Bittersweet Bombshells win 1st bout

A new season of roller derby opened up Saturday, with the Bittersweet Bombshells taking on a team from Denver.

The home team played against a Colorado team for the first time in the team's history. They did not know what to expect.

"It was crazy. We had no idea how they play at all," Bombshell Meagan Varley said. "We just played our game. That's what we tried to do."

"It was a very hard hitting bout," Bombshell Cara Kelsey said.

As the game clock began to tick, the two team's jammers skated furiously toward the packs of blockers, each team waiting and ready to block the jammers from passing through their formation.

The first points of the game were made by Denver's Wreckin' Roller Rebels when their first jammer of the game broke through the pack and made the initial lap around the track. It wasn't long until the Bombshells made a comeback in points though and were in the lead by halftime.

"After halftime we knew that they would come back much harder so we changed our strategy a bit, which worked well for us," Kelsey said.

Kelsey said they were nervous going into the bout because Colorado derby teams utilize a much different style of playing than teams the Bombshells have played previously.

"However, it seemed to work in our favor," Kelsey said. "Their team had a strong energy that transferred to us. This was probably our strongest game we have played."

With 9:29 left in the game, the Bombshells were exactly 100 points ahead of the Rebels, 164-64. Even then though, Kelsey said it was still a toss up as to who would win the bout.

"The moment I knew we would win was when the game clock ran out and I called the jam," Kelsey said. "Even though we were ahead the whole time, lead changes can happen very fast in roller derby. So you honestly don't know till the end."

The bout ended in favor of the Bombshells, 187-80.

Kelsey was awarded title of most valuable player jammer for the bout, and the most valuable player blocker of the bout was awarded to Eve Piza.

Saturday was Kelsey's first time receiving the MVP award.

"We kept our heads in this game," Bombshell Miranda Riggs said. "Our ability to communicate with each other was phenomenal. It was 100 percent team effort."