Photo by Tricia Bobeda, courtesy of the Lansing State Journal
In a hard-fought and fast-paced bout, the Lansing Derby Vixens defeated the NEO Roller Girls Audio Assault squad 185-121 Aug. 6 at the Lansing Center. It was the Vixens’ last home bout of the 2011 season, meaning they finished with a perfect 4-0 record at home. The bout also was the Vixens’ first win over a member league of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).
Vixens President and bench manager Lil’ Hitaly said the win was extra special because it was also the last bout for two Vixens skaters, Bruisehilda and Mammary Lane.
“We really wanted win this one for a lot of reasons,” she said. “We wanted to end with a perfect record at home and beat a WFTDA league, but more than anything we wanted to send Bruisie and Mamms out with a win.”
The Vixens started the bout strong taking lead jammer several times and scoring quickly. NEO kept it tight, though, with some strong jamming of their own. As with previous bouts, though, it was the Vixens’ depth and endurance that was the ultimate deciding factor.
Coach Rexxx Manning noted that endurance is a huge part of Vixens training.
“We focus hard on endurance and athletic training because we know that late in bouts, the team with the freshest legs has the most chance to pull out a win,” he said.
NEO made a surge with about 10 minutes left in the second half, pulling to within 30 points, but a couple of well-timed power jams put the bout permanently out of their reach.
Manning noted that NEO played a tough game and has the tools to be a great team.
“They have some hard hitters and some very quick jammers,” he said. “This is a team that has all the tools in place to make some serious waves, especially here in the midwest.”
The Vixens next opponent is sure to be their toughest all season. They’ll take on the Grand Raggidy Roller Girls G-Rap attack in Grand Rapids on Oct. 22, a team that is very familiar with the Vixens training and skills.
Manning said that, no matter what the outcome, this is an incredibly important bout.
“Win or lose, this is going to be the biggest test we’ve faced,” he noted. “We’ve surprised a lot of teams this year and, quite frankly, we’ve surprised ourselves. But this is going to be a fantastic indicator of just how far we’ve come.”
“G-Rap Attack is a very tough team with high-quality skaters from top to bottom,” he added. “If we can go in there and really compete with them, I’d be very pleased.”
