HaRD Knocks in New Orleans
A series of big jams by the visiting Houston Roller Derby HaRD Knocks overwhelmed the Big Easy Rollergirls 254-43 Saturday night in New Orleans.
The visiting team opened up with a ten-point jam by Death By Chocolate, and an 11-point jam by Mistilla the Killa to take a 21-4 lead after two jams. The key jam of the night occured in the fourth jam of the game after both jammers were whistled off the track for major fouls in the third jam. Speed O Racer, skating in only her third bout ever, took the jammer helmet cover, and soon after obtaining lead-jammer status, the Big Easy jammer was sent to the penalty box. The Houston blockers slowed the pack down, and the speed skating flash led to four pack passes and a partial pack pass to score 23 points. That is most points ever scored in a jam by a Houston Roller Derby jammer. The score ballooned out to a 40-point lead for HRD, and the HaRD Knocks never looked back.
Death By Chocolate added a 19-point jam in the fifth jam, and a 13-point jam in the 9th jam, with Mistilla adding a 15-point jam in the 15th jam as Houston moved out to a 141-19 lead at half time.
Lacy Underalls scored a five-point jam in the second jam of the second half to raise a roar from the Big Easy home crowd of around a thousands fans, but Speed O Racer came back with a big 19-point jam the very next jam. Trixie la Femme brought the crowd at the University of New Orleans to their feet as the Big Easy jammer was awarded lead jammer, scored points on a pack pass; the defense for the home team shut Houston down in the fourth jam of the half.
However, a ten-point jam by Speed O Racer and a 15-point jam by DeMentia rounded out another solid half by the Houston HaRD Knocks, as they outscored the Big Easy Rollergirls 113-24 in the second half.
Leading scorers for Houston were Death By Chocolate with 77 points, Mistilla the Killa and Speed O Racer each with 62 points, DeMentia with 23 points, and Savage Rose with 19 points. Top blockers in an HRD team-blocking scheme that consistently controlled the pack were Nawty DreadKnocks and Miss Lead each with seven key blocks, and Goldie BloXX with several key blocks.
The top scorers for Big Easy were Beatrix sKiddo and Lacy Underalls with 13 points each. Balls Out Betty scored seven points, before having to leave the bout with a collar bone/shoulder injury, and Trixie la Femme scored six points. Stand out blockers included Pontchatrain Beatch, Coalminer’s Slaughter, Louise ze Animal, and in her first travel team game Deb U Taunt.
Houston was just too much for the derby league from New Orleans Saturday night. HRD controled the speed of the pack, taking advantage of power jam situations with their speedy jammers. The Big Easy Rollergirls had a great derby bout presentation at a venue with great sight lines for derby fans.
Phil Arnold,
Roller Derby Is Sport
