Philly cracks Madison, 213-53

When the first four jams of a bout go 34-0, there’s a strong suspicion that the bout may end up a little one-sided.  Such was the case of Philly’s Liberty Belles match against the Dairyland Dolls of Madison, WI.  Philly shut down the flexible pack of Madison, and began to asserted themselves on the track.
Madison got a five-point reprieve as Jewels of Denile took a lead and a grand slam against Elle Viento’s rapid pace, but Philly simply had the goods.  Where Charm City made small corrections to the MNRG pack that sent players to the box, the Belles simply planted and hit…sending Madison sprawling.
Philly played an extremely clean jamming game in the first half and did not get slapped with a single jammer trip to the penalty box.  Madison was not so lucky as rebounded through a rapidly-recycling Philly pack.  The Belles didn’t need the extra points from their numerous power jams, but they nonetheless piled on the pain.  At fifteen minutes, Philly was up 62-9; by the end of the half, the lead had been extended to 118-13.
The key to this half was clearly the dominant Philly defense.  Whether Heavy Flo creating space in the front or one of the Belles’ numerous jammers playing rapid-play blockers, Madison simply could not cope with the threat from Philadelphia as halftime was reached.
Philadelphia’s deep roster of jammers took center stage in the second half, breaking through Madison packs with little to no impediment.  Lead jams fell into their laps as the Belles’ Castro, Flo, and Teflon Donna tore the pack apart front and back for their scoring arsenal.
As in the first half, power jams didn’t hurt; six minutes into the second half, Madison’s Vicious Van-Go-Go went to the box for a track cut, giving Mo Pain a chance to drop twenty points as she darted through Madison’s defense. Philly 157 – Madison 16.
Ginger Vitis took another twenty-four on another power jam as Vicious returned to the box ten minutes later.  Madison had found moments to score, but only single runs. With eight minutes remaining, Philly was ahead 206-24.
A late run by Jewels of Denile in a power jam off of Ginger Vitis gave the retiring Madison jammer a last, phenomenal seventeen-point jam. However, Philly handily took the game as the final whistle blew. 213-53.
Philly now will play the Kansas City Roller Warriors Saturday afternoon at 1pm CDT.

(For archival purposes: original article first appeared on Uproar on the Lakeshore website.)

Charm City conquers MNRG the slow way, 249-119

Charm City took an early lead in a no-lead jam as long-time veteran Joy Collision scored sixteen points for Charm against the opposing jammer, MNRG’s Suzie Smashbox.
Unlike the previous bout between Texas and Bay Area – filled with close play and rapid packs – this game was played on the chessboard as packs would screech to a halt and find ways to advance their positions by inches rather by yards.  Charm held their lead for ten minutes until Scarmen Hellectra grabbed the lead jam for a grand slam (five points) for the Minnesota girls. MNRG  31-27.
Amidst slow starts and slow slow packs, the MNRG kept their lead for three jams until a back block penalty sent Scarmen to the box as a jammer for the first of four power jams for Charm.  Baltimore’s veteran Just Carol grabbed twenty-four points as Minnesota’s pack spilled into the penalty box one after the other.
Charm City’s packs utilized their numbers advantage to the fullest over their next three power jams, scoring sixty-six point.  Just Carol’s own trip to the penalty box as jammer two jams before the end of the half netted Minnesota only ten points from Scarmen’s jamming…and a final trip to the penalty box by Suzie Smashbox for track-cutting bled a further thirteen points.  Minnesota was rapidly falling to its own nerves and sloppy play as the second half began.
With Charm up 109-58, the second half began with another power jam as Minnesota’s Suzie Smashbox took another track cut, giving Charm the opportunity to score another twenty. 129-58.
Minnesota seemed as if they had a chance still – a small chance, albeit, as Smashbox, L’exi-Cuter, and Juke Boxx took opportunities to score in the midst of a penalty cascade by Charm City, scoring 20 to Charm’s eight.  However, the door slammed shut as the Minnesota pack continued to fall prey to Charm City’s small hits to the outside…followed by backward runs that ensured Minnesota’s players re-entered the track just ahead of the person that knocked them out.
Time and again, Holly Go Hardly and Dolly Rocket took care of Minnesota jammers while the depleted Minnesota pack lack the stopping power to hold back Charm’s I. M. Pain and Just Carol.  As the clock ran out, Charm had opened a gap of 130 points – 249-119.  Minnesota’s run as WFTDA’s Big 5 Cinderella ran out here as their first attempt at playing serious slow-pack derby failed at the feet of Baltimore’s finest.
Charm City advances and will play Rocky Mountain at