Tear It Up: Rockits Outlast Bombshells To Win

Dec 14, 2015 | Bout News

Tear It Up: Rockits Outlast Bombshells To Win

The Rockits won out over the Atomic Bombshells at the Minnesota RollerGirls Tear It Up bout, coming out ahead in a nail-biting finish in front of the screaming crowds at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium. The 102-93 victory gives the Rockits a 1-0 start to the MNRG regular season and a great followup to their mini-tournament win that started the season.

First Half

After a scoreless first jam, the Atomic Bombshells struck first blood with Riotchu, off the jammer line like a bullet and then around the outside of the Rockits wall for 4 quick points. The Rockits struck back hard on the next jam, however, with Obscene Sheen dancing around the sides of the Bombshell pack while Betsy Wrecksie and MeshugEnough kept Bombshells jammer Roley Ann Lena on lockdown in a front-back team. Sheen earned 25 points for the Rockings, earning them a 25-4 lead with 15 minutes left in the half.

The Bombshells got their defense back together on the jams that followed, holding the Rockits to just two points over the next 6 minutes of gameplay. Lena, Hurtrude Stein, and Riotchu all grabbed 3- or 4-point passes after quickly earning lead jammer to eat away at the Rockits’ lead. On Trudy’s second time jamming, she took advantage of some well-coordinated offense from Smoka Hontas, Ms. B Hayven, and Chris Tea Pain to sneak three points in with the Rockits’ Rhea Volt right on her tail.

That back-and-forth continued through the rest of the first half, with the Rockits going further ahead on a strong jam from Dreidel Robber or Obscene Sheen, then the Bombshells catching back up with two stunning performances by Riotchu. The first half ended with the Rockits just inches ahead in the race, 55-52.

Second Half

Strong defensive play from both teams kept the game tight through the second half. Both teams relied heavily on triangle-shaped defensive formations and quick recycling to get back in front of the opposing jammer. In addition to the usual blocking superstars from both these teams like MadRad for the Rockits and Diamond Rough for the Bombshells, we saw new skaters take control on the track and direct their fellow blockers. The Rockits’ Surly Bird flipped around to to the point of a triangle to contain Roley Ann Lena, then a few jams later we saw the Bombshells LaRotonda and Mugsy Marauder team up to stop a scoring pass from Dreidel Robber short.

The tension of the bout reached a fever pitch with under five minutes left in the game and the Rockits leading by a narrow 87-85 margin. Riotchu controlled the next jam and scored 5 for the Bombshells, flipping the lead over to team orange. Hurtrude Stein followed up with 3 more points for the Bombshells, making the score 90-87.

Dreidel Robber then struck a decisive blow for the Rockits, recovering from an early push-out to dodge through the pack for lead jammer. A failed Bombshell star pass put Diamond Rough in the penalty box as jammer, giving Dreidel a chance to juke around the outside for 3 scoring passes in total, calling off the jam with D-Rough still in the box and a 102-93 Rockits lead. On the final jam, Obscene Sheen claimed lead jammer and ended the jam scoreless after the game clock had expired to seal the Rockits victory.

Bout Highlights

First Half, Jam 7 – Riotchu pulls her usual trickery, sneaking around MadRad’s hips at the start of the jam. Betsy Wrecksie is having none of it and gives her a solid blast to the infield.

First Half, Jam 9 – One of the little plays that seem small at the time but add up over the course of the game, Obscene Sheen and Roley Ann Lena are both screaming towards the pack at top speed. Bombshells aren’t in ideal blocking formation, but M’Alice times a hit perfectly to get Sheen out of bounds and cut what could have been a 4-point pass to 2.

Second Half, Jam 10 – Dreidel Robber has a great jam going, racking up scoring passes, until Hurtrude Stein lines her up for a massive hit, sending her off her feet to the outfield, calling off the jam from the ground.

Second Half, Jam 16 – The triangle formation is becoming more popular across the WFTDA for its ability to contain a hard-pushing jammer, and the Rockits provide a textbook example here, with a backwards-facing MadRad holding together Salvador Brawlie, MeshugEnough, and Hater Tot all in front of Roley Ann Lena as she dips and dives but can’t get around.