Taylor Rocca
The Bavarian Barbarians and Moose Jaw Jaw Breakers battled to the bitter end, putting on a entertaining roller derby bout at a jam-packed Marysville Arena Aug. 16.
“That’s one of the things we love about derby,” said Pamela ‘Rock ‘n’ Rogue’ Nevlud. “When you get a good crowd, it makes the game so much better. It’s better for the crowd and it’s better for [the players] too.
“We had a way bigger turnout than we expected and that was just really cool to skate to.”
The Jaw Breakers came out at the end of the night with the decisive edge on the scoresheet, topping the hosts by a final score of 163-102.
“They play a completely different strategy than us,” Nevlud said. “That definitely threw us off.
“Their blockers were really good. They were really solid, really strong and our jammers definitely felt it.”
The Barbarians got a quick start on the visitors before surrendering the lead for good. By halftime, the bruising crew from the Lil’ Chicago Roller Derby League had pulled ahead 97-61.
Penalties got the best of the Barbarians as the squad gave up numerous power-jam opportunities to the Jaw Breakers, simply unable to deal with the size and strength of the Moose Jaw blockers.
It was an emotional night for the Barbarians, as they said goodbye to star jammer Krystal ‘Stroker’ Moreau. The spitfire skater is leaving the team after moving to Fort St. John.
“She’s our number-one jammer and a great derby player,” Nevlud said of Moreau. “Most of us hope to one day be as good as her.”
The Barbarians now hit the offseason with training camp slated to begin in January 2015.
The squad will also host “Fresh Meat” camp in November (date to be determined). “Fresh Meat” is an opportunity for those interested in derby to learn the rules, skate and get a taste for the sport. Whether one is interested in playing, officiating, or volunteering, “Fresh Meat” covers derby basics.
The hope for 2015 is through bringing in new skaters, officials and volunteers from “Fresh Meat” camp, the Barbarians will be able to help facilitate the rebirth of Cranbrook’s former East Kootenay Roller Derby League franchise.