LVRG vs Cape Fear Bout Wrap Up -9/21/13

LVRG pumping themselves up on the ride to the big game

If there ever was a team ready to travel 10 hours to play roller derby, the Lehigh Valley Rollergirls (LVRG) is exactly that team.  With over 550 miles between them and playing the WFTDA’s Division 2 Cape Fear Roller Girls (Cape Fear), LVRG used road antics such as team planks and other various funny photo moments captured and published on FaceBook for their long ride to pump themselves and their fans up for this exciting match up.  But once they arrived in Wilmington, NC, LVRG was ready for business.

According to flattrackstats.com, there was no clear favorite to this game, as a 2 to 2 scoring ratio was predicted. The Cape Fear Roller Girls sit in a higher division than LVRG and are ranked nationally according to the WFTDA at the 110 position as compared to LVRG’s 134 ranking.  With this knowledge, LVRG was ready for a hard battle, and because of that, they started the game with their strongest line ups of the season, and never turned back.

Immediately from the first jam, LVRG pulled a track cut on Cape Fear, sending their jammer directly to the penalty box. This gave LVRG an immediate lead during the first 2 jams of the game. But this didn’t stop right then and there, Cape Fear got 2 more jammer penalties, leaving them without a jammer for the first 5 jams of the game.  LVRG certainly capitalized on this and brought their score up to an early 2-40 lead within the first 7 minutes of game play.

From that point on, lead jammer status seemed to be a battle. Typically, lead jammer status is determined by turn 1 of the track.  However with both teams battling and forming tight defensive walls, the jammers weren’t coming out of the initial lap’s pack until turn 3, which was tiring them out.  With lead changing back and forth a bit, Cape Fear caught up in points to 24-64 (LVRG) with 15 minutes left in the first half.

The second half of the first period both teams played pound for pound with the same fury. Lead jammer status was shared almost equally by both teams and at the end of the first half, the score still favored LVRG with a score of 60-103.

With only 43 points separating the teams at the half, it was still anyone’s game.  A game can be won or lost by a quick power jam, however LVRG did not give Cape Fear that option. One of the most impressive feats LVRG accomplished during this bout was that throughout LVRG history, this was the first time that none of their jammers were sent to the penalty box. LVRG’s Jammers MJ SlamHer, Ginga Railed U and Toxic Shock were flawless.

After 15 minutes of game play in the second half of the game, LVRG continued increasing their lead with a score of 79-131. But it wasn’t until the last few minutes of the game when the Cape Fear Rollergirls gave LVRG another power jam and allowed LVRG to increase their lead further. This closed the door on Cape Fear, allowing LVRG to win 99-188. This was a big win for LVRG as it increased their flattrackstats.com standings by 18.4 points and it will also reflect in their national WFTDA standings when the next rankings are posted.

 

 

Looking ahead, LVRG ends their season on October 19^th with an interleague Pink vs. Black bout of teammate versus teammate. This will be your last chance to see the Lehigh Valley Rollergirls until the opening of the 2014 season on March 1, 2014.

Find us online at: http://www.lehighvalleyrollergirls.com

All functions will be held at the Independence Family Fun Center, 4345 Independence Dr, Schnecksville, PA.

For more information about becoming a skater or official, contact us at join@lehighvalleyrollergirls.com

A big thank you to all of the volunteers, officials, friends, and family that make our team the best in the Lehigh Valley. This is as much your team as it is ours. Thank you

 

Cagey Rage - LVRG's Skater of the Month

Skating with the Lehigh Valley Rollergirls (LVRG) for 4 seasons, Kristina Schware, better known in the derby community as Cagey Rage, is not only a LVRG Board of Directors member, but also a skater with true personality.

As a skater, Cagey Rage says that her goals constantly change. She sometimes focuses on making charters and rosters but other times she just focuses on the sport itself and increasing her skills, such as endurance, agility and team cohesiveness.  

When asked about her most memorable moment of LVRG’s 2013 season, she stated “there have been many small special moments of 2013 that I will treasure as memories for many years. None of them are great feats performed on the track (truthfully, I usually forget a lot of the game play soon after it happens).  They are all teammate related. I love the car rides with other skaters to bouts and scrimmages. I love meeting the opposing team after a game and sharing a beer. I love the sisterhood of derby. And the ice cream party at the end of the year to celebrate SVU's (the Special Vixens Unit) undefeated season was a true highlight. The best reward for working hard as a team.”

Cagey Rage also works hard for LVRG as their WFTDA (Womens Flat Track Derby Association) Representative. The WFTDA is the roller derby governing body and association that the Lehigh Valley Rollergirls belong to as members. With over 300 national and international teams that belong to the WFTDA, it is a wonderful organization and we are proud to be included in their membership.  The WFTDA sets the standard of play, rules, and safety that the all the leagues adhere to on game day. They also provide the platform for its members to be ranked and qualify for playoffs.

The WFTDA is unique in the fact that all decisions, from deciding who will be a committee head to making a rule change, are all done by votes and input from all the member leaques. No other sport does that. Every team has a voice. Cagey Rage, along with two other LVRG skaters and some officials, are that voice from LVRG. They are the liasons that bring all the pertinent information to LVRG to obtain their views, and to get their votes. Cagey Rage then relays that information back to the WFTDA.

