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!
Thursday scoreboard: Geoducks volleyball falls in opener
College volleyball
(#21) Carroll College 3, Evergreen 0 (25-8, 25-12, 25-5) – More from Geoduck athletics
The college volleyball season got underway at the Red Lion Cascade/Frontier Challenge in Spokane when Carroll College beat Evergreen in straight sets, 25-8, 25-12 and 25-5. Carroll was ranked #21 in NAIA Division II to open the season and have already knocked off the #7 team in the nation while Evergreen was picked to finish last in the CCC.
The Geoducks play two games tomorrow in Spokane, first against the University of Great Falls at noon foilowed by a a matchup with the University of Montana Western at 4:00 PM. Live stats for both games can be found here.
Wednesday scoreboard: Senators complete sweep in Bend
Baseball
Thurston County Senators 6, Bend Elks 4
The Thurston County Senators ended the Bend Elks season on Wednesday night with a 6-4 win in Bend.
The Senators next face the Seattle Studs Friday night at the RAC at 7:45 PM before heading to the Grand Forks Invitational over the Labor Day weekend.
Galloway dismissed as Capital basketball coach
Shocking news reported today by The Olympian: Doug Galloway has been dismissed as the boy’s basketball coach at Capital High School due to a “lack of supervision” at a basketball camp at Western Washington University where there was an incident described as “forced sexual contact” between students.
The camp took place June 28-30 and the incident happened on June 29th when Galloway was attending a university event.
Galloway will remain as a PE teacher and the girl’s golf coach at Capital.
With Galloway’s dismissal, Capital joins River Ridge, Timberline and Black Hills as area boy’s basketball programs that will have new coaches for the 2012-2013 season.
Tuesday scoreboard: Senators top Bend
Baseball
Thurston County Senators 5, Bend Elks 2
Nate O’Bryan pitched a complete game and Shane Schoeneberg went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in the Thurston County Senators’ 5-2 win over the Bend Elks in Bend. Kyle Baskett drove in two runs in the win.
The Senators play one more game in Bend on Wednesday before taking on the Seattle Studs at the RAC on Friday night at 7:45 PM. The game is a tune up for both teams before they head to the Grand Forks Invitational over the Labor Day weekend.
Saints vs. Geoducks women’s soccer photo slideshow
Saint Martin’s and Evergreen squared off today at SMU Soccer Field and both teams fought extremely hard in the first half for what was just a preseason scrimmage. Since it is against NCAA rules to report stats or scores from scrimmages, no final score was reported, but I did see one goal scored by Saint Martin’s in the half that I watched.
Today (8/20): Saints and Geoducks square off
The Geoducks have to replace their two leading scorers including all-CCC second teamer Brianna Speed.
Saint Martin’s women’s soccer plays their third and final scrimmage today and Evergreen kicks off their season when the two teams meet today at SMU Soccer Field at 3:00 PM.
Evergreen was picked to finish eighth in the ten team Cascade Collegiate Conference this season. The Geoducks lost their two leading scorers, Anastasia Daniels and Brianna Speed, the only two seniors on last season’s squad. Daniels scored seven goals and Speed scored four times and had three assists leading the Geoducks to a 5-9-1 record.
Sophomore Lauren Davidson played 14 games in goal in her freshman year last season and made 72 saves and posted a 2.17 goals against average. Dierdra Dornay lead all underclassmen with three goals while Sophie Krauza, Katie Hebein and Rayna Murphy each chipped in two goals.
Evergreen’s biggest problem last season was the road where they went 1-7. At Evergreen Pitch, the Geoducks went 4-2-1 including an overtime loss to Northwest and a shocking upset of then #3 ranked Concordia.
Today (8/19): Saints Martin’s men scrimmage
Men’s soccer
Saint Martin’s vs. Trinity Western (scrimmage) – 4:00 PM – SMU Soccer Field
Saturday scoreboard: Trinity spoils Evergreen’s opener.
Men’s soccer
Trinity Lutheran 3, Evergreen 1 – More from Evergreen athletics
In the season opener for both schools, a Sergio Martinez goal put Trinity Lutheran ahead 1-0 in the seventh minute and Amin Lemrini found the back of the net in the 60th minute to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead that proved insurmountable in their 3-1 defeat of Evergreen on Saturday morning.
Brady Espinoza scored the Geoducks’s first goal of the season on a free kick to cut the lead to a goal but Trinity put it away in the 83rd minute on a goal by Sekou Rolland.
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.
Oly Sports 