We did it again! Although it was a close game that left San Diego behind at half-time, the Starlettes pulled through to win Saturday’s bout, in San Bernardino>, with a final score of 166-144.This was no easy feat for the Starlettes. With our league only being a year old, growth is evident when you look at our record; however, it has been a long road to bring that brought us to the Stardust Skate Rink. It was only our second game and it was only the first time we had filled the game roster with our own players- with the exception of one and it was the first game for Velvet Klaw. Even so, we played short with only 11 out of a potential 14 players. With 5 players in each jam, many of the Starlettes played back-to-back jams.
For those who remember the Starlettes' first game, we were indebted to Disaster City who brought 4 players to join our team roster to pull out the win. Now we were playing against the very same roller derby girls who had helped in our first win against Derby Revolution of Bakersfield B team. But there was no time for sentimentality. Friendships off the track quickly gave way to hit or be hit on the track.
The anxiety level was high as evident from rookie mistakes and by the end of the first half, we were down by 15 points. The veterans of Disaster City were a tough battle, Na Assty Nanny and Virus were unstoppable as they continuously blocked the Starlettes’ jammers and Abby Noxious beat us off the line over and over again. But somehow jammers Juno EscareMe, Wonder Whoop’em and Rosy Lee Risktaker managed to fight their way through the pack, and despite the score, we still had hope!
The second half was the Starlettes’ time to shine. With the help of line-up changes and some inspiration from their coaches and direction from veterans like the infamous Lady Diesel (captain) and Scully (a former Starlette who now plays for the Sun State Roller Girls in Brisbane, Australia), San Diego came back in the second half. We improved our defense by building walls and controlling the pack. Heavy hitters like Rumble Pie, St.Val Massacre, Holley Car Brader, and Lady Diesel were key to the success of our jammers. Our jammers, Rosy, Juno, Holley and Wonder, kicked in into second gear and started lapping Disaster City with the help of their pack: Red Hot Penni, Foxy Vicious, and Velvet Klaw. Our endurance was evident as Disaster City began to tire and the game clock continued toward the 60 minute mark.
Battling time, the ref crew and the tough ladies of Disaster City, the last jam was over and the Starlettes had won! We began our victory lap exhausted and ecstatic. But wait! The whistle blew. The referees yelled at us to get back. We did not yet win the bout. There was a bad call made by the refs and we were sent back to the starting line for the last jam, again! But even this could not sour the spirit of the Starlettes. We defeated Disaster City with a final score of 166-144.
San Diego Roller Derby’s Starlettes are a new derby force which will continue to dazzle our fans.What we lack in experience we make up for with passion and perseverance. Please see our schedule for future events. Come out and support your favorite derby team! We would like to thank Disaster City for hosting a great game and we look forward to playing you ladies again next season!