Don’t mess with the Nelson Killjoys.
The aggressive, top-tanked roller derby team is coming off an undefeated home season, but there’s still one game left before they can call themselves the best in the West Kootenay.
Team captain Courtney Shove says her team is feeling confident about the fifth Mountain Mayhem championships on Saturday.
“We’re completely ready,” said Shove. “Our teamwork is really, really good. I know every team sport captain says that, but because we’ve played with small rosters all year…I know we can handle it.”
Shove said teams regularly field 14 players, but they’ve played with as few as seven due to injuries and still consistently come out on top. They’ve played against the Castlegar-based Dams on multiple occasions, so they know what to expect.
“The Dams put on a really hard fight but we’ve fought them before,” said Shove.
The championships begin at the Nelson and District Community Complex at 5 p.m. on June 28. The first game will pit the Valley Brutality against the Rossland Trail Rollergirls.
“Both teams have showed marked improvement throughout this season and this game is sure to be a fierce one,” said Shove.
The jammers for RTRG are Smashy Smurf and Roll N Loki. Along with their blockers, they took on the Dams earlier this month at semi-finals.
“They know how to deliver a hit or two,” said Shove. “Meanwhile, the Valley Brutality have welcomed back track-aware pivot Pell Mell, in addition to solidifying their ever-stronger bond from two teams into a might one.”
Shove believes the showdown may leave a few skaters staggering before the game is over.
“This fight for end-of-season rankings is sure to be a tough one,” she said.
At 7 p.m., the two top-ranked West Kootenay teams will face down. The Dams defeated Nelson less than a month ago, for the first time in three years.
“It was a hard fought battle that started with many lead changes, but the Dams’ devastating walls broadened the gap and the Killjoys were unable to close it in time,” she said.
The Dam City Rollers are known region-wide for their big hits and proclamations of confidence. They completed an undefeated home season in 2013 as well.
“Luckily for the hometown audience, Kerowhack and Meg Ablast continue to live up to their names, giving as good as they get from the first whistle to the last,” said Shove.
“The Dams have developed their triple-threats this season with skaters like Missy Helliot and Pantsoff, formerly dedicated blockers, taking turns as pivots and jammers,” she said.
“A deep bench is a strong one. And while the challenging Dams have a lot to boast about, Nelson’s Killjoys have been practicing hard and are sure to give their hometown crowd something to cheer about for the rest of 2014.”
For more information, visit facebook.com/nelsonkilljoys.