Vancouver, BC

By Vile Love It

Victorian Roller Derby League from Melbourne, VIC, AU made history in their game against Stockholm Roller Derby from Stockholm, SWE in Game 5 of the 2016 International WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs Vancouver by posting a shutout in the first period. According to WFTDA records, no other team has kept an opponent scoreless for the entire first half of a game.

Photo by Brangwyn Jones

Texas Roller Derby came close to attaining this feat in the 2016 International WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs Montréal against Rocky Mountain Rollergirls, who scored with seconds left in the first period. Victoria probably wasn’t thinking of making history, aside from their quest to bring the Hydra to a non-American league. Instead, they were busy giving a clinic on calm, controlled defense; instantly effective offense; and powerful, agile jamming.

Stockholm gave its own clinic in tenacity, with the odds stacked against them while battling the #1 seed. While Stockholm had moments where they looked tired (having already played an earlier game), they stayed in the game down to the last seconds of the last jam when Lil Slinky added 14 more points to the Stockholm side of the scoreboard.

When Stockholm was able to get all four blockers together, they could stymie a Victoria jammer briefly, enough to reduce the mounting damage. And as soon as the Victoria jammer got around their defense, Stockholm’s jammers pulled off the helmet cover and worked toward a star pass.

Photo by Brangwyn Jones

Despite Stockholm’s efforts to free their jammers, Victoria shut down their repeated offensive attempts. Meanwhile, Giles, IvyKnivey, Lady Trample, and the other talented Victoria jammers kept circling, cutting through the hastily re-established Stockholm defense to collect their points.

Victoria controlled lead jam status throughout the majority of the game. They held 100% lead jammer status through the first period, aside from one jam where both jammers went to the penalty box, resulting in a two-minute jam. The stellar Victoria defense held Stockholm’s jammer scoreless through the entirety of the power jam.

In the second half, Panica De Hex and Lil Slinky added the first hard-fought points to the scoreboard for Stockholm in two consecutive jams. It wasn’t until the last five minutes of the game that Stockholm’s Maurine Flip earned the first lead jam status for Stockholm, along with three points. Two jams later, in the last jam of the game, Victoria’s Giles was penalized for a track cut and Stockholm’s Lil Slinky, in her seventh or eighth wind of the evening, cruised through to gather 14 points for her team.

Victoria moves on to play the winner of Philly Roller Girls vs. Terminal Roller Derby, and Stockholm will play the winner of Saturday’s game between Queen City Roller Girls and Naptown Roller Girls in their quest for 5th place.

Final Score

Victorian Roller Derby League (#1) 387
Stockholm Roller Derby (#8): 36