If you missed the all the action on 4/28 and 5/5, here is a recap…

4/28/12 Bees vs Troy

There was much steam spouting from the nostrils of both squads when Providence’s B-travel team, the Killah Bees, took on the Hellions of Troy in Troy, New York on April 28th. Though the Hellions have yet to come away with a win in the leagues’ three meetings, this last contest brought them the closest they’ve come, scoring 169 points to the Bees’ 177. Providence travel team coaches Wes Turn and OCDeliah have focused intently on strengthening the dynamism of our defensive walls this season. That preparation and the reliable jamming of team captain Small Wonder and veteran Jetta von Diesel yielded a nearly 60-point lead for the Bees by the end of the first half.

Then things got ugly. The ejection of defensive mainstay Dark n’ Stormy in the second jam of the second half was a harbinger of things to come as the penalty box became a revolving door for both teams. Frustrated by confusing calls made by an officiating crew still under the tutelage of WFTDA’s apprentice program (and Troy’s fans’ loud endorsement of the mistakes), the Bees struggled to maintain control and watched their lead slowly slip away. The outcome was decided in the last jam of the game as Smalls scraped out enough points for the Bees to clinch it. There were no fingernails to speak of at last check.

5/5/12 Rivs vs Dominion, Pigeons vs Shoreline

Fans were treated to two very close contests on May 5th as PRD inaugurated its newest bout venue, the William Thayer Arena, with a double-header. Despite leading for a majority of the game, Providence’s A-travel team, the Rhode Island Riveters, were ultimately defeated by Virginia’s Dominion Derby Girls All-Stars, 126 to 148. In their first appearance this season, Providence’s pick-up team, the Pigeons, gave Groton’s brand new league, Shoreline Roller Derby, a run for its money in the second game of the evening, coming away with a 126 to 109 victory.

Notorious Providence wit and longtime PRD announcer Diamond Dan White made a welcome surprise cameo on the mic that evening, trading jabs with co-announcer Reverend Al Mighty as if he’d never left. In the first game of the evening, the Riveters showcased their adaptability to Dominion, the first opponent of the season forcing jammer line starts as an exclusive strategy. Though not as universally unpopular with fans as “slow derby” (where blockers barely inch forward, keeping the pack ultra-slow in an attempt to maximize their jammer’s scoring opportunity), the “scrum” formation of jammer line starts nevertheless leads to a predictable outcome: a bajillion penalties. Just as the Bees had done in Troy, the Riveters’ defensive walls earned them a modest but stable 40-50 point lead for the majority of the first half. However, the mystery ejection of Trophy Knife (too much leg?) by the only Dominion official early in the second half meant even more scrambling for the management as penalties began to put holes in the Riveters walls and points on the board for Dominion. The Riveters’ fate was all but sealed after previously clean jammer Craisy Dukes was sent to the box on a low block major with only 6 minutes left in the period. The Riveters were unable to recover from the power jam and were handed a lesson in control and their first loss of the season.

Equally exciting but with a happier ending (and crazier boutfits) was the second game of the evening, an excellent match-up between the Providence Pigeons, our mixed-experience pick-up team, and the best skaters of Shoreline Roller Derby, a league still in its infancy in derby years. The mood in the rink lifted almost immediately, radiating with the thrill of rookies skating in their first or second bout, vets relieved of the weight of expectation usually attached to ranked bouts, and friends and family donning their home-made tshirts of support with pride . Though only one was skating in the game, the nerves of PRD’s recent Shoreline transfers Luce Cannon, Freakin Awesome and Smoke N’ Mirrors surely added to feel of anxious excitement. Fans were treated to rare jamming performances by besties Sass E. McNasty and Captain Shelby Bruisin, as well as notable ninjas Axe A. Dental and Smackgyver, veteran mobster and perennial crowd crush Rhode Kill, and fierce rookie toothpick Elsie YaLater, among others. The squads swapped leads several times throughout the game, but teamwork takes time and Pigeons are patient, emerging with the win in the end. The thrill may be over for now, but it ain’t gone – catch the next round on June 9th when PRD hosts Pennsylvania and western Mass in another double-header at Thayer!