Pack Mentality: The Preview

Feb 4, 2015 | Bout News

Saturday night starts the Minnesota Rollergirls playoff season with the semi-final matchups of the Atomic Bombshells vs. the Dagger Dolls and the Garda Belts vs. the Rockits. The winner of each match goes on to play for the golden skate and the losers are relegated to the consolation bout. So what makes the playoffs different? The stakes are higher, sure, but more importantly the teams have met already this season. Let’s take a look at what happened when these matchups happened during the regular season.

Atomic Bombshells vs. Dagger Dolls

Previous Result: Bombshells win 116-83. The Bombshells led the entire bout, though the Dolls captured the momentum and nearly staged a comeback in the second half.

What’s Changed: The Bombshells lost an excellent jammer with the retirement of Crowella De Vil, but gained an excellent jammer with the return of L’exi Cuter. The Dolls have clearly matured competitively, showing much better cohesiveness in last month’s win over the Garda Belts.

What the Bombshells Want: Consistency. The Dagger Dolls have shown themselves to be somewhat hot/cold over the course of this season, so the Bombshells’ best chance will come if they stay in control of the game from the beginning. As defending champions, they know their basic formula works: strong four-walls in the back of the pack, giving jammers Fannie Tanner, Freeze Baby, and L’exi Cuter time to work. They’ll want to build up enough of a buffer to keep the lead if the Dolls go on a hot streak.

What the Dolls Want: Fire. The Dagger Dolls’ win over the Gardas broke a long losing streak, and they need to continue to stoke that energy going into the next bout. Their strategy of using nearly their entire team at jammer throughout the bout paid off last month, allowing them to send fresher legs later in the game and edge out a few more scoring passes. Watch for the Dolls to hit hard out of the gate to try to knock the Bombshells off balance.

Garda Belts vs. Rockits

Previous Result: Gardas win 124-103. Rockits led through the first half, Gardas took over in the second.

What’s Changed: Rockits will be skating without Obscene Sheen. No major roster changes for the Gardas, although they will be bench coached by former teammates and legendary Gardas Rumblebee and Suzie Smashbox.

What the Gardas Want: Control. The Gardas are led by two skaters – Shiva Shank’n and Second Hand Smoke – who have a lot in common. Both are effective as both blocker and jammer. Both are dynamic and incredibly fun to watch. And both can get in penalty trouble fast if they lose their heads. The Gardas need to focus on the fundamentals and not go for big hits or try to make plays from out of position.

What the Rockits Want: Power Jams. Any jammer relishes the opportunity to skate without an opposing jammer on the track for 30 seconds, but Harmony Killerbruise and Rhea Volt especially know how to pile on the points if left alone on the track. Watch for the Rockit blockers to play to aggressively get the Garda jammer out of bounds to try and force a track cut penalty and give their jammers a chance at a big jam.

The Halftime Show

Normally, your intrepid reporter keeps his writing focused on competitive matters, but when the halftime show features Koo Koo Kangaroo, one of the most original acts in the Twin Cities today, well that deserves special mention. They bring a high-energy dance party that gets kids and adults both jumping, stomping, and chomping – imagine if the Beastie Boys lived on Sesame Street. Make sure to get any halftime provisions quickly and proceed directly to the main floor.

Two great derby matchups with a party in between? Better get your tickets today!