Fog City Rollers first International Bout: Shipyard Sirens vs. MRD Calamity Janes

Shipyard Sirens with Calamity Janes

Tacky getting lined up for a hit from a Janes Blocker

While preparing for the first bout of the season, and the Sirens third bout as a team, it was difficult to know what to expect from the Maine Roller Derby Calamity Janes. We knew that we’d been borrowing content from the online copy of the MRD training manual since we started as a league; we knew that their skaters should have relatively comparable experience/time/bouts under their belts and the mentorship of some extremely experienced skaters but we didn’t know much else. I personally assumed that we’d be bedazzled by a bunch of new, top notch American derby strategy (cause you know we get things here late), and be beaten smoothly and precisely (there is no lack of loyalty in realism). But that’s not how it went down at all. I choose to view it as a microcosm of the US vs Canada bout. Sirens were out-skilled by a team of fearless, relentless warriors! They used very basic, logical derby strategies we recognized, but countering them was virtually impossible! Their jammer footwork and psych outs were explosive. To a skater there were none that could be identified as a ‘weak link’ or an easy goating opportunity. Their hits were frequent and hard as hell. This is worthy of note because as a league, FCR has often prided itself in its contact skills, both in giving and taking. However, instead of having just four or five big hitters, Janes seemed to have all big hitters, without sacrificing speed. Masquerage literally limped away from that bout, and if you know Masq, you know she's one tough cookie!

The two broad skills I believe that set Janes ahead were their excellent timing and use of hits. It served to set the tone of fear it took the Sirens a long time to shake (and some I suspect never did). When a Sirens blocker would line up the Janes jammer or blocker for a hit, there were immediate preventative or retribution hits, usually streaming in unnoticed from left field. In boxing, there is a thing called the “counterpunch” that is similarly effective. When a boxer receives an immediate pop in the nose for every hit he doles out, he starts to be less willing to throw punches. The same holds true in derby in my experience. If you are getting knocked on the floor from any direction any time you try to do something (jammer or blocker) you become more hesitant to take risks. Despite the constant flurry of abuse, little of it was wasted, as it was applied at opportune times, swarming forward to help jammers through as well as fuelled the exhaustion of the opposing team. This is what set the Sirens back in general in the first period I think, the effective crushing of souls.

Most of the Janes lineups looked to be using a pretty standard 3 defense 1 offense blocker and dominating the front of the pack. By the second period, Sirens started getting pretty good at fighting for the front and building two or three-walls there, while cycling their most effective jammers in more often. They were even lucky enough to get several power jams, but the points they could pick up were limited because the Janes have excellent defense and pack control. Their walls are tight and they proved effective at controlling pack speed with goating or staying just out of reach at the front to keep it sped up.

Fancy Nancy

Tacky Tammy

Scrum starts on the jammer line seem to have contributed effectively to Sirens improving their performance in the second period, and bought them a majority of their lead jammer statuses if I remember correctly. The point difference was about 200 to 18 in the first period and the leak was cut in half and points earned about tripled in the second period ending with 308 to 54. Sirens actually got lead jammer many times in the second period but the Janes ability to switch immediately from defense to a frenzied offense, and the excellent footwork of their jammers assured their jammer was never far behind, limiting sirens to tiny bites of 2 to 4 points before being forced to call it off.  

Lil Chop happy in da box

Another worry we had going in to a bout with a WFTDA league was the possible disconnect between the officiating we’re used to and the WFTDA type. Though our rules training and testing is pretty regular, we didn’t know if we had been missing a bunch of subtle rules that we’d get called on. We just weren’t sure. The bout officiating was excellent, and very reassuring! Head referee was 3 Day Bender (WFTDA) from Boston and there was a mix of MRD, Boston, and FCR (Brad Pittiful) refs there. The pre-bout meeting was very efficient, lining up the NSO’s and Refs who would work most closely together to discuss any signals they may use and so on. I was doing outside whiteboard, and it seemed to run like clockwork. The teams ended up with what appeared to me from the center board as about equal penalties. There were no expulsions, and as far as I remember no more than 3 or 4 majors per skaters. Our Allie B Bashin only got 1 minor! At the half time 3 Day Bender emphasized a warning about being careful of impact and not accidentally calling majors when they should be minors. They were very careful and fair on their calls and I did not hear a word of complaint from our skaters afterwards. All in all the officials were very officious, as they should be!

The Calamity Janes proved that the team with the better physical ability in implementing a strategy, even if both teams know it, will come out on top. Sirens pulled a few moves that appeared to confuse the Janes and work a bit but it didn't make much of a dent in the face of superior ability. Sirens walls were tight (for FCR) but Janes walls were tighter. Sirens jammers had good footwork (For FCR) but Janes footwork was better. Sirens hits are pretty strong in general, but Janes were harder and they stood up better to Sirens hits as well. Sirens now have some experience and feedback to further work on their training program and set higher standards of performance to continue pushing to be competitive locally and internationally! Thank you Calamity Janes for the schoolin and the pizza! We and our fans had a great time!

Thanks to Marc Henwood of Isurus Photography for some great photos!