For their first appearance on an Estevan flat track, the Estevan Coaler Rollers junior roller derby squad finished with flair.
The Coaler Rollers Pink Team capped off the first bout of the September Smash doubleheader at the Icon Centre on Saturday night with a 386-385 win over Team Black with the game on the line heading into the final jam.
Coach and Hillbilly Hurt player Lorelei Lachambre noted junior games are generally higher scoring affairs and she was happy with the edge of the seat finish.
"It came down to the final jam, the final jammer, and we won. Out of 386 points we won by one point," said Lachambre. "It was a very exciting finish."
The winning team had the opportunity to skate a victory lap following the game.
The match marked the first home game for the Estevan squad, which started recruitment in February, with the coaches teaching the girls the ins and outs of the sport prior to the first real action. The junior team previously played in Regina, Whitewood and Moose Jaw in the spring.
"I thought they played fantastic. They were quite nervous because it was hometown people (in the crowd)," said Lachambre about the team's Estevan debut.
She noted the players have come a long way since the team first started.
"It's really amazing because the first game we were concentrated on our skating ability and just staying upright. That was our goal. I felt like (on Saturday) they were really concentrating on the actual game of roller derby. There are a couple of strategies we taught them that before they wouldn't have got, because they were too worried about skating and falling and being in the right spot. This past game on Saturday I saw them put into play some real derby strategies."
Now that players don't have to focus exclusively on the fundamentals, the team as a whole is developing to play the sport the way it's meant to be played.
"They weren't thinking about falling over. They were thinking about making a play," added Lachambre.
While the team is still new, whatever the players may lack in experience is made up for through enthusiasm, and that interest in playing is pushing the team forward.
"We don't have a lack of spunk on our bench. We have a lot of spunk, and we have a lot of energy. There's nobody who ever says to me 'Oh, I'll sit this one out.' They are ready to go. That whistle blows and boom, it's their turn. They wouldn't miss a spot on the track for anybody," said Lachambre.
The Hillbilly Hurt senior team squared off against Lil Chicago out of Moose Jaw, where things weren't as close, as the road squad toppled the Hurt 311-100.
Lachambre noted at the senior level they are still trying to build interest and recruit players.
"It would have been nice to win, but we're hoping for more interest," she said.
The Hillbilly Hurt has upcoming recruitment sessions on Sept 21 from 1 to 3 p.m. and Sept. 23 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Icon Centre. A session for the Coaler Rollers junior team is scheduled for Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. at the Icon Centre, seeking girls from Grades 4 to 12. Equipment will be supplied.
