April 10 – Home
RTR (131) vs Dutchland Blitz (83)
The Rocktown Rollers got back to their winning ways at home, handling the visiting Dutchland Blitz a 131-83 defeat, April 10, in an official Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) sanctioned bout dubbed “Spring Stings”. With the victory, RTR improved to 2-1 on the year.
A WFTDA apprentice league, Rocktown took the early lead on the opening two jams to lead 7-2 before the Blitz answered with a 30-8 run over the next six jams, including a 14-point jam by #34 for Dutchland, a full WFTDA member, to extend a 18-15 advantage to a 32-15 lead with just over 10 minutes gone in the first half. That is where the Rollers stepped up both offensive and defensively. Bam Bam Brawler came out and got 11 unanswered on the next jam to cut the deficit to just six, with Killnitzki adding eight more to give RTR a 34-32 lead with 16:26 to play in the opening period, an advantage the hosts would never relinquish. Rocktown then outscored Dutchland 45-20 the remainder of the half, including a 14- point jam by Killnitzki late in the period, to give the Rollers a 79-52 lead at the intermission.
The Blitz came out and scored the first five points of the second half on the opening jam to trim the Rocktown lead to 79-57, but that was as close as the guests would get in the second half. Rocktown, using a decisive 4-to-1 advantage in earning lead jammer in the final period, controlled the play and steadily built the lead to its final 48-point margin. RTR was held scoreless on just six of the 18 second-half jams, including the final jam where the Rollers played a completely defensive jam, while Dutchland did not score in 13 of the 18 second-period jams.
Offensively for the Rollers, Killnitzki (9 jams) and Bam Bam Brawler (8 jams) tied for high-point honors with 41 points each, while Betty CrasHer added 27. Revenga d’Nerd and Brawl’n Chain each chipped in 11.
“Only having two weeks to work on some of the weaknesses we saw in the loss to RCR forced us to really focus on just a few key elements, but in a multitude of ways prior to this bout,” Head Coach Bam Bam Brawler said. “Continuously harping on the value of working together as a pack rather than four individuals sharing space, Rocktown saw the result of that hard work come to fruition in the bout with Dutchland in our second-straight WFTDA bout. We entered the game with the goal of being almost completely defensive, working together in walls and controlling the pace, things we struggled to execute against Poe’s Punishers in the previous bout that greatly affected the game. Aided by the feedback of Troch and (guest coach from Poe’s Punishers) Paris Kills, our ladies were given goals by their training staff and went to work on it. The win over Dutchland was a result of teamwork, strategies executed and determination, as well as mid-game adjustments made by all of our skaters.
“The team was excited about the opportunity to play another WFTDA member, following the bout with Poe’s,” Bam Bam continued. We wanted to make sure we were representing Rocktown as a growing team, with a desire to truly be a contributor and contender in the WFTDA circuit in the years to come. We’re looking forward to continuing on our path to WFTDA certification, so that we can continue to challenge ourselves by playing high-caliber teams. We know that each opportunity needs to be seized as a learning experience. But how much sweeter those experiences are when we can also take a win with us. It was a good day for derby and a fantastic day for the Rocktown Rollers.”
The Rollers will wrap up a three-bout homestand on Sunday, May 22 when they host instate-rival, Charlottesville (Va.) Derby Dames, titled “Momma Said Knock You Out”. Doors at Funky’s Skate Center in Harrisonburg will open at 3 p.m. with the bout starting at 4.
A WFTDA apprentice league, Rocktown took the early lead on the opening two jams to lead 7-2 before the Blitz answered with a 30-8 run over the next six jams, including a 14-point jam by #34 for Dutchland, a full WFTDA member, to extend a 18-15 advantage to a 32-15 lead with just over 10 minutes gone in the first half. That is where the Rollers stepped up both offensive and defensively. Bam Bam Brawler came out and got 11 unanswered on the next jam to cut the deficit to just six, with Killnitzki adding eight more to give RTR a 34-32 lead with 16:26 to play in the opening period, an advantage the hosts would never relinquish. Rocktown then outscored Dutchland 45-20 the remainder of the half, including a 14- point jam by Killnitzki late in the period, to give the Rollers a 79-52 lead at the intermission.
The Blitz came out and scored the first five points of the second half on the opening jam to trim the Rocktown lead to 79-57, but that was as close as the guests would get in the second half. Rocktown, using a decisive 4-to-1 advantage in earning lead jammer in the final period, controlled the play and steadily built the lead to its final 48-point margin. RTR was held scoreless on just six of the 18 second-half jams, including the final jam where the Rollers played a completely defensive jam, while Dutchland did not score in 13 of the 18 second-period jams.
Offensively for the Rollers, Killnitzki (9 jams) and Bam Bam Brawler (8 jams) tied for high-point honors with 41 points each, while Betty CrasHer added 27. Revenga d’Nerd and Brawl’n Chain each chipped in 11.
“Only having two weeks to work on some of the weaknesses we saw in the loss to RCR forced us to really focus on just a few key elements, but in a multitude of ways prior to this bout,” Head Coach Bam Bam Brawler said. “Continuously harping on the value of working together as a pack rather than four individuals sharing space, Rocktown saw the result of that hard work come to fruition in the bout with Dutchland in our second-straight WFTDA bout. We entered the game with the goal of being almost completely defensive, working together in walls and controlling the pace, things we struggled to execute against Poe’s Punishers in the previous bout that greatly affected the game. Aided by the feedback of Troch and (guest coach from Poe’s Punishers) Paris Kills, our ladies were given goals by their training staff and went to work on it. The win over Dutchland was a result of teamwork, strategies executed and determination, as well as mid-game adjustments made by all of our skaters.
“The team was excited about the opportunity to play another WFTDA member, following the bout with Poe’s,” Bam Bam continued. We wanted to make sure we were representing Rocktown as a growing team, with a desire to truly be a contributor and contender in the WFTDA circuit in the years to come. We’re looking forward to continuing on our path to WFTDA certification, so that we can continue to challenge ourselves by playing high-caliber teams. We know that each opportunity needs to be seized as a learning experience. But how much sweeter those experiences are when we can also take a win with us. It was a good day for derby and a fantastic day for the Rocktown Rollers.”
The Rollers will wrap up a three-bout homestand on Sunday, May 22 when they host instate-rival, Charlottesville (Va.) Derby Dames, titled “Momma Said Knock You Out”. Doors at Funky’s Skate Center in Harrisonburg will open at 3 p.m. with the bout starting at 4.