jammers Sparkle Ninja and Mary Tyler Roar. The Garda Belts seemed together again, working as a team instead of running after players individually. But the first big moment of the half happened in the third jam when Suzie broke from the pack early while Roxanne Rolls was detained by Doll miscommunication...shortly thereafter, the refs sent Roxanne to the box for accumulated minor penalties. The Dolls threw everything at Suzie that they could, but left the Doll defense more and more barren as Dolls flew into the penalty box. Smashbox dodged the pack, sprinted for fifteen full points and the retook the lead for the Gardas, 43-41.
Scootaloo took the lead against Rumblebee and a depleted GB line and grabbed four points; Suzie returned for four more points against the Dolls despite being sent to the back of the pack. Suzie returned to the line immediately to jam against Sparkle Ninja. Although Suzie took the lead, Ninja was close enough behind (about a quarter of the track) that Suzie called off the jam - Suzie has shown that she tends to play it safe in close games, as seen both here against the Dolls as well as in the recent all-star matchup with Madison. Gardas ahead 51-48 with ten minutes left to play.

Mary Tyler Roar took the next lead as Fixie Chic and Candi Pain intercepted Rumblebee, but MTR went to the box for an illegal back block, and Rumblebee took the opportunity to run down the clock and take four more points. However...Rumblebee got sent to the box at the conclusion of the jam, which gave Roxanne Rolls the opportunity to jam unopposed the following jam and put five more points up for the Dollys! Roxanne called off the jam just as Rumblebee returned, well before the Garda could begin scoring...but a two point game in any case. Gardas 55-53, five minutes on the clock.

Now Suzie came to the line against Scootaloo. Suzie veered in and out and broke past the Dolly pack while Scootaloo ran afoul of the Garda back blockers, then got sent to the box on a foul. With a power jam in her pocket, Suzie took the opportunity to turn on the speed and blinked past the Dolls once; Garda Belt bench coach Seamonster called for another round and Suzie obliged for nine points in all.

With only three minutes left to go, the Belts sent in Rita Rawkus for her second regulation jam ever - a big risk in such a pivotal moment of the game - against none other than Mary Tyler Roar. But Rita took the green jammer star, skated like she her quads were made from carbon fiber, and took the lead. Gardas Oneika X, Hanna Belle, and Cupcake worked to send MTR back into the back, where Tiki kept dinking her out of bounds until Rita Rawkus herself took her down on the scoring lap and wore down the clock for a full two minutes. With only a minute remaining, Sparkle Ninja took the line one final time against Suzie Smashbox; although Wonderbroad and the Dolls held back the Garda jammer, Sparkle got sent to the box and the game was called, Garda Belts 67 to the Dolls 53.

The Gardas staged a tremendous comeback, scoring forty-seven points in the second half to the Dolls' twelve. This was a team effort on the part of the Gardas; although Suzie Smashbox scored almost 75% of the points for the Gardas, the defenders - pivots Hanna, Citizen Pain, OptiMiss Crime, and Lola Blackenblue, Tiki Torture's new role as roving huntress, Inspectress Gadget and Oneika and Cupcake and Savage Animal and all - made the difference against a versatile Doll jamming staff. The Dolls were close - very close - to a victory here, but some fouls at all the wrong times swung the momentum to the Skating Irish.

The second match of the night began with Rockit jammer Harmony Killerbruise dueling against Jocelyn D'Jewels. Harmony set the pace of the jam and shot through an opposing pack that had already been depleted by an early foul on ABS pivot Diamond Rough. Jawbreaker took off the Rockit pivot cover and put on the red Star against ABS veteran (and co-MNRG-all-star) CleoSPLATra. JB weaved through the pack like a sentient needle and scored four while Rockit pivot Coochie Coup held back the Bombshell veteran from breaking through the front. Harmony, then Dudezilla, then Jawbreaker led the next three jams for the Rockits and scored a combined eleven points for the red team. The Atomic Bombshells were failing to adjust to the speed of the attacks from the Rockits, but the heavy hits also took their toll. Mitzi got dumped into the inside of the track by Jawbreaker while jamming against her, while diminutive Rockit defender Vuedoo Prodigy laid blocks twice her size on Jocelyn D'Jewels. 19-0 Rockits in only seven minutes.

CleoSPLATra gave the Bombshells their first and only points of the half next as the speedster bent past hits from Rizzo and Scarmen Hellectra. Although she didn't grab the lead, she lapped quickly enough that the opposing jammer couldn't call off the jam before Cleo scored two. Harmony roared back to score a double slam. Rockits 29-2.

Each of the next four jams pulled the Rockits just a little more forward. Jawbreaker stole four points from the ABS before Jocelyn could gain the lead and call off the jam. Atomic Bombshell L'Exi-cuter took the lead, but fell prey to Rizzo and back blocker Honeydew Felon while their teammate Dudezilla grabbed three points. Harmony grabbed one of her textbook slam-and-out jams while Vuedoo actively hunted CleoSPLATra, and Jawbreaker led for four more despite ABS co-captain Misfit Maiden and Diamond Rough's attempts to send her into the seats.

By the end of the first half, the Rockits were well ahead, 45-2. Something to note here; in twenty minutes of play, the two teams played thirteen jams. The pace of this match was insane, and felt much more like the pace of an interleague game than a normal hometown match. The younger Bombshells kept up, but had a great deal of difficulty in doing much besides matching the pace.

Harmony started the second half by grand-slamming Jocelyn D'Jewels (Dolly-blocked - a slow, wide-legged booty block - by Frau Scientits) and the ABS pack. Jawbreaker lost her shot at the lead in the next while getting shook against the inside by ABS blocker Calamity Crush, but still scored two. L'Exi-Cuter then jammed against Dudezilla; the young ABS jammer took a whip from Diamond Rough and made four points (while Dude, just a few paces behind, took two.) It seemed that the next jam might spark a rally for the Bombshells as Venus Thightrap walked through the Rockit pack and took lead. However, the refs made a mistake by also giving Harmony Killerbruise the "finger of power" - (the hand signal for lead jammer) ten seconds later, which Harmony quickly took advantage of and called off the jam. Play continued after a brief conference, but the moment had past. Harmony took the next lead and pulled the Rockits ahead by another point. Rockits 59, Bombshells 10 with twelve minutes remaining.

Dudezilla attacked in the next jam as Honeydew Felon and Scarmen Hellectra held back Cleo long enough for the Rockit co-captain to score five. L'Exi-Cuter showed spirit as she broke through the pack in the next jam; she took lead against a tiring Harmony, got sent reeling by Scarmen leaving the box, and still scored three for the Bombshells. Venus Thightrap took the next lead against Jawbreaker, but on her scoring pass came across JB on defense; Jawbreaker had passed the star to Abbie Mischief and was waiting for the Bombshell jammer. Venus scored two before fouling into the box and Abbie scored nine on the power jam. Dudezilla also took advantage of Venus in the box and scored another five. In the final jam, Abbie Mischief took ten points as time ran out despite being toppled by the rookie ABS pivot Diamond Rough (who also blindsided Jawbreaker) for a last-second takedown. Final score: Rockits 93 - Atomic Bombshells 18.

These Derby recaps often talk of how the score does not reflect the play of the players; again, this is true. The Bombshells drafted a batch of exemplary players to replace those who retired, and the team works together very well. This team will be one to watch in coming seasons. But. This game was all Rockit. Whether it's Harmony's rapid-pace four or five point jams, Dudezilla and Abbie's big scores, Vuedoo's takedowns, the re-emergence of Rizzo as a force to be reckoned with up front, or the continued use of small pokes to opposing jammers to sap momentum, the Rockits' style of play continues to evolve and win games.

The Rockits and Garda Belts are now 2-0. The way is open for the Bombshells or the Dolls to still make the finals, but they are no longer in control of their own destiny. One of those teams must win their next two games by hefty margins and either the Rockits or the Gardas must lose their next two.

We will see you at the Legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium on February 28th when the Rockits renew their feud with the Dagger Dolls and the Atomic Bombshells take on once again the Garda Belts.