Cagey mentioned, “as a WFTDA rep, I also make sure that all WFTDA paperwork is completed to sanction a bout. I make sure our team’s information is constantly correct and updated on the WFTDA database. And I work with LVRG's reps to ensure that our team follows all the WFTDA bylaws and protocols, is aware of new WFTDA information, is updated on decisions, and understands it all.”

 There is a lot of work on the business side of LVRG that Cagey is involved in, including helping to recruit new skaters. When asked what advice she would give to anyone interested in becoming a roller girl, this is what she said: "Well, of course, do it. Once you do it, though, be cognizant that is a sport that takes a while to learn, physically and mentally.  As with any endeavor it is challenging at first, and slowly becomes second nature. You get stronger, quicker, smarter, but it takes time. And everyone's time is different. I had slow learning curve in derby. But I kept at it and now I am able to do things that I couldn't image doing a few years ago.  And since derby is constantly evolving there are always new things to learn which keeps it interesting and fun.”

 

Fun Facts about Cagey:

1.       She loves gardening, plants and reading in her garden.
2.       She loves to play board games, card games, and any other games she can play with her 2 daughters and husband of 12 years.
3.       Her all-time favorite TV show is “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”
4.       Her next door neighbor was a long lost friend she had in high school that she lost track of until she moved in next door

Looking ahead, LVRG’s Hissy Fits travel to Wilmington NC on Sept 21^st to play the Cape Fear Roller Girls. According to flattrackstats.com, LVRG has a 51% chance of winning the game, with almost no room for error, given a 2:2 point scoring ratio between teams.

Also, on October 19^th, see all of your favorite Rollergirls play in LVRG’s last game of the season for their interleague Pink vs Black game.

Find us online at: http://www.lehighvalleyrollergirls.com


All functions will be held at the Independence Family Fun Center, 4345 Independence Dr, Schnecksville, PA.

For more information about becoming a skater or official, contact us at join@lehighvalleyrollergirls.com

A big thank you to all of the volunteers, officials, friends, and family that make our team the best in the Lehigh Valley. This is as much your team as it is ours. Thank you.

LVRG vs. Iron Mountain Rollergirls Bout Wrap Up 9/7/13

This past weekend the Iron Mountain Rollergirls of Cumberland, MD travelled north to the Lehigh Valley for a rematch against the Lehigh Valley Rollergirls’ (LVRG) Special Vixens Unit (SVU). The last time these two teams met in June, the SVU beat the Iron Mountain team 269-142.  Led by Captain Sari Lew Threaten (#31), the Iron Mountain Ladies came ready to fight on LVRG territory.

LVRG came out strong on the jam line within the first 4 jams, racking the score up to a 41-4 lead with an early power jam led by LVRG Jammer Arista Crash. However, the Iron Mountain Rollergirls held tight after that quick spree and went point for point against Lehigh Valley for the next few jams. About 15 minutes into game play, both teams became increasingly aggressive. SVU’s DTainHer suffered a hit to the face and even removed herself from game play to treat a very bloody nose.

LVRG began dominating on the track in the last 15 minutes of the first half of play, bringing the score to 116-27. LVRG’s $heRock$, Beck-N-Hater, Stella Mac and Tortellina Temptress all got a chance to jam and helped to increase LVRG’s lead at the end of the first half to 159 LVRG-66 Iron Mountain.

At the start of the second half, Iron Mountain blockers Tailbone Crusher, Roxy Torment, Yanita Nurse and Love Pushin’ held their defense strong and gained a power jam against the SVU.  Iron Mountain’s second row of blockers Squee J, Jinger C., Shawanna Fightme, Thrill Kill Daffodill and Forcible Ntree captured a total of 21 points while LVRG’s jammer was still sitting in the penalty box. This brought the score up to 176-87 favoring LVRG.

With 12 minutes left of the game, LVRG’s Cagey Rage and Fresh Meat Kari Oswald both stepped up to jam. Assisted by powerhouse blocker Phish Tahko, LVRG continued to build their score to 232 points while Iron Mountain climbed their score to 137. With one jam left in the game, LVRG Jammer Toxic Shock brought home an electric last jam, gaining 18 points for Lehigh Valley and closing the door on Iron Mountain with a final score of 255-
140, LVRG.


The MVPs of the game were Arista Crash and Double Barrel Hot Gunz from LVRG and Gretta Gangrene and Becconator from Iron Mountain.

The SVU finish out their 2013 season undefeated. Great Job Ladies!

Looking ahead, LVRG’s Hissy Fits travel to Wilmington NC on Sept 21^st to play the Cape Fear Roller Girls. According to flattrackstats.com, LVRG has a 51% chance of winning the game, with almost no room for error, given a 2:2 point scoring ratio between teams.

Also, on October 19^th, see all of your favorite Rollergirls play in LVRG’s last game of the season for their interleague Pink vs Black game.

Find us online at: http://www.lehighvalleyrollergirls.com


All functions will be held at the Independence Family Fun Center, 4345 Independence Dr, Schnecksville, PA.

For more information about becoming a skater or official, contact us at join@lehighvalleyrollergirls.com

A big thank you to all of the volunteers, officials, friends, and family that make our team the best in the Lehigh Valley. This is as much your team as it is ours. Thank you.

All photos are by Jim Rhoades