Richmond, VA

By Megan Enemies

In a game that kept penalty box staffers on their toes, New Hampshire Roller Derby (#37, seed #9), of Nashua, New Hampshire, edged by #8 seed Jacksonville RollerGirls of Jacksonville, Florida, to win 231-212.

New Hampshire started off with an early 20-0 lead, after Jacksonville jammer Jamsterella went to the box in the first jam, along with one of her blockers. Jacksonville struggled with penalties early on, and New Hampshire continued to increase its lead. At the end of the fourth jam, New Hampshire’s Skate Free or Die All-Stars were leading, 44-2. But then Jacksonville started hacking away at New Hampshire’s lead, one jam at a time.

In one of several jams where jammers from each team took turns going to the penalty box, New Hampshire jammer Swirko started out unopposed, with Miss Jax’em sitting in the box. Swirko got called for a back block and went to the box, and Miss Jax’em came out and quickly cleared the pack, but didn’t pick up lead jammer status. Swirko came back with seven seconds left in the jam and picked up a quick four points, but Jacksonville outscored New Hampshire 14-9, bringing the score to 87-67, New Hampshire.

Towards the end of the first half, Jacksonville jammer Crash Register earned lead jammer status, as her teammate Nuke laid out the opposing jammer and sent her into the suicide seats. But then Crash Register went to the penalty box on a skating out of bounds call, giving New Hampshire the power jam advantage. New Hampshire blocker Chika Chika Bam Bam drilled a hole through Jacksonville’s wall of defense to get her jammer through, but got called for a high block.

By the end of the first half, Jacksonville had 21 penalties, and every skater had made at least one trip to the box. New Hampshire had 13 penalties in the first half.

The second half started off with Miss Jax’em picking up lead, scoring four points and calling it off. And the Florida team took a 125-116 lead in the third jam. Jacksonville jammers continued to play conservatively, using lead jammer advantage to score and call it. But penalties continued to be a problem for them, and when Jacksonville blockers were in the box, New Hampshire picked up easy points.

The fourth jam featured Crash Register and Game Ovaries playing a two-minute game of jammer do-si-do, each making two trips to the box. It was a trend in the second half, when in seven jams there were eight jammer trips to the penalty box.

Jacksonville continued to increase the lead over New Hampshire, taking a 140-116 lead to start jam 5.

New Hampshire jammer Swirko muscled past Meow Mix’s stalwart backward blocking again and again, with Meow Mix eventually picking up a stop block call.

With just minutes left to play, Jacksonville was leading, 202-195. Miss Jax’em went to the box for a forearm penalty, and New Hampshire’s Game Ovaries reentered the track with one minute left in the jam and scored, but didn’t earn lead jammer status. Miss Jax’em came back and picked up a low block at the end of the jam, leaving New Hampshire with a power jam start in the next jam, with just over two minutes left on the game clock.

New Hampshire jammer Chicana Bruzya cleared the pack, as Miss Jax’em came out of box and cut the track and went right back to the box. Chicana Bruzya ran the jam clock down. And when the jam ended, Jacksonville called a timeout, with 18 seconds left to play, and New Hampshire leading, 231-212.

Miss Jax’em returned to the track in the final jam but went back to the penalty box on a penalty. New Hampshire jammer Swirko let the clock run out and called the jam with 0 seconds left to play.

Final Score

(8) Jacksonville Rollergirls 212
(9) New Hampshire Roller Derby 231

New Hampshire will face #1 seed Angel City Derby Girls later in Day 1, Jacksonville moves on to the consolation bracket.