March 27 – Home
RTR (98) vs RCR’s Poe’s Punishers (133)
HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Rocktown Rollers (RTR) women’s flat track roller derby team battled River City Rollergirls’ Poe’s Punishers in the 2011 home opener, but fell to the visitors 133-98, March 27. Titled “Et Tu, Brutal?”, the matchup was the first official Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) sanctioned bout for the Rollers, as RTR dropped to 1-1 on the season, while Poe’s Punishers from Richmond, Va., moved to 2-3 on the year with their second straight win. A Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) apprentice league, Rocktown got things going early by scoring a pair of points on the first jam for a quick 2-0 lead. However, Poe’s got back ahead with a 14-3 run over the next four jams to take a 14-5 lead just under seven minutes into the bout. RTR got back into it with Brawlin Chain’s 11-point jam that put the hosts ahead at 16-14 and stretched it to a 21-16 lead with just over 18 minutes to go in the first half. After a Poe’s timeout, the visitors got the lead jammer on nine of the final 12 jams of the half to spur a 49-10 run, including a 13-point jam by Raven Darkhold and a 10 pointer for Forty Ounce Bounce, for a 65-31 Punishers’ lead at the halftime break.
The second half was basically a stalemate, as the two squads battled to just a one-point difference over the 16 jams for the eventual 35-point win for Poe’s. The final result was a dramatic 100-point improvement for Rocktown over the previous meeting between the two just six months ago. Part of the Rollers’ second half success against the full WFTDA-member Punishers was the jamming of Coach Bam Bam Brawler, who scored a combined 26 points in two jams in the final period, along with 19 points in three second-half jams from Revenga d’Nerd.
“We’ve certainly upped the ante with our 2011 schedule, playing as many WFTDA full membership or WFTDA Apprentice leagues as possible,” Head Coach Bam Bam Brawler said. “Poe’s Punishers are a force to be reckoned with and Rocktown was knocking on the door all game. RTR was incredibly tenacious and made River City earn the win. I’m proud of our efforts and grateful that our skaters have the chance each game to truly see the significant progress we continue to make as a team. Win or lose, there is no going backwards, as this team is dedicated to moving ever forward.”
Bam Bam Brawler finished as the leading jammer for RTR, scoring 34 points, with Revenga d’Nerd with 21 points. Brawlin’ Chain and Killnitzki were close behind with 19 and 17 points, respectively.
Rocktown’s Grim Nemesis earned one of the bout’s Most Valuable Player honors for her play in the pack, while Poe’s took home three awards for its efforts, as Norah P Neffrin, Forty Ounce Bounce and Traumagotchi garnered bout honors for the Punishers.
“The last six months have been such a whirlwind of growth for this team and this is another step forward for us,” Bam Bam continued. “Taking the wins graciously and the losses with humility, Rocktown’s skaters have never put their heads down in defeat. We’ve learned from each experience, whether it be a 100+ loss to Poe’s just last year or a narrow three-point loss to the DC Demoncats in a scrimmage a month ago. This team has taken every opportunity offered to grow, learn and improve. I’ve never seen this team so ready to take on such big challenges, new strategies and support one another as I have in these last few months. Both fans and skaters from other leagues have commented on the noticeable difference in the level of play demonstrated by RTR from just a few months ago. We’ll go back to work now and get ready for the Dutchland Blitz, taking into that game everything we’ve learned up to this point. Wait on it…this is only the beginning.”
RTR will be back on the home track in two weeks, hosting the Dutchland Derby Rollers from Lancaster, Pa., on Sunday, April 10. The bout, dubbed “Spring Stings”, will start at 5 p.m. at Funky’s Skate Center in Harrisonburg, with the doors opening at 4 p.m.
-John A. Martin
The second half was basically a stalemate, as the two squads battled to just a one-point difference over the 16 jams for the eventual 35-point win for Poe’s. The final result was a dramatic 100-point improvement for Rocktown over the previous meeting between the two just six months ago. Part of the Rollers’ second half success against the full WFTDA-member Punishers was the jamming of Coach Bam Bam Brawler, who scored a combined 26 points in two jams in the final period, along with 19 points in three second-half jams from Revenga d’Nerd.
“We’ve certainly upped the ante with our 2011 schedule, playing as many WFTDA full membership or WFTDA Apprentice leagues as possible,” Head Coach Bam Bam Brawler said. “Poe’s Punishers are a force to be reckoned with and Rocktown was knocking on the door all game. RTR was incredibly tenacious and made River City earn the win. I’m proud of our efforts and grateful that our skaters have the chance each game to truly see the significant progress we continue to make as a team. Win or lose, there is no going backwards, as this team is dedicated to moving ever forward.”
Bam Bam Brawler finished as the leading jammer for RTR, scoring 34 points, with Revenga d’Nerd with 21 points. Brawlin’ Chain and Killnitzki were close behind with 19 and 17 points, respectively.
Rocktown’s Grim Nemesis earned one of the bout’s Most Valuable Player honors for her play in the pack, while Poe’s took home three awards for its efforts, as Norah P Neffrin, Forty Ounce Bounce and Traumagotchi garnered bout honors for the Punishers.
“The last six months have been such a whirlwind of growth for this team and this is another step forward for us,” Bam Bam continued. “Taking the wins graciously and the losses with humility, Rocktown’s skaters have never put their heads down in defeat. We’ve learned from each experience, whether it be a 100+ loss to Poe’s just last year or a narrow three-point loss to the DC Demoncats in a scrimmage a month ago. This team has taken every opportunity offered to grow, learn and improve. I’ve never seen this team so ready to take on such big challenges, new strategies and support one another as I have in these last few months. Both fans and skaters from other leagues have commented on the noticeable difference in the level of play demonstrated by RTR from just a few months ago. We’ll go back to work now and get ready for the Dutchland Blitz, taking into that game everything we’ve learned up to this point. Wait on it…this is only the beginning.”
RTR will be back on the home track in two weeks, hosting the Dutchland Derby Rollers from Lancaster, Pa., on Sunday, April 10. The bout, dubbed “Spring Stings”, will start at 5 p.m. at Funky’s Skate Center in Harrisonburg, with the doors opening at 4 p.m.
-John A. Martin
