Category Archives: Roller Derby
Today (8/26): Oly Rollers wrap up home season
The Oly Rollers’ varsity Cosa Nostra Donnas will be in action again tonight when they play host to one of the original flat track derby teams, Austin’s Texas Rollergirls.
Texas is the #1 ranked team out of the WFTDA’s South Central region and is currently ranked at #11 by the Derby News Network but have been ranked as high as #4 this season. They played Rat City in Seattle last night and lost 207-154 continuing their struggles after losing to Gotham, Bay Area and Windy City at home in July.
Doors at Skateland! open at 6:00 PM with the bout getting underway at 6:30. Tickets are $15 at the door.
Saturday scoreboard: Bellas fall to Rodeo City, Nostras knock off Minnesota; Geoducks volleyball drops two more
Roller derby
Rodeo City 178, Oly Rollers Bella Donnas 151
Oly Rollers Cosa Nostra Donnas 212, Minnesota 152
The Bella Donnas outscored Rodeo City 105-63 in the second half but it wasn’t enough after digging themselves a hole in the first to trail 115-46 at the break.
In the second bout, the Minnesota Rollergirls led by as many as 23 points in the first half before the Cosa Nostra Donnas stormed back to take a 16 point lead at the half. The Donnas then went on a 30-3 run to open up the second half and withstood a barrage that brought Minnesota to within 11 points with 16 minutes left to play and outscored MNRG 72-23 the rest of the way to take home a 212-152 victory.
College volleyball
Montana Tech 3, Evergreen 2 (23-25, 25-15, 25-17, 25-22, 15-7)
Montana Northern 3, Evergreen 0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-18) – More from Geoducks athletics
The Evergeen volleyball team came so close to winning their first game under Greg Spector’s and their first game since 2010, but after forcing a fifth set with a 25-22 win in the fourth, the Geoducks ran out of steam and dropped the final set to Montana Tech, 15-7.
Then, in their final game at the Red Lion Frontier/Cascade Challenge in Spokane, the Geoducks were swept in straight sets by Montana Western to finish the weekend at 0-5.
Today (8/25): Oly Rollers doubleheader; Racing season continues
The New York Yankees Oly Rollers take to the rink tonight at Skateland! with a doubleheader featuring Oly’s rookie team the Bella Donnas against Ellensburg’s Rodeo City Rollergirls and the varsity Cosa Nostra Donnas against the Minnesota Rollergirls.
Oly comes into tonight’s bout ranked #5 by the Derby News Network and #3 by Derbytron while Minnesota is ranked #10 by DNN and #17 by Derbytron. Minnesota is in the middle of a three bouts in three days Cascadia road trip. They played the Rose City Rollers last night in Portland and were beaten 166-90 and will take on the Rat City all-stars tomorrow in a private bout in Seattle.
Tickets for tonight’s doubleheader are $15 at the door. Doors open at 6:00 PM with derby action getting underway at 6:30.
If you like motorized vehicles going around a much bigger track, head on out to South Sound Speedway’s 3/8th of a mile track and catch NSRA sprint cars, hobby stocks, compacts, mini stocks and bumblebees. The speedway website has a preview of the NSRA races tonight.
Tickets are $20 for adults and kids 15 and under get in for free. Qualifying starts at 5:30 PM with racing at 6:30.
Oly Rollers stir up derby world with trio of transfers
If you think roller derby – at least at a high level – is all just fun and games, think again.
Yesterday, the Oly Rollers ruffled some feathers when it was learned that three skaters would be added to the Oly Rollers charter just before the deadline to skate in the WFTDA playoffs in September.
Atomatrix, Joy Collsion and Hockey Honey will be on the roster for the playoffs despite not playing with Oly at all this season and living nowhere near Olympia. Atomatrix had been an Oly Roller before moving to Arizona with her family and company Atom Wheels before this season, Joy Collision had spent seven years with Baltimore’s Charm City Rollergirls and Hockey Honey comes from San Diego after stops in Arizona and Olympia. Oly is a #4 seed in the upcoming WFTDA playoffs.
Reaction to this news throughout the roller derby world has been passionately negative, despite being technically within the rules of the WFTDA. Hellarad, a derby zine, was particularly profane in their criticism calling the Oly Rollers “the douchiest team in all of roller derby”.
