Written By: Shermaine Tank
On March 31st, 2012, the Jersey Shore Roller Girls' interleague season opener featured the 2011 champions, the Anchor Assassins versus the 2010 champions, the Murder Beach Militia. Fans packed the stands, and cheered loudly throughout the exciting season opener. Murder Beach dominated the first half, but the Anchor Assassins closed the point gap ten minutes into the second half and the remainder of the game saw multiple lead changes, until the Murder Beach Militia pulled ahead at the very end of the game, winning with a score of 121 to the Anchor Assassin’s 112.
In the first jam of the night, MBM captain, Wicked Kitty takes the jam line, while the AAs field Carrot Topple, a relatively new skater, as their jammer. Both jammers are caught up in the pack for the first lap, but Kitty finally manages to sneak through on the inside line, while Carrot remains trapped behind veteran blocker, Trigger Hippie, who blocks her and knocks her down. Kitty puts three points on the board for her team, and calls off the jam before the Anchors can score any points.
For the second jam of the night, the Anchor, Dodge AWOL, jams against Murder Beach’s M8T. AA pivot Lita Floor Her catches M8T at the top of the pack and hits her, as Awol breaks through, unopposed by the MBM blockers, and earns lead jammer. She is able to score and call off the jam before M8T can earn any points for her team. So the home teams go tit-for-tat in the first two jams of the night, trading points and lead jammer status, starting the third jam with a score of 4 to 3 in the AAs favor.
Jam number three of the evening starts with AA pivot Lita in the penalty box, and jammer Carrot on the line against MBM Kitty. Carrot fouls and is sent to the box at the start of the jam, leaving Kitty on the track without opposition. Murder Beach Blockers wall up and are able to control the pack speed, their jammer earns lead jammer status and calls off the jam. Murder Beach jammer, M8T, starts off the fourth jam fresh, and unopposed as Carrot still sits in the penalty box. The jam starts, the MBM blockers take a knee to force the jam whistle, then the MBM blockers catch AA co-captain Belle Maul Her and use her as a goat (to control the pack speed) allowing M8T to shoot to the front of the pack to make two scoring passes. Carrot is finally released but M8T is quick to call off the jam, pushing MBM into the lead they will maintain for the remainder of the first half.
Next, Dawn K Kong, new to MBM, earns lead jammer over AA's AWOL. Then Kid Kill-O-Watt jams and scores for the AAs, despite Nikki Sixx Ft Under and Alabama Whirley's attempts to hold her back, ending the 6th jam with a score of 17 to 8 in MBM's favor. In jam seven, AA's AWOL earns lead jam, despite a huge hit from MBM's AC Skater.
Now Kitty and Carrot line up on the jam line, and as Jersey Violet lays a hit out on Carrot, her jammer (Kitty) is sent to the box, but Carrot is called on a major track cut, and quickly follows her. As Kitty is released from the penalty box, Nikki plays excellent offense for her, pushing AA's captain, Emma Nockuout out of the way. Carrot serves the remaining time, is released, and quickly shoots up the inside line. She takes a lap then gets tangled up in the back of the pack by MBM blockers. Kitty takes a huge hit from Lita and gets trapped in the front of the pack by the AA's defense, and the jam ends with the jammers in stasis.
MBM proceeds to take lead jammer status for 5 of the next 7 jams, which gives them the ability to score, and control the amount of points the AA jammers can score. AWOL does earn lead jammer status twice in this period, and in a big offensive play for her team scores while her teammates Emma and Stoli Slammer hold back the opposing jammer, and quickly calls off the jam before MBM can score, making the score a respectable 34-19 (MBM) demonstrating the "Anchor Assassins Scrappiness" that their fans know and love.
With a score of 35-19, in MBM favor, Kong takes the jam line against AA AWOL, Emma hits Kong across the apex of the first turn, forcing her to cut the track and sending her to the box, while her own jammer makes a scoring pass. AWOL tries to call off the jam, but she is denied because she is not the lead jammer. Kong serves her penalty, is released from the box, and quickly shoots through the pack and scores, passing AWOL in the pack.
In the last 6 jams of the first half, MBM again manages to dominate lead jammer status, which allows them to score and call off jams, thwarting the AA's ability to rack up points. The first half ends with a powerful offensive jam from MBM, Trigger and AC work together to hold back AWOL, as their own jammer, M8T, earns lead and scores. AWOL drops to the back of the pack, looking for help, as M8t flies by, scores, and calls off the jam, ending the first half with a score of 60-43 in MBM's favor.
