OHIO SPLITS WINS WITH NAPTOWN TO KICK OFF SEASON TWELVE
After a road trip to Indianapolis in February, Ohio Roller Derby began their twelfth home season with a doubleheader rematch against Naptown Roller Derby. In their tenth meeting in nearly eight years, the Ohio Roller Derby All Stars looked for a more decisive win than their most recent 147-145 victory over the Naptown Roller Derby Tornado Sirens, while Gang Green aimed to beat Naptown’s B-team, the Warning Belles, for the first time since 2009.
(35) OHIO FALLS JUST SHORT OF (31) NAPTOWN, 149-162
Knowing that the track to victory would be hard-fought and every single point could prove crucial, the Ohio Roller Derby All Stars launched a rapid assault from the first whistle, with Gorges Curves and Pain Train opening a 17-0 lead in their first home jams for Ohio. Naptown tied up the score over the next two jams, then forced the first lead change of the game in jam 6. Pain Train grabbed lead status in the following jam as Naptown gave up the first power jam opportunity of the period, and posted 14 unanswered points to retake a 37-26 lead. Despite finding themselves at a 3-4 pack disadvantage and eventually losing their jammer to the penalty box, Ohio’s blockers were able to minimize gains over the next five minutes, ignoring offense and repeatedly forcing Naptown skaters into the path of their own jammer. With just over 13 minutes remaining in the period, the Tornado Sirens grabbed the lead once more, 49-44. Val Holla and Pain Train were able to whittle that lead down to a single point by the 8-minute mark. Dual jammer penalties in jam 16 resulted in a two-minute grind that only provided a 3-point gain for the Indianapolis squad, and a 14-0 run in the following jam ended with Cherry-Oto-Fire receiving a high block penalty. Exploiting the subsequent power start, Gorges Curves swiftly found lead status and 9 points while Slammerhead forced Cherry-Oto-Fire out of bounds on her initial pass. Penalties to both jammers stretched the last jam of the half, but Pain Train jumped the apex to clear the pack & pick up 3 points on her return, holding Naptown to an 88-68 lead. A successful official review at the end of the jam sent Maiden America back to the penalty box, guaranteeing a power start for Ohio in the second half.
Taking a hard defensive approach and focusing on quick shutout jams, Ohio began chipping away at Naptown’s lead. Chainsaw, Blitz Lemon, and Kelsey Khaos stymied Scorpiopathic at the front of the pack long enough for Pain Train to escape the Tornado Sirens’ rear defense; held scoreless for five minutes of play, Maiden America finally nabbed lead for Naptown, but Gorges Curves matched her point for point. With a 4-3 pack advantage, Ohio’s defense collapsed on the opposing jammer at the 24-minute mark, sending her to the penalty box along with a second Naptown blocker and giving Pain Train space to grab lead for a 9-0 gain. Scorpiopathic fought to widen Naptown’s 92-90 lead, but faced solo defense from Betty T. KayO while Lora “Outa My” Wayman eked out 4 points. Spinning and squeezing her way through the Tornado Sirens’ very physical defense, Val Holla took advantage of a critical power jam opportunity to rack up 15 points and boost Ohio to a 109-108 lead. Naptown answered with a 12-5 gain and a fifth lead change, but with just under half the period remaining, Pain Train rocketed up the inside line and into lead status, shedding blockers and retaking a 124-121 lead. Playing a bit of defense on the line, Ohio jammers were able to match points over the next six minutes, with Kitty Liquorbottom and Bigg Rigg switching seamlessly between offense and defense. Naptown took the lead for the final time as their blockers turned up the heat on Pain Train, though Ohio kept it close with a 5-0 power jam by Gorges Curves. Val Holla chased down Scorpiopathic with an offensive boost from Zee “Loraine Acid” Gulertekin, but an ill-timed power jam allowed Naptown to grab 12 points. A 5-point gain by Lora “Outa My” Wayman put Ohio within striking distance for a final jam, but a quick lead & call off by Naptown cemented the 149-162 loss.
MVPs for the Ohio Roller Derby All Stars were Pain Train (jammer) and Zee “Loraine Acid” Gulertekin (blocker). MVPs for the Naptown Roller Derby Tornado Sirens were Cherry-Oto-Fire (jammer) and Wham Bam (blocker).
Unofficial stats (lead jammer status, total jams, and scoring) for Ohio were: Pain Train (8-17, 66 pts); Gorges Curves (6-13, 43 pts); Val Holla (3-7, 31 pts); Lora “Outa My” Wayman (1-6, 9 pts); and Zee “Loraine Acid” Gulertekin (0-1, 0 pts).