You could go down the rabbit hole following the links reacting to this move and I encourage you to do so if you want to learn more about roller derby culture. Banked Track News post “Why We Dislike ‘Ringers’ and ‘Superteams'” is particularly interesting as are some of the links to Facebook posts that the Derby News Network linked to today.
But you can also read from the three skaters that are moving. Atomatrix, Joy Collision and Hockey Honey have all weighed in on the moves and I find it hard to argue with their reasons for joining Oly for a playoff run.
I do agree that it might not be completely fair to some of the skaters that have been on the Oly roster the whole season that will get bumped for the playoffs, but that’s the breaks when you are playing competitive sports and the Oly Rollers are a competitive team. There’s a reason that there are three roller derby leagues in this small town: the Oly Rollers are a competitive team and not completely recreational. If you want recreational fairness, don’t join the Cosa Nostra Donnas.
I will also say that I don’t feel bad for the other roller derby leagues that are losing players to Olympia. Olympia is by far the smallest market playing at a high level and with the smallest group of athletes to draw from, perhaps it is necessary to bring in old friends and people that want to play to compete with New York City and Denver and Bay Area and all of the other leagues based in major metropolitan areas. I’ve seen a few people refer to the Oly Rollers as the New York Yankees and as a proud native of Olympia, I’m pretty happy to see that insult lobbed our little old way.
So my message to the roller derby world: suck it up. Welcome to the realities of competitive sports.
OLY OLY OLY, OI OI OI!
Today (8/18): Evergreen soccer kicks off, Saints women scrimmage, Underground Derby doubleheader, Racing
The Evergreen fall athletics season kicks off on Saturday morning at 9:00 AM with a men’s soccer game against Trinity Lutheran at Evergreen Pitch.
The Geoducks were picked to finish fifth in the eight team Cascade Collegiate Conference this season as they return four of their top five scorers from a team that went 5-11-2 overall last season. Senior midfielder George Bundy scored four goals and had four assists last season to lead all returning Geoducks in points. Fellow seniors Josh Flavin and Brandon Wood each also scored four goals last season while yet another senior Josh Strasser added two goals and two assists.
Evergreen and Trinity Lutheran met twice last season with Trinity taking both games by a combined score 0f 6-0.
And if that isn’t enough college soccer for you on Saturday, head over to the SMU Soccer Field for the Saint Martin’s women’s second scrimmage of the young season. The Saints take on NAIA powerhouse Concordia at 4:00 PM. The Cavaliers were the national runners-up in NAIA Division II last season posting a 20-5-1 record, are the unanimous choice to win the Cascade Collegiate Conference this season and are currently ranked #2 in the nation.
When you have had your fill of soccer, head over to Skateland! for an Underground Derby doubleheader featuring the UDL’s Death Dealing Dolls taking on the Spokanibals followed by a Grease themed bout featuring members of the other UDL teams playing as the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds.
Doors to the Dog Days of Summer bouts open at 6:00 PM with derby action getting underway at 6:30. Tickets to the doubleheader are $15 and can be purchased at the doors.
And finally, it should be a really nice evening to head out to South Sound Speedway for the super late model 100, street stocks, bumblebees, WMRA and NW Pro-4 Trucks. Tickets are $16 for adults at the speedway. Qualifying begins at 5:00 PM and racing starts at 6:30.
Also today (7/29): Derby movie night at Skateland!
The Oly Rollers host a screening of the film “Derby, Baby!” today at Skateland! Filmmakers Robin Bond and Dave Wruck explore the boom in roller derby over the past decade with this documentary and the film features interviews and footage from the Oly Rollers. The film is narrated by Juliette Lewis, who starred in the fictional roller derby film “Whip It”.
Tickets to the screening are available at the Skateland! doors and the film begins at 5:00 PM.
Today (7/28): PSCL playoffs, MIA Derby Girls, Racing
The Puget Sound Collegiate League playoffs continue today with the top two seeds kicking off their playoff run in the morning and early afternoon and continuing later with two elimination games.
Game one pits the #3 seed West Olympia Linx against the #2 seed Lacey Saints. The Saints were solidly on top of the PSCL standings but were swept by the Olympia Athletics in the last week of play and were just 2-6 over their last eight games. On the other hand, the Linx went 5-3 over their last eight games including a 1-0 11th inning win over the Nisqually Silvers last night. The Saints and Linx met six times this season with the Saints taking the season series 4-2. First pitch at the RAC is at 11:00 AM.
The #1 seed Olympia Athletics get their playoff run underway at 2:00 PM at the RAC against the Hawks Prairie Cardinals. The A’s and Cardinals have met six times this season with the A’s taking four games with one of the Cardinals wins came from an 8-8 tie where the win was awarded to the Cards based on tiebreaker rules. The A’s come into the playoffs red hot winning nine of the last ten games.
The first elimination game gets underway at the RAC at 5:00 and pits the tough luck first round loser Nisqually Silvers against the Tumwater Brewers. The two teams just wrapped up the “Mohawk Series” with the Silvers taking two of three from the Brewers and resulting in a new hairdo for Brewers head coach Abe Lupkin.
And finally, the day wraps up with the second elimination game at 7:45 between the loser of the Linx/Saints game and the loser of the A’s/Cardinals game.
Also on the docket today, the MIA Derby Girls host their third bout in their short existence. They will take on The Vodun at South Sound Sports Center in Tumwater at 6:00 PM. Tickets are $15 at the door.
Last, but not least, the racing season continues at South Sound Speedway with legends, street stocks, bump to pass, outlaw compacts and baby grands. Tickets are $14 for adults with qualifying beginning at 5:00 PM and racing starting at 6:30.
Saturday scoreboard: Saints fall in Kitsap; Dropkicks comeback in Boise
Puget Sound Collegiate League baseball
Kitsap Bluejackets 13, Lacey Saints 2
Roller Derby
Oly Rollers Dropkick Donnas 186, Treasure Valley 180 – OT
Today (7/14): Elks and Linx; Senators in Kamloops; Derby doubleheader; Racing
The West Olympia Linx get their chance at the West Coast League’s Bend Elks split squad team today at Saint Martin’s. Yesterday the Hawks Prairie Cardinals knocked off the Elks 2-1 but the Elks came back to beat the Nisqually Silvers 6-2 in a lightning shortened game. First pitch today is at noon.
In other Puget Sound Collegiate League action, the Thurston County Senators take on the Everett Merchants in the first round of the elimination portion of the Kamloops International Baseball Tournament. The Senators went 2-1 in pool play losing only to the defending two time champion Seattle Studs 6-1 last night. First pitch in Kamloops is at 2:30. Unfortunately, neither team seems to use Pointstreak so there are no live stats of the game.
Back in Olympia, Underground Derby hosts a doubleheader tonight when the Death Dealers take on Port Scandalous and the Back Alley Sallies face the Oly Rollers’ Bella Donnas. Doors open at 6:00 PM and derby action gets underway at 6:30. Ticket are $15 and can be purchased at the door.
And finally, weather permitting, South Sound Speedway continues it’s season tonight with street stocks, legends, baby grands, WMRA and bumblebees. Qualifying begins at 5:00 PM and racing starts at 6:30. Tickets are $14 for adults.
Saturday scoreboard: Donnas dominate; Senators fall in Canada
Roller Derby
The Sac City Capital Punishers struck first winning the first jam to take a 1-0 lead but the Derbytron #2 ranked Cosa Nostra Donnas quickly took control and behind adept jamming by Heffer 2Ton and Snickerbrutal easily beat took the bout, 273-61. The Donnas held the Punishers to just 18 first half points.
Puget Sound Collegiate League baseball
Kamloops Sun Devils 5, Thurston County Senators 3
Mario Sanelli (Saint Martin’s) went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Kyle Doucette (Olympic College) drove in a run on two hits for the Thurston County Senators but it wasn’t enough as the Kamloops Sun Devils dropped the Senators 5-3 in the final game of pool play of the Canada Weekend Baseball Blast in Kelowna, British Columbia. Dustin Dhanani, who is coached by the Senators’ Spencer Stark at Olympic College, went 2-for-3 with a two run home run in the fifth inning for the Sun Devils.
Even with the loss, the Senators will play in the elimination portion of the tournament starting tomorrow.
Oly Sports 