Newcomers Tallahassee (#9) Upset Houston (#3)

By Shelly Shankya

The intensity of Day 2 continued in the second game of the day between Houston Roller Derby (#3) and Tallahassee Rollergirls (#9).

Photo by Taura Horn Photography

Two jammer switch-outs early in the first half set the game at a tie, 27-27, and then Tallahassee took control of things in the ninth jam when Houston jammer Big Bad Voodoo Dollie spent one minute in the box for a major cut. Tallahassee's jammer Low Maim got 24 points on the power jam, and after that jam, Houston spent the remainder of the period trying to claw their way back to the lead--4 and 5 points at a time.

The tactic worked for Houston as they were able to execute a lead change in the 20th jam. However, a slew of jammer majors and accumulation of fourth minor penalties gave Tallahassee the opening they'd been waiting for. In jam 24 alone, the jammers swapped time in the box on four occasions. Tallahassee's jammer Catchup, assisted by blocker Great Wall of Gina, was able to solidify the team's lead with a 16-point period-ending jam. At halftime the score was 132-96 in favor of Tallahassee.

"I had to rely on on my blockers and trust what they were going to do," Tallahassee jammer Low Maim said. "We had some plays that I know we've been working on for when the pack was small, and were able to execute those today."

The second half featured fast track action, and big hits, though they came from small packs as both teams struggled with blocker penalty trouble. And after Tallahassee established themselves in the lead going into the second, they never let go. Houston's consistency at grabbing four points and calling it when they had lead certainly gave Tallahassee a run for their money, and they were able to close the gap to just 8 points. It wasn't enough though, and Tallahassee sealed the team's fate when jammer Stoneher scored 28 points on a power jam after Brandi Brown's major track cut.

After that, the 30-point deficit was too much for Houston, and they fell to Tallahassee's Captial Punishment 230-194. Tallahassee advances to play No Coast in the final bout of Day 2, and Houston will play Jacksonville for 9th Place.

"Going in as a new team to regionals may have helped us," Low Maim said. "People don't know who we are, and being an underdog may have helped us today. No one has expectations for us, and we've got high expectations for ourselves."

Tallahassee Rollergirls (#9) 230
Houston Roller Derby (#3) 194