Unofficial stats (lead jammer status, total jams, and scoring) for Naptown were: Cherry-Oto-Fire (7-15, 68 pts); Maiden America (10-15, 53 pts); Scorpiopathic (5-9, 38 pts); Krytical Velocity (1-4, 3 pts); and Wham Bam (0-1, 0 pts).
GANG GREEN SILENCES THE WARNING BELLES, 194-148
After seven consecutive losses to the Naptown Warning Belles, including the most recent 118-249 defeat, Ohio’s Gang Green was more than prepared for a change of pace. Naptown jumped to a 15-1 lead after two jams, but Gang Green took decisive action in jam 3: Quiet Storm & Sarah Sexton forced Amelia B Killya out of bounds and into a track cut penalty, and a string of blocker penalties gave TactiGal plenty of time to grab lead status and 25 points. BrussKnuckles, Val Holla, and Paige Bleed ran with that momentum, posting a combined 19 unmatched points over the next three jams before the Warning Belles were granted a 9-0 power jam. Clearing the pack backwards on a scoring pass, Kelsey Khaos boosted Gang Green to a 49-28 lead with 17:15 remaining in the half, but Naptown denied any gain over the next six jams, chalking up handfuls of points to tie the score at 49-49 with just under 10 minutes on the clock. Val Holla tangled Lysis to Kill in her own defense before snagging lead, then tight teamwork from Amy Spears & TactiGal allowed Kelsey Khaos to nab an additional 4 points. Down by a scant 3 points, Naptown looked to capitalize on a power start, but a penalty to their jammer resulted in a 13-9 gain for Ohio instead. Amanda Adams forced the Warning Belles’ offense to block their own jammer, creating a distraction while TactiGal sped away on an 8-0 run, and BrussKnuckles found 4 more points as Lawless and Paige Bleed teamed up on Brickhouse Massacre. Fast packs and minimal gains ended the first period, with Gang Green boasting an 83-67 lead.
Undeterred by the 16-point deficit, the Warning Belles began the second half with bold moves to erase it, first forcing a 0-0 jam then stealing lead status and followed by 9 points. Patient jamming paid off for Gang Green, however, as TactiGal took a cautious approach to the Naptown wall before sprinting up an open outside line for lead, while Paige Bleed paced Nom Chompsky, knocking her out of bounds and into a track cut penalty. Changing pace and speeding into the pack, Val Holla swept up 4 uncontested points; the Warning Belles pushed back over the next four jams, giving up two power jams but relying on stalwart defense to deal with Ohio’s scoring attempts. Taking star passes on those jams, Amy Spears and Elektra Magneto managed to outscore their opponents 23-18 before Darth Blue responded with a 10-0 jam for the Belles. A slew of blocker penalties and a power jam allowed Naptown to come within 6 points of retaking the lead at 123-129, but an official review gave Gang Green time to breathe and gather themselves for a final push. Scooting around the outside of the pack, TactiGal easily took lead status and posted 20 points, while Ally McSqueal drew the opposing jammer 30 feet behind the rear of the pack. Kelsey Khaos blew through the pack untouched on a 14-0 run, with Elektra Magneto and Foxy Force detaining Lysis to Kill and then Vivi Section after a star pass. Finding little opposition from a depleted Naptown pack, BrussKnuckles posted an additional 18 points on a power jam to blow open a 181-126 lead with just over 6 minutes remaining in the game. Val Holla leapt to lead status and an 11-8 gain; Elektra Magneto also grabbed lead, then joined blockers LGBTease and Amy Spears in defending against Naptown’s scoring efforts to ensure a 194-148 victory for Gang Green.
MVPs for Ohio Roller Derby Gang Green were BrussKnuckles (jammer) and Quiet Storm (blocker). MVPs for the Naptown Roller Derby Warning Belles were Nom Chompsky (jammer) and Flannery O’Clobber (blocker).
Unofficial stats (lead jammer status, total jams, and scoring) for Gang Green were: TactiGal (5-10, 56 pts); Val Holla (7-11, 50 pts); BrussKnuckles (3-6, 28 pts); Kelsey Khaos (3-9, 23 pts); Elektra Magneto (1-2, 15 pts); Paige Bleed (2-2, 13 pts); Amy Spears (0-4, 9 pts); and Ally McSqueal (0-1, 0 pts). Gang Green obtained lead jammer status in 21 out of 40 jams.
Unofficial stats (lead jammer status, total jams, and scoring) for the Warning Belles were: Darth Blue (6-10, 44 pts); Lysis to Kill (6-10, 39 pts); Nom Chompsky (3-5, 34 pts); Brickhouse Massacre (3-9, 28 pts); Amelia B Killya (1-6, 0 pts); The Bitter End (0-0, 0 pts); Iggy Impale Ya (0-0, 0 pts); and Vivi Section (0-0, 0pts).