It's official: 麻豆社国产loves roller derby.
Hundreds of fans packed the Brennan Park Arena for the Sea to Sky Sirens debut bout against the Harbour City Rollers on Saturday (June 18) and the sellout crowd seemed to fall in love with the local team from the opening whistle.
"The crowd was amazing," said Sirens star Kristi "Roxie Shocker" Anderson. "I've never experienced anything like that before and to be honest, we didn't really expect this kind of turnout."
The girls admitted to being a little awestruck by the thunderous reception they received from those in attendance.
"I think we were a little nervous right off the start," said "Honey Badger" Genevieve Madrano. "I know I definitely was."
The nerves seemed to impact their play on the court, as the team fell behind early. According to Anderson, that's fairly typical for the other bouts the Sirens have participated in.
"That seems to be the way we play," she said. "We always come out slow in the first half but get it together in the second."
At halftime, the Sirens trailed 113-46 but seemed to pick up momentum as the first half continued. Melissa "Tiny Sadist" Tull picked up 21 points in the first half and was an early crowd favourite, scoring several exciting jams.
Another highlight of the evening was the team's official PA announcer "Filthy" Rich Tickner. He was all over the arena, calling the action, giving away prizes and getting the crowd to do the wave. After a 30-minute opening half, Squamish-based rock band Easy Honey entertained the crowd.
The second half was where the Sirens picked up their game. Anderson picked up 30 points on five separate jams, while Madrano picked up 19 of her own. However, the crowd really rose to its feet when Shannon "Mala Justed" Handley took over late in the bout. She picked up 19 points on her only jam, weaving in and out of several Rollers, helping the Sirens close the gap before the end of the bout.
In the end, the Sirens controlled the second half but dropped the game by a score of 167-124.
"We still need to work on our blocking and defence," Anderson said. "We're still a new team and like I said before, we need to find our derby wives on the court."
Following the game, the buzz was all about the overwhelmingly positive response from the community for the team's debut bout. Fans seemed to enjoy the arena set-up, which featured a beer garden on the court and viewing in the stands. Even the opposing team was impressed by the enthusiasm from the 麻豆社国产crowd.
"麻豆社国产has the best roller derby fans ever," said the Rollers' Mel "Forna Kate" Langeler on the team's Facebook page.
"Your fans are amazing," stated the Rollers official page. "They keep the volume up all night."
Next up for the team will be the Canada Day Mashup, which takes place at Brennan Park Arena on July 2. The Sirens will take on the Anarchy Angels, followed by a co-ed all-star game with men's players from the Vancouver Murder. The first whistle will blow at 4:30 p.m. for the Sirens' bout, followed by the co-ed game, which starts at 7 p.m.
The team will also host two more open scrimmages at Brennan Park Arena on June 26 and July 24.
For more information on the team, visit www.squamishrollerderby.com.
