The Sea to Sky Sirens are looking for a little payback on Saturday (July 13).
The roller derby girls take on Whistler's Black Diamond Betties in the final home bout of the year and revenge is on their minds.
Back in April, the Betties stunned the Sirens during the annual Whistler Ski and Snowboard Festival and the Sirens hope to return the favour at Brennan Park.
I think we're all pretty pumped up for a little redemption against Whistler, said Kristi Roxie Shocker Anderson of the Sirens. We went into Whistler maybe a little cocky because we had beaten them so badly in the past but we got caught up in the lights and they beat us.
The Betties picked up the 157-149 win, coming back from a 60-point deficit. Anderson said a few factors led to the collapse.
We were in the box for a lot of that game, she said, noting penalty issues plagued the Sirens. And we went there playing under their parameters. We played our rookies a lot that game but we did blow it against them.
The Sirens will have to play without star jammer Genevieve Honey Badger Medrano, who has been battling injuries the entire season. Anderson said a knee issue was causing her problems at a recent practice and Medrano will not be suiting up against the Betties.
It's a bit of a bummer for us, she said. Mala [Shannon Mala Justed Handley] isn't playing either but she will be coaching for us.
The Sirens are coming off arguably the team's biggest win in franchise history a 205-188 victory over the Terminal City Riot Girls on June 15. Anderson said it was an important win.
I think we've got more confidence as a team since then, she said. We did exactly what we've been working on in practice. We did solid as a team, we had good walls and stayed out of the box.
The Betties have also had success this year, posting wins over the Doomsday Bunnies and the Haney Hooligans. Anderson said it's a winnable game for the Sirens if they stick to the game plan.
We can't let them get into our heads, she said. They sometimes stare you down at the jammer line and try to intimidate so we have to do our best to avoid their head games. They're only dressing 11 players and we have 14 so it could be a tiresome game for their better players.
Doors open for the bout at 6:30 p.m., with the first whistle being blown at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance at Naked Lunch and the 麻豆社国产Adventure Centre or $15 at the door.
For more information on the team, visit www.squamishrollerderby.ca.
