84-64
The result of Clockwork Carnage: Steam Rollers take it, 84 to 64.
That final whistle, and the resulting euphoria - my god. I've never felt anything like it. I can understand why people put themselves through hell to win now - and am so motivated to get a million times better so I can feel it again. Winning is like drugs! But healthier. And legal.
The scoreline hides an intense and emotional hard-fought battle where either team could have taken the game, and it wasn't over until the final jams.
Ultraviolent Femmes had 3 new bouters, the Steamrollers only 1, but we were missing one of our key players - LRG star jammer, Sky Rockit. We had the assistance of Glasgow Rollergirls Maddy Hacket, who'd left Glasgow in the early hours of the morning and due to her flight being cancelled only made it to the venue 30 minutes before the first whistle!
Both teams had put up a similar fight against the Suffra Jets in their respective games, being heavily battered in the first periods, but coming back and closing huge gaps by the end of the third, but never quite managing it. So the teams were very evenly matched in terms of power, and in determination. Both teams REALLY wanted this, and either could have taken it.
From a skaters point of view, it was all a bit of a blur, and I'm sure a spectator could give a much more accurate blow-by-blow of the game, but from my adrenaline fuelled vantage point over by the bench, here's what I remember...
In the first period, it was all about the Steam Rollers. Ninjette got lead in the first jam, but was then held back by some great defense and prevented from ever getting through the pack for a scoring pass. By the end of the first jam, the score was 1-0 to the 'Femmes. Maddy Hackett, with an amazing nifty t-shirt whip on el VISIOUS nipped around Hula Gunn, notoriously difficult to pass, and thus helped the Steam Rollers to edge into the lead. A combination of rock solid defence from 'Rollers - shutting down UF jammer after UF jammer - and some incredible endurance and awesome jamming from both Maddy and 'Rollers captain Fox Sake the first period ended with the 'Rollers more than 20 points in the lead, and the crowd wondering whether it was all over.
Of course, in Roller Derby, 20 points is nothing - you could get 20 points in two good jams - and that's what happened in the second period. The points crept up, with both teams playing defensively and jammers from both teams struggling to break through rock hard walls - the penalty box started seeing far more action that it should - and Auntie Terror for the Steam Rollers and Hula Gunn for the Ultraviolent Femmes were ejected from the period (12 minors or 3 majors will earn you an ejection in a 3 period game).
And then the Steam Rollers were caught in a Jammerless jam, with no jammers in the pack.
A Jammerless jam is when both jammers are sent to the penalty box. You have to line up again with the same players on track, but one of the blockers has to take over as jammer.
Due to a quirk of that particular line-up, we had no one on track who was a jammer - We had Bette Noir, a powerful number 4 and pivot; Misha Naccomplished, playing her first bout, also a number 4, a hard hitter and agile, but not fast; Spooky Von Strange, a number 2/3 player, fast and tough but not agile enough to jam, and GRRiM RiTA - small and agile, but as with the other 3, no jamming experience. Bette Noir, vice captain, made the decision that she was best off in the pack as defence, and sent GRiMM to take the star from the jammer in the penalty box. GRiMM did her best, but couldn't get through the 'Femmes defence, and the 'Rollers struggled. Poor GRiMM then managed to rack up a 4th minor, which put her in the box for a minute, meaning that she had to jam in the following jam as well. Due to players in the box and confusion, Maepalm and I were put on together - we're both relatively inexperienced, this being only our 2nd bout, and we were simply not strong enough to hold back Ninjette, one of the best jammers in the league, by ourselves.
After those two jams, the 'Femmes had closed the gap, and the second period ended with only one point in it, and a crowd on their feet screaming with excitement.
The 'Rollers retreated to our changing room to regroup, talk tactics and prepare to come out fighting. We decided to run with the same line ups from the first period. The newer skaters, myself included, agreed that if we needed to be taken out of a line up to make it stronger, that was a-ok by us. With the chance of winning/losing so close and a game so balanced, you can't be picky about how many jams you play in, and need to be realistic about your own abilities.
The third and final period began, both teams with everything to play for and determined to win. The 'Femmes crept into the lead, 4 points ahead, and the Steam Rollers dug in and, the more experienced players pushed themselves to the bring of exhaustion. The penalties continued to be racked up, with Ena Flash from the Steam Rollers being ejected in the last 10 minutes. I was lined up 3 times, and pulled off 3 times due to players in the box, which was partly gutting as I was so pumped and wanted to play, and partly a relief - we were doing so well and I didn't want to ruin my teams' chances by being a weak link! This meant I spent the majority of the final period as a spectator - and what a game it was.
It could have gone either way until the final few jams when Nuke Leah busted out an amazing 10 pointer. One more line up on the track and then the final whistle went. I think I went temporarily deaf. I didn't hear the whistle. I saw Bette Noir skating back towards us with a look of elation on her face as she barrelled into us - did we do it??? Is that game? we asked - and yes - we'd won. I have never felt anything like it. We jumped, we screamed, we cried, we yelled and hugged, we fell over. I saw the 'Femmes in a huddle, and felt really sad for a moment - I have good friends in that team, and they must have felt so gutted to have been so close and played so well and to have just lost out. They were amazing, and we all had to fight for every point in that last period. Only for a moment though, as I was enveloped in a hug from Nuke Leah, and the jumping, hugging, screaming and falling over ensued once more.
It's become a tradition for the audience to rush forwards to the track for the victory lap, and the skaters to hi-five the crowd as we go round. I'd never thought I'd be part of this victory lap, and it was a blur of faces, happy cheering faces, and some friends in the crowd whose look of pride nearly broke me. Thanks guys :)
Then photos - so many photos - and the awards, where Auntie Terror got Penalty Queen (most penalties), Ena Flash got MVP (Most Valuable Player, voted for by the other team as to who gave them the most trouble! We gave MVP to Ninjette) and Rollergirl of the match - voted for by the audience - went to Fox Sake, and fucking well deserved that was. She was amazing - holding us all together in a crisis, keeping us going when we needed to, jamming her heart and soul out and threatening to punch us when required.
There was so much I missed - I can't wait to see the DVD of the game. I am so determined to be a better player for April - I've got the tactics in my head, I know where I need to be and who I need to hit - that's all gone in. What I need to do now is work on my fitness and endurance, so I can not only see where I need to be, but get there in time and hit hard enough so they STAY DOWN. I don't think I've been more motivated to do anything in my life, ever.
And so, the Steam Rollers get to play the Suffra Jets in the grand final, on the 25th April. I would buy your tickets as soon as they're on sale, if I were you, as we completely sold out this game within the first 15 minutes of the doors opening, and because it is going to be one hell of a match.
I am exhausted, elated, still a little shell shocked, and so proud of my team, and so proud of my league, and so glad I found Roller Derby.
Photos and vids soon, hopefully!
That final whistle, and the resulting euphoria - my god. I've never felt anything like it. I can understand why people put themselves through hell to win now - and am so motivated to get a million times better so I can feel it again. Winning is like drugs! But healthier. And legal.
The scoreline hides an intense and emotional hard-fought battle where either team could have taken the game, and it wasn't over until the final jams.
Ultraviolent Femmes had 3 new bouters, the Steamrollers only 1, but we were missing one of our key players - LRG star jammer, Sky Rockit. We had the assistance of Glasgow Rollergirls Maddy Hacket, who'd left Glasgow in the early hours of the morning and due to her flight being cancelled only made it to the venue 30 minutes before the first whistle!
Both teams had put up a similar fight against the Suffra Jets in their respective games, being heavily battered in the first periods, but coming back and closing huge gaps by the end of the third, but never quite managing it. So the teams were very evenly matched in terms of power, and in determination. Both teams REALLY wanted this, and either could have taken it.
From a skaters point of view, it was all a bit of a blur, and I'm sure a spectator could give a much more accurate blow-by-blow of the game, but from my adrenaline fuelled vantage point over by the bench, here's what I remember...
In the first period, it was all about the Steam Rollers. Ninjette got lead in the first jam, but was then held back by some great defense and prevented from ever getting through the pack for a scoring pass. By the end of the first jam, the score was 1-0 to the 'Femmes. Maddy Hackett, with an amazing nifty t-shirt whip on el VISIOUS nipped around Hula Gunn, notoriously difficult to pass, and thus helped the Steam Rollers to edge into the lead. A combination of rock solid defence from 'Rollers - shutting down UF jammer after UF jammer - and some incredible endurance and awesome jamming from both Maddy and 'Rollers captain Fox Sake the first period ended with the 'Rollers more than 20 points in the lead, and the crowd wondering whether it was all over.
Of course, in Roller Derby, 20 points is nothing - you could get 20 points in two good jams - and that's what happened in the second period. The points crept up, with both teams playing defensively and jammers from both teams struggling to break through rock hard walls - the penalty box started seeing far more action that it should - and Auntie Terror for the Steam Rollers and Hula Gunn for the Ultraviolent Femmes were ejected from the period (12 minors or 3 majors will earn you an ejection in a 3 period game).
And then the Steam Rollers were caught in a Jammerless jam, with no jammers in the pack.
A Jammerless jam is when both jammers are sent to the penalty box. You have to line up again with the same players on track, but one of the blockers has to take over as jammer.
Due to a quirk of that particular line-up, we had no one on track who was a jammer - We had Bette Noir, a powerful number 4 and pivot; Misha Naccomplished, playing her first bout, also a number 4, a hard hitter and agile, but not fast; Spooky Von Strange, a number 2/3 player, fast and tough but not agile enough to jam, and GRRiM RiTA - small and agile, but as with the other 3, no jamming experience. Bette Noir, vice captain, made the decision that she was best off in the pack as defence, and sent GRiMM to take the star from the jammer in the penalty box. GRiMM did her best, but couldn't get through the 'Femmes defence, and the 'Rollers struggled. Poor GRiMM then managed to rack up a 4th minor, which put her in the box for a minute, meaning that she had to jam in the following jam as well. Due to players in the box and confusion, Maepalm and I were put on together - we're both relatively inexperienced, this being only our 2nd bout, and we were simply not strong enough to hold back Ninjette, one of the best jammers in the league, by ourselves.
After those two jams, the 'Femmes had closed the gap, and the second period ended with only one point in it, and a crowd on their feet screaming with excitement.
The 'Rollers retreated to our changing room to regroup, talk tactics and prepare to come out fighting. We decided to run with the same line ups from the first period. The newer skaters, myself included, agreed that if we needed to be taken out of a line up to make it stronger, that was a-ok by us. With the chance of winning/losing so close and a game so balanced, you can't be picky about how many jams you play in, and need to be realistic about your own abilities.
The third and final period began, both teams with everything to play for and determined to win. The 'Femmes crept into the lead, 4 points ahead, and the Steam Rollers dug in and, the more experienced players pushed themselves to the bring of exhaustion. The penalties continued to be racked up, with Ena Flash from the Steam Rollers being ejected in the last 10 minutes. I was lined up 3 times, and pulled off 3 times due to players in the box, which was partly gutting as I was so pumped and wanted to play, and partly a relief - we were doing so well and I didn't want to ruin my teams' chances by being a weak link! This meant I spent the majority of the final period as a spectator - and what a game it was.
It could have gone either way until the final few jams when Nuke Leah busted out an amazing 10 pointer. One more line up on the track and then the final whistle went. I think I went temporarily deaf. I didn't hear the whistle. I saw Bette Noir skating back towards us with a look of elation on her face as she barrelled into us - did we do it??? Is that game? we asked - and yes - we'd won. I have never felt anything like it. We jumped, we screamed, we cried, we yelled and hugged, we fell over. I saw the 'Femmes in a huddle, and felt really sad for a moment - I have good friends in that team, and they must have felt so gutted to have been so close and played so well and to have just lost out. They were amazing, and we all had to fight for every point in that last period. Only for a moment though, as I was enveloped in a hug from Nuke Leah, and the jumping, hugging, screaming and falling over ensued once more.
It's become a tradition for the audience to rush forwards to the track for the victory lap, and the skaters to hi-five the crowd as we go round. I'd never thought I'd be part of this victory lap, and it was a blur of faces, happy cheering faces, and some friends in the crowd whose look of pride nearly broke me. Thanks guys :)
Then photos - so many photos - and the awards, where Auntie Terror got Penalty Queen (most penalties), Ena Flash got MVP (Most Valuable Player, voted for by the other team as to who gave them the most trouble! We gave MVP to Ninjette) and Rollergirl of the match - voted for by the audience - went to Fox Sake, and fucking well deserved that was. She was amazing - holding us all together in a crisis, keeping us going when we needed to, jamming her heart and soul out and threatening to punch us when required.
There was so much I missed - I can't wait to see the DVD of the game. I am so determined to be a better player for April - I've got the tactics in my head, I know where I need to be and who I need to hit - that's all gone in. What I need to do now is work on my fitness and endurance, so I can not only see where I need to be, but get there in time and hit hard enough so they STAY DOWN. I don't think I've been more motivated to do anything in my life, ever.
And so, the Steam Rollers get to play the Suffra Jets in the grand final, on the 25th April. I would buy your tickets as soon as they're on sale, if I were you, as we completely sold out this game within the first 15 minutes of the doors opening, and because it is going to be one hell of a match.
I am exhausted, elated, still a little shell shocked, and so proud of my team, and so proud of my league, and so glad I found Roller Derby.
Photos and vids soon, hopefully!