(34) OHIO ROLLER GIRLS DROWN OUT (43) NASHVILLE ROLLERGIRLS, 222-172
Well rested from their brief mid-season hiatus—the first after nearly four months and fifteen games—and keenly focused after last week’s announcement of placements for the 2015 International WFTDA Playoffs, the Ohio Roller Girls hit the road to Nashville, ready to face the heat of the Music City All Stars. Each team had previously bested the other on their home tracks, and Ohio was well poised to snag a road win this time around to improve their record to 2-1 over Nashville.
Ohio took the lead in the first jam, and held on to it for the next seven. Strong Nashville defense in jam three could not contain The Smacktivist, who pushed through for lead jammer status. Slipping easily back into Ohio defense, Zee Loraine Acid Gulertekin partnered with blockers Ena Flash and Texas Chainsaw Sasskicker to silence Nashville’s jammers. A string of four lead jams for Nashville allowed them to take a 50-46 lead in jam nine, but they couldn’t hold the high note for long. Kitty Liquorbottom broke their lead jam streak while donning the star panty, and Burnadeath followed up with a fast and intense power jam. The Smacktivist grabbed lead status in jam fifteen, putting up 4 points and stealing back the lead for Ohio, 64-63. The remainder of the period saw tight defense on both sides, each holding the other to minimal gains, for a halftime score of 81-70 for Ohio.
The second half kicked off strongly in Ohio’s favor, as The Smacktivist easily put up 9 points while a tough wall by Kitty Liquorbottom, Jesse “Ava Tarr” Fox, Zee Loraine Acid Gulertekin, and Quiet Storm prevented any answering points. Ohio blockers shined in the second half: tight teamwork by Burnadeath and Bigg Rigg took Nashville’s jammer out-of-bounds time and again in the third jam, Paige Bleed transitioned seamlessly between defense and offense in jam six, and Amy Spears provided impressive offensive assistance for The Smacktivist. With the score sitting at 124-101 after eight jams, Nashville was eager to close the gap, but struggled to keep their jammers out of the penalty box. A crushing 32-point jam by The Smacktivist was met with wild approval by the legion of dedicated Ohio fans who had traveled to the Music City for the game, and provided a more comfortable lead. Still focused, Kitty Liquorbottom brought Ohio’s lead to 204-138 with a power start in jam fourteen, then Karmabel Lectur took the star for the first time in a fast & furious jam. Wrapping up with a power jam by The Smacktivist, Ohio upset Nashville with a 222-172 victory.
GANG GREEN CONTINUES OHIO’S VICTORY BLITZ
Much like their charter team counterparts, Ohio’s Gang Green was considered to be the underdog going into their match against Nashville this past weekend. Forcing several penalties to the Nashville Brawl Stars’ jammers early in the contest enabled Gang Green to snatch a quick lead that they refused to relinquish. Using a deep jamming rotation of Blitz Lemon, KloverKill, Karmabal Lectur, HellionBOI, and Val Holla, Gang Green was able to keep their point scorers fresh and relatively penalty free. Although physically undersized against the home squad Brawl Stars, Gang Green pack players were able to strategically block the Nashville skaters away from the inside and outside lines, effectively providing enough room for their jammers to move through the pack. Gang Green’s Zinnia Zombie and Quiet Storm played perhaps the best games of their careers in an Ohio uniform as both skaters not only landed devastating hits, but played exceptional one-on-one defense as well. Also contributing to the victory defensively were Ohio’s NiCold N’ Deadly, Garden of Beatin, Lil Spitfire, and rookie Last Call Ta’Killya. As the clock hit triple zeros, it was Gang Green pulling out the upset over the Brawl Stars, 203-151. Up next for Gang Green is an away bout against Steel City’s Steel Beamers (Pittsburgh) on August 8th before closing out their home season on August 22nd against Indianapolis’s Naptown Rollergirls.
The Ohio Roller Girls now ride a four game win streak, and will head east to square off against Steel City Roller Derby (Pittsburgh, PA) on August 8th.
Photos by: Daniel Whitaker, Facebook, Website
