Category: Blog Posts

June 30th game cancelled

After much discussion, the Keweenaw Roller Girls have decided to cancel our scheduled roller derby bout on June 30. Many of our skaters and regular volunteers are currently pouring their energy into the clean-up and relief process, and we in no way want to distract from that. Our regular venue is currently a hub for supplies and volunteers; while there are other locations across the area where we could potentially move, to do so in such a short time would cause undue stress to league members and community partners whose attention is elsewhere.
 
Our featured organization for this bout was going to be Dial Help, Inc.; we will be donating money to them and encourage you to do the same if you are able. The health services they provide in times of sorrow, stress, and rebuilding are invaluable.
 
In lieu of the bout on June 30, we are planning to work with local organizations to facilitate a mass KRG volunteer day. Please stay tuned for details!
 
If you have any questions or concerns at all, please don’t hesitate to send us a message at keweenawrollergirls@gmail.com or via Facebook.
 
#CopperCountryStrong #keweenawrollergirls

Nail Biters: an away game recap

 

Numbers Recap:

Keweenaw Roller Girls (217) vs. Ypsilanti Vigilantes (225)

Keweenaw Roller Girls (154) vs. East Lansing Roller Derby (146)

Summary:

While this upcoming Saturday, May 5, is our first home game this summer, our season actually kicked off with a set of away games in April. Over the course of one Saturday evening, East Lansing Roller Derby hosted a round robin tournament with KRG and Ann Arbor’s Ypsilanti Vigilantes. It was a tough night with three games back to back: ELRD played the Vigis, the Vigis turned around and played KRG, and we ended with KRG vs. ELRD. The Vigis took home the win in both their games, but KRG put up a helluva fight. Our team captain, Thimbleberry Slam, said:

I went into the weekend knowing the games would be well matched, but wasn’t sure how we’d fair against Ypsilanti Vigilantes since they played strong in Division 1 at the Mitten Kitten last year. We were in Division 2. Looking up at the scoreboard throughout our game I was awestruck that we had held the lead through the length of the game. KRG was on fire and communicating so well. We were where we needed to be when we needed to be there.

In the final game against ELRD, KRG pulled out a win. Again of just 8 points! It was a wild sort of parallel. In both games our blocking walls were strong and our jammers hit the pack with an immense amount of fight.

We had two of our newest league members helping out on the bench. They made sure we had all our helmet panties on straight, kept an eye on who was in the box, and got an up-close-and-personal view of the game that neither had experienced before. Princess Fury reported back:

Going into this weekend I had no idea what to expect, but when players needed breaks and we had people in the penalty box everyone was flexible when it came to lines and communicated extremely well on the bench before getting out onto the track. I think its why we did so well during both bouts.

And Princess Bubblebutt :

Our communication is our biggest strength. It really lets us capitalize on the individual strengths of our players. We demonstrated in these first two games that we have some things to work on, but with our strong foundation, it’s only up from here.

(Editorial note: Hell yeah, we picked up two princesses this year!)

These games taught us a lot. We are settling into set lines for the season, learning (or re-learning!) each others’ blocking quirks, cleaning up our game (seven penalties = ejection, yikes!) and developing a long list of offensive strategies we need to master to make our jammers’ lives happier. We are so grateful to both ELRD and the Vigis for being wonderful opponents and being part of two of the closest, greatest nailbiters we’ve ever experienced.

Can’t wait to see how the rest of the season plays out, and hope to see you join us on Saturday, May 5 as we go up against Alpena’s Shipwreck Alley!

Pancake Breakfast!

KRG is trying a different sort of fundraiser this year. Join us on April 28 for a pancake breakfast! League members will be frying up pancakes and bacon from 8am-12pm in the Multipurpose Room of Houghton Elementary School. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for kids under 14 (or 12 if you read the tickets – we got our wires a bit crossed. No worries, no one is going to ID your tween!) and free under 4.

KRG is a 501c3 non-profit. Funds raised go towards the maintenance and operation of the league in order to support our mission of developing the sportsmanship, leadership, and teamwork of local members and building a thriving derby community in the upper peninsula. KRG also strives to support other local groups and charities through monetary donations when possible, volunteer service, and promotion. We love being part of the Copper Country!

KRG Season Closer: Kingsford Krush

THE KEWEENAW ROLLER GIRLS 2017 HOME SEASON CAME TO A CLOSE LAST NIGHT WITH A MATCH AGAINST KINGSFORD KRUSH.

Saturday was hot! Temperatures were in the mid-80’s outside and the interior of the arena quickly warmed to something similar to a hot-yoga class. Unseasonable for certain, but made all the cold beverages that more thirst-quenching. The crowd was thick with seasoned fans and a healthy cheering section of Girl Scouts seated in the stands behind the benches. All were primed to close the season with a high level of excitement.

Keweenaw got off to a strong start with a multi-pass first jam and soon was far ahead in the first half. An unfortunate injury to one of Kingsford’s jammers resulted in a lengthy time out while the skater was assessed trackside. It was certainly a tenuous time for everyone in the arena as we awaited the return to play. We are thankful to report she is home and resting and wish her some swift healing.

With eight skaters remaining on Kingsford’s roster against Keweenaw’s thirteen, Kingsford couldn’t take a defensive hold. Endurance was the name of the game in the second half. Keweenaw has worked diligently the last few months on refining their offensive strategies and it showed with the breeze in which their jammers moved throughout the pack. That’s not to say it was all breezy; several Kingsford blocker’s sent KRG jammers flying on the outside with precision hip clips. In the end however, Kingsford fell to KRG in a score of 58 to 266.

The Upper Peninsula is fortunate to have Kingsford back and rolling after a few year hiatus. Returning with great number, great leadership, and fresh blood, this team is gaining strength. We suspect in a short time they will become quite a contender for Keweenaw and the surrounding leagues.