麻豆社区

The Yukon Roller Girls were back on the concrete this past weekend, hosting the The Fantastic 14 at the Takhini Arena on Saturday night.

The Roller Girls entered the bout not knowing what to expect from their opponents, a select squad with players from across B.C, Alberta and Alaska.

The Fantastic 14 did not disappoint, however and matched up competitively with the local squad.

The bout entered the half with the Roller Girls down two points, 61-59.

"We had no idea what to expect,鈥� said team captain Arctic Fox.

Tie Dye, a member of the Red Deer Derby Association, put the Fantastic 14 together, selecting some of the top players in Western Canada.

"She's a fantastic skater and she's got a lot of fantastic skill,鈥� Arctic Fox said of Tie Dye.

"We thought we we're going to learn a lot and get our butts handed to us but they ended up being quite a range of skill sets,鈥� she said.

"It was a really equal match.鈥�

In the second half, the Roller Girls came to life.

Led by the power jams of Lady Cuntessa and the Flying Mongoose, the Roller Girls pulled away with the lead.

The momentum carried them to an impressive 180-109 victory.

"We had a couple of really excellent power jams and we started playing better as a team and had some strong defence,鈥� said Arctic Fox.

It was the first time the squad had played in the Takhini Arena, a venue that Artic Fox said was perfect for the bout.

"I loved it, it was such a nice venue,鈥� she said.

"Takhini is a building designed for spectator sports. It was really fun to play in.鈥�

Despite it being a busy weekend in Whitehorse the Roller Girls received raucous support from the local fans.

"The crowd was great as always,鈥� said Arctic Fox.

"The people who came out were really fun. We were worried because of all the conflicting events but we had a good group to show up and cheer us on.鈥�

Those that were able to make it to the bout, were given a show.

The spirited second-half comeback showed how quickly the Roller Girls are developing.

Arctic Fox said the team struggles at times without a coaching presence on the sidelines to help with their line changes and finding the combination that works at the time.

"It can take us a while to find a groove,鈥� she said.

"But we played together really well. We had some really strong walls and excellent communication on the track.鈥�

The Roller Girls needed to be on top of their games with some strong players leading the attack for The Fantastic 14.

Easy-Break Oven, a member of the Edmonton Oil City All-Stars, was one player in particular that had the Roller Girls on their toes.

"She could of destroyed us all be herself but we challenged her and she was definitely challenging to us,鈥� said Fox.

Ms. Julie, a member of the Juneau Roller Girls, was another skater the local team

was prepared for.

"It's always really nice to play with someone who is on a similar level to you, " said Arctic Fox. "It's that much more satisfying when you manage to hit them.鈥�

The bout marks the end of the first half of the season for the Roller Girls.

The squad will take July and August off to heal up and enjoy the remaining summer weather.

They will hold a "Fresh Meat鈥� intake in August, to gear up for the second half of the season and welcome new players to the group.

Once everyone is back up to speed, the Roller Girls are hoping to have their first match back in Whitehorse in the middle of Sept.

"We'll be hosting a boot camp, bringing coaches up from down south and get things started for the fall season,鈥� said Arctic Fox.

The Junior Girls program, who led a roller derby demonstration at the beginning of Saturday's match, will continue their training in the fall.

"We're ending on a high note, " said Arctic Fox.

"It's been a really busy season for us, we ended up playing an extra bout (against Red Deer) and there was a lot of potential for burnout but I think we're ending at just the right time when everyone is happy and not injured.

"We'll take a break, let our knees heel and come back strong in the fall.鈥