Kitchener-Waterloo, ON

by Whacks Poetic

Following a ferocious battle to start the 2014 WFTDA Division 2 Kitchener-Waterloo Playoffs, the Gold Coast Derby Grrls from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and the Grand Raggidy Roller Girls from Grand Rapids, Michigan took to the track. Gold Coast came into the bout as a 7th seed for the tournament and 56th within the WFTDA. Grand Raggidy arrived in Canada as a 10 seed and ranked 64th worldwide.  At the end of 60 minutes, Gold Coast would reign victorious, 213-197.

Photo by Steve Jurkovic

In the first half, there were eight lead jammers apiece and eleven lead changes as each team started figuring their opponent out. Grand Raggidy built an 18-8 lead before Gold Coast overtook them 23-19 with a 15-point jam by Lucy Liunatic.  The next 10 minutes were a battle between equally skilled opponents with neither team pulling ahead by more than five points until Sookie Skankhouse put up a 9-0 jam for the team in black while the Florida blockers held back the Grand Raggidy jammer, Ultra Fox.  With 10 minutes on the period clock, the score read 47-40 for Gold Coast. 

Gold Coast faced some penalty troubles with their jammer and all their blockers visiting the penalty box in a single jam.  Lucy Morals brought the Michigan team back into the lead with a 20-point jam and, with 5 minutes left in the half, the scoreboard read 60-58 for Grand Raggidy.  In the final minutes of the period, the defense for both teams started clamping down with it taking 45 seconds for Gold Coast’s Souljourner to attain lead jammer status.  The Florida team’s defense frustrated Xtreme Tac and she was sent to the box on a backblock trying to break through the wall.  An exhausted Souljourner passed the star to Baller Shot Caller, which meant the Gold Coast Derby Grrls re-took the lead going into the half, 94-74.

“We came out strong and were playing neck and neck,” said Grand Raggidy Captain Mona Vaydid. “Jammer penalties killed us but I think we surprised them [Gold Coast].”

Both teams slowly increased up their scores for the first five minutes of the second half culminating in a 14-13 jam in favor of Sookie Skankhouse and the Gold Coast Derby Grrls, which left the scoreboard reading 125-90.  A host of jammer penalties on both sides–9 in 8 jams- saw the score rise to 161-153 for Gold Coast with 15 minutes left in the bout.  With the Gold Coast jammer being confused about whether a penalty was called on her on an opposing blocker, Mona Vaydid snuck through the pack for her team and Grand Raggidy took the lead for the first time in the second half, 162-161. 

Small-scoring jams ensued and, with 5 minutes remaining, the score was 188-169 in favor of Gold Coast.  Grand Raggidy, attempting to up their score, tried to capitalize on a penalty to Gold Coast’s jammer with a star pass to Freak N C.  At the end of the jam, they’d brought the point spread back within single digits, 193-184 with just over 2 minutes left. The final jam of the game started 207-184 for Gold Coast.  Ultra Fox was on the line for Grand Raggidy and Bitchin and Rollin for Gold Coast and 28 seconds was on the period clock.  The Gold Coast jammer was sent to the box on a track cut and then Ultra Fox followed her with a forearm penalty meaning the jam was going the full two minutes.  Both teams worked hard to deny points and punish their opponents with massive hits being leveled against the jammers.  As the final whistle blew, the score was 213-197 for Gold Coast.

Grand Raggidy will be playing 10 am Saturday against either the Killamazoo Derby Darlins or The Chicago Outfit. Gold Coast advances to play again Friday night at 6 pm against the 2 seed, the Queen City Roller Girls from Buffalo, NY.

Final Score

(7) Gold Coast Derby Grrls 213
(10) Grand Raggidy Roller Girls 197