Bout Recap: Knockouts 264, Dollies 131

NORTH TONAWANDA — The Queen City Roller Girls kicked off their 2014 home season on Jan. 11 at the Rainbow Rink in North Tonawanda, as last year’s QCRG cup winners, the Nickel City Knockouts, looked to extend their winning streak against rival cup contenders the Devil Dollies.

The night would see the Knockouts reprise their 2013 victory, and do so convincingly, taking home 264 points – more than double their opponents’ 131 passes.

The match opened with a lead jam by the Knockouts’ Librawlian that put her team up by 9, and a stonewall pack that left the Dollies scoreless.

Someone must have bumped the stereo, because that jam was on repeat all night. The lead would not change for the remainder of the bout, as a dense Knockouts pack allowed Librawlian and her crew to shred the Dollies again and again with their fancy footwork.

Of course, the Dollies would not go down without a fight. Though Vanilla Creamz scored 18 passes on the night, she took home plenty of style points, schooling her opponents with a veritable speed skating clinic. Crown Victoria pounded out 32 passes, and Low-Hits Griffin banked 68 for the Dollies, including a 33-point jam early in the first half. Blackrock Bruiser, Chickadeemolish, and Celery STALK-her each pitched in a handful for the Dollies.

Nearing halftime, the Dollies found themselves within striking distance of the lead. After a power jam, brilliant blocking by the “wall of doll,” and a top-notch showing by their jammers, the pink and black had answered 86 points to the Knockouts’ 88.

But penalties – and high-flying jams by the Knockouts – would put the kaibash on any notion of a lead change. Soon after the Dollies brought the score to within 2, the Knockouts took advantage of a powerjam, adding more than 30 points in the space of two jams. The push was capped off with a 13-point outing by Librawlian.

A pair of jumps by the jammer across the apex of the track, one in each half of the match, brought the crowd to their feet. And while the acrobatics were a wild show of athleticism and fun to watch, they were hardly necessary: by the time all was said and done, Librawlian skated away with 162 total points for the Knockouts. Abercrombie & Fists pitched in another 56 passes, while Toots McGee and Crazy Legs chipped in a respective 20 and 18 points. Maggie de Sade and Midnyt Maniac contributed another 8 between them. Not to be outdone, the Knockouts’ blockers put on a show of their own, leaving their opponents with a seven-minute, six-jam scoreless drought in the middle of the second half.

After 60 minutes of action, the Knockouts skated away with a victory and a final score of 264-131.

Fans thirsty for more action won’t have to wait long, as QCRG will pour on the hits again on Feb. 1: The night kicks off with a junior bout between QCRG and the Enchanted Mountain Roller Girls, followed by Alley Kats v. Suicidal Saucies. The first bout starts at 6:30 p.m. and the second at 8:45 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. at Rainbow Rink, 101 Oliver St. in North Tonawanda.