Kannibelles clean up on Raggedy Rollers in All-star exhibition action in Golden City
By Bruce Fuhr
It’s obvious from the final score the Kootenay Kannibelles are in mid-season form.
The Kannibelles scored early, often before adding more points later en route to a 252-25 shellacking of the OSRD’s Raggedy Rollers Saturday in Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby action at the Rossland Arena.
“The lopsided score is pretty simple — we vastly outplayed them from the first jam,” Kannibelles Bobbi “Beretta Lynch” Barbarich told The Nelson Daily.
“Last year, (Raggedy Rollers) were quite similar to us in physicality. But this game proved our focus on strategy, in addition to our somewhat notorious fitness levels and ability to hit, is what is currently placing us in the top five western teams.”
The game was the first of the all-star season for the Kannibelles, which hosts the Western Regionals June 15-17 at the NDCC in Nelson.
Kootenay, which only defeated the Raggedy Rollers by 30 points last season, started strong and easily jumped to a 100-11 before coasting to the win in the second half.
“We’re spending a lot of time on our defensive plays, locking out the opposing jammer, rather then focusing on the offence, which would be to help our jammer,” Barbarich said, asked what made the first game so dominant for the Kannibelles.
The Kannibelles consist of players from the five West Kootenay Flat Track Roller Derby League — Rossland Gnarlies Angeles, Babes of Brutality of Salmo, the Killjoys and Lumber Jackies from Nelson, Castlegar’s Dam City Rollers, Slocan Valley Vendetas and Trail’s Bad New Betties.
Saturday’s game was the lone home contest for Kootenay.
However, the squad will get more chances to refine their game when the Kannibelles takes to the road.
“We will travel to Vancouver at the end of May to prep for the (Western Regional) tournament,” Barbarich said.
“We’re anticipating a top place finish, having won all four games this season, and losing only two last season,” she added.
“This year we’re exceptionally determined to put the Kootenays at the forefront of Canadian derby (with a good showing at Westerns).”
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