The holidays had come and gone, the chill of winter was settling in to stay, and North Star Roller Derby skaters again laced up their skates to hit the track. To celebrate the start of the new year and the new decade, North Star Roller Derby fans flocked to the Lee and Rose Warner Coliseum on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds to watch the bout that would lock in the team matchups for the upcoming Championship bout.
Banger Sisters vs. The Kilmores
The first bout of the night pitted the Banger Sisters against their best frenemies, The Kilmores! The Banger Sisters rolled into this game with one win and one loss so far this season while The Kilmores were eager to earn their first win.
Throughout the first half, the Banger Sisters blockers consistently claimed their position at the front of the pack near the pivot line, enabling them to have greater influence over positioning at the start of each jam. The first multi-scoring pass of this high-defense game occurred more than halfway into the first half when The Kilmores’ Nymphadora Bonks scored 8 points, bringing the score to 31 to 16 with the Bangers in the lead. As halftime arrived, the score sat at 57 – 29 with the Banger Sisters still ahead.
Sassberry brought a long streak of relatively low-scoring jams to an end when she scored the first 20-point jam of the game, bringing The Kilmores within 20 points of the Banger Sisters’ 78 points. The Bangers soon followed with two high-scoring jams by Katarina Hit and Alabama Slamma, which brought the score to 125 to 86 with the Bangers ahead just before the final jam.
As the final jam started, Bangers jammer Alabama Slamma remained in the penalty box which meant that The Kilmores started with both a power jam and slight pack advantage. Sassberry secured lead jammer, but was unable to overcome the lead held by the Bangers in one jam. The game ended at score of 128-98, giving the Bangers their second win of the season and a shot at the championship bid.
Violent Femmes vs. Delta Delta Di
As the musical stylings of half-time band Fuzzy Machete faded and spectators returned to their seats, Delta Delta Di skaters entered the track escorted by the snazzily-dressed Violent Femmes. For this game, Delta Delta Di donned their finest pink duds in order to fulfill their Give to the Max Day promise to skate in their classy attire from the proms of yesteryear.
As the game got underway, the Violent Femmes held the lead through much of the first half until Slim Sadie of Delta Delta Di caused the first lead change of the game, bringing the score to 32 – 33. Annaconda increased the Deltas lead to 36 – 44 when their blockers held the Femmes jammer solidly in the pack during the jam. During the following jams, the Femmes gained enough points to earn back the lead, leaving the score at 46 to 44 at halftime.
During the second half, points were earned slowly as jammer after jammer from both teams were sent to the box for committing penalties. After a jam between Morgue from the Femmes and Hitlist from the Deltas, the score was tied at 94-94. Both teams squeezed in a few more points, bringing the score to 98 to 100, with the Deltas again in the lead and two minutes left on the clock.
The final jam began with JacKILLope from the Femmes and a blocker from both teams starting in the penalty box. This slight pack advantage worked in the Deltas’ favor and the game ended with a score of 105-112, keeping the Deltas’ both in the lead and as the only undefeated team this season.
Season 14’s Championship bout is on February 1, 2020 at 6:00 pm at the Lee and Rose Warner Coliseum on the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. The Kilmores and the Violent Femmes will duke it out for third and fourth place while the Banger Sisters and Delta Delta Di fight tooth and nail for second and first place. A Silent Auction will also be held during the bout, so be sure to scope out the items and make those bids! Proceeds from the auction will support the NSRD travel teams and general league operations. Tickets for the bout can be purchased online in advance HERE or at the door.
If you’re looking for an exciting new hobby, more cool friends, or a fun addition to your exercise routine, join North Star Roller Derby’s rec league, Satellites! Satellites is open to skaters of all abilities age 18+. Spring session starts Sunday, January 26th! For additional information, email skaterinfo@northstarrollerderby.com.