Season Opener

New Jersey Roller Derby (NJRD) held its first regularly scheduled home bout of the season last night at its usual Morristown location. The evening was a double header featuring first its Junior Division followed by the adult match. Each was an intraleague bout in which the NJRD divided itself into Blue and White teams. While this eliminates the Home vs. Visitor element – all the teams were Home teams – it does showcase the leagues current skills and allows for the selection of very well matched teams. This proved to be the case in both the junior and adult bouts.

In the junior bout, the score wavered between the two teams and, for the bulk of it, neither could pull decisively ahead. With only a dozen minutes remaining Blue led 169-162. Jammers Phantom Panda and Fast n Furious Blue as well as Sarahcuda and Slamasaurus Rex for White, among others, proved adept at slipping by or through opposing blockers. Enthusiastic blocking showed in pileups. Only in the last few minutes did Blue pull ahead for a final score of 234-209 in favor of Blue.

MVPs –

Blue:

#22 Phantom Panda (jammer)

#104 Harley Spin (blocker)

White:

#19 Sarahcuda (jammer)

#7 Darth Skater (blocker)

**** ****

The adult bout was, if anything, more evenly matched. Ragnarok for the Betty Whites and Tuff Crust Pizza for Blue Steel both showed repeated skill at get past strong blocking positions, sometimes with apex jumps. Star passes by both teams occurred with more than usual frequency; this seems to be a well-practiced tactic. Neither team could keep a lead for long, and the first half ended 98-91 in favor of White. In the second half the pattern of trading leads continued. Whenever a gap opened up, as after a solid point gain by Blue’s Queen Guillotine, it was equaled or surpassed by an opposing gain as by White’s Rosa Ruckus. Blocking was tough and well organized on both sides – tough enough to take down Ragnarok hard, though she returned to the track before the end of the game. Chase Windu for Blue proved very good at catching up with an opposing lead jammer thereby causing her to call off the jam. Sukkubus Strike for White helped give her team a margin of victory in the final minutes. The clock ran out with White ahead 184-173.

MVPs –

Blue Steel:

#11 Tuff Crust Pizza (jammer)

#7 Slam Hathaway (blocker)

Betty Whites:

#14 Ragnarok (jammer)

#25 Malicen Wonderland (blocker)

The next home bout is interleague against the Reading Derby Girls in June. The NJRD looks ready.