The second half begins with a serious rally from the AA's. First AWOL is up against M8T and the AA's take a knee and force the jam whistle. AWOL breaks through first and earns lead jammer with M8T hot on her tail. As the jammers approach the pack for their scoring pass, there's some serious pivot on pivot action, Awol makes a play up the outside line, where Kong finally catches and forces her to call off the jam, which she does before M8T can score.
In the next jam, Carrot Topple is on the line for the AA's and the MBM put M8T back on the jammer line. Again the AA's take a knee and force the jam whistle. Carrot hustles through the pack first, and M8T gets caught up behind Emma. Kong assists M8T, but she's not in time, and Carrot makes her way around the track to begin her scoring pass. She makes it up to the front of the pack before she is knocked out of play and calls off the jam, chipping away at the point differential from the first half.
With a score of 61-50, MBM, Emma takes the line for AA' s and Kong takes the line for MBM. The AA's are aggressively attempting to win lead jam, and recover some points. In a furious dash up the inside line, Kong takes the lead with Emma close behind her. Kong approaches the pack and quickly calls off the jam before either jammer can score. Next, M8t takes the lead over Carrot, who gets caught up behind a wall of MBM, and they hold her back long enough for M8T to score her points, and call off the jam, which has been MBM's winning strategy throughout this entire game.
In the incredibly exciting 5th jam of the second half, the AA's start off the jam with two of their blockers in the box. MBM lines up in the front of the pack, the AA captain, Emma, races off the jam line and enters the pack first, but MBM manages to hold her just long enough for their own jammer, Kong, to break out of the pack first and earn lead jammer. Kong stays just in front of Emma, booty blocking her as they make their way around the track, and as they approach the pack for a scoring pass Kong calls off the jam- but she is not fast enough and somehow Emma streaks up the inside line, again proving the scrappiness of the Anchor Assassins, and scoring 2 points for her team, while Kong scores none!
Now with 24 minutes left in the half, Awol takes the outside line, earns lead jammer again for her team, and manages to score and shut down the MBM jammer, Kitty, who gets caught up behind AA pivot, Shirley B. Brutal. With a score of 67-65, still in MBM's favor, Carrot takes the line for AA's. She hits the pack first, gets caught behind Scarlet and Trigger for a half a lap before she finally breaks and takes lead jam. Meanwhile, M8t is still hung up in the pack, and is being knocked around by Emma and Lita, when Carrot approaches the pack for her scoring pass. She crashes into a Nikki/Trigger combo and they all tumble to the ground. Unfortunately Carrot is sent to the box leaving M8T unopposed. The AA blockers try to pick up the speed of the pack, while MBM is ineffectual in their attempt to goat Emma. M8T is able to grand slam before Carrot re-enters the track and the jam ends. The fans are screaming wildly and the volume in Convention Hall has reached an impressive level as the AA's come so close to a lead change.
Next, Awol jams for AA's, momentarily gets hung up behind Bama and Boston Whale Her, and breaks through the front of the pack, just a step ahead of Kong, and earns lead jam. Kong gets called on a major track cut, and makes her way to the box leaving the AA jammer unopposed. The AA fans are going nuts, as Awol hits an MBM wall, gets knocked down, and calls the jam off. This is the srtart of the AA' s aggressive battle to maintain the lead in this game. With 19 and a half minutes left in this half, Emma takes the jam line for her team, while the MBM jammer is still in the box, leaving her unopposed. Emma enters the pack, hits a wall of green, but is quickly assisted through by her co-captain, Belle. Emma takes lead jam, and is again assisted by Belle in what ends up being the jam that finally closes the point gap for the AA's. Emma manages to score 9 points before the jam ends, bringing the score to 74 for the AA's vs MBM's 72.
Then Awol takes the line, and despite a big hit on the outside line from AC, wins lead jam. M8T goes down early in the pack, and is then sent to the box, leaving Awol free to earn a second grand slam in a row for the AA's! Carrot is up next, and is able to get lead jam, score two points, and end the jam as M8T is finally released from the box. Again Awol takes the lead for her team, as her teammate Lita holds back MBM jammer Kitty. She takes a whip from Simone Debooya, and attempts to pass Bama, she tries to call off the jam but is sent to the box on a major track cut, and the jam plays on! Kitty skates unopposed, MBM catches Kid and uses her as a goat to slow down the pack speed allowing Kitty to score and close the point gap to only three points (still in the AA's favor).
With 13 and a half minutes left in the game, and a score of 87 for AAs and 84 for MBM, M8T takes the jam line unopposed. Both sets of blockers line up directly in front of the jam line (and M8T looks slightly worried.) After an official timeout and a very impressive wave that included the entire audience, as well as the announcers, and the girls serving time in the penalty box, MBM takes a knee, the whistle blows, and M8T skips through the tight pack easily and gets lead jam. Awol enters the track, but Nikki knocks her back out, and is able to hold Awol back long enough for M8T to score and change the lead back to MBM'S favor, with a score of 91-90, and the third lead change in this exciting game.
Now Emma is up against Kong, and the AAs stall on the first whistle, trying to run down the clock on the penalty box so that Lita can join them in the track. The pack finally takes off, and Kong gets lead jam, while Emma is trapped behind a big green wall. Kong gets sent to the box, Emma takes a high block, but is then also sent to the penalty box, so when she enters, Kong is released. Now Kong is unopposed, and makes it through the pack, busting through a wall of Lita and T-Bex. Unfortunately Kong cuts the track, and is forced to revisit the penalty box, releasing Emma.
AWOL will start the next jam, with ten minutes on the clock, and a score of 95-90, MBM. MBM jammer, Kong, is still in the box so Awol has another a big scoring opportunity. Violet catches Awol at the front of the pack, and her teammate Nikki and Scarlet Destruction are able to recycle and hold Awol back until they are finally out of play and are forced to let her go. Awol gets lead jammer, and slips by on the outside, earning another grandslam, while MBM is caught totally unaware. Kong re-enters the track, Awol attempts another pass before finally calling off the jam, and the lead goes back to the AA's!
Next M8T gets caught behind Lita and then Stoli while AA Carrot is able to win lead jam. Emma helps Carrot get passed MBM Lucinda Block, and Carrots scores her points and calls off the jam, but not before M8T can score a couple of points for MBM. Now the score is 102 to 97, still in the AA's favor. AAs are down two blockers and Kitty takes the jam line for MBM. She gets through first, and earns lead jam, but Awol is close behind her on the outside. Awol sprints to pass Kitty, and hits her, but falls down in the attempt, and Kitty is free to juke around Kid and Lita and ends up scoring 4 points to Awol's 0.
Six minutes remain in the half, MBM takes a knee to force the jam whistle because the AAs will start this jam with two blockers in the box. M8T breaks through first, while Carrot gets hung up in the pack. AC, Trigger, and Bama work hard to recycle continuously and hold Carrot in the pack as M8T scores and then calls off the jam, and it's another lead change- the fifth in this game, and this time it's in MBM's favor. Kitty earns lead in the next jam, over the AA's Kid, but is a little slow to call off the jam, allowing Kid to score two points for her team, bringing the score to a very close 110-104 MBM.
Awol takes the outside in the next jam, Trigger catches her and knocks her down and forces her to make her way through the entire pack again, meanwhile M8T has a very hard time getting around an wall of AAs, but she does finally earn lead jam. She attempts a second pass, falls, and calls the jam from the ground. Then Carrot is up against Kitty, AAs wall up at the back of the pack and catch Kitty, while Carrot gets momentarily hung up at the top of the pack. Carrot finally gets lead jam, while Lita and Belle hold back Kitty. Kong, Violet and Nikki catch Carrot again at the top of the pack, but she's able to bust through for a second time, completing a scoring pass and calling off the jam before Kitty can catch up and score.
With a minute and two seconds left in the season opener, and the AA's down by 9 points, M8T takes the line for the final jam, against AA's Awol. AAs will start the final jam with two blockers in the box, while MBM will have a full set on the track. M8T is knocked out of bounds by Emma, and then gets called for a major back block on Boo. She skates off to the box, leaving Awol unopposed. Awol gets caught behind a wall at the front of the pack, Violet manages to knock her out of bounds, and then she gets stuck behind Bama. Now Awol is called on a major cut, and sent to the box, where she will serve the remainder of M8T's time. MBM is down two blockers, as M8T reenters the track. Kid and Emma hold the MBM jammer back, until they are out of play and are finally forced to release her. Awol reenters the track seconds before the final jam ends, and the final score is 121-112 and the Murder Beach Militia are victorious!
This season opener saw two very evenly matched teams playing an intelligent and exciting game, with five lead changes, and ending with an incredible jammer battle that had the audience at the edges of their seats. Murder Beach kicked off the game with some terrific jamming from Captain Kitty, veteran M8T, and newcomer to the league Dawn K Kong. MBM used some terrific staggered walls, as well as some really solid offensive strategy and in the end re-gained enough of a lead to overcome the AA's huge hitters, Lita and Emma, as well as some really aggressive offense in the second half from their jammers, AWOL and Carrot, as well as their blockers. Captain Emma Nockuout (also a newcomer to the league) was able to rally her team in the second half, use her blockers to dominate the tone of the packs, close a pretty decent point spread, and nearly win this intense and very exciting first game of the 2012 season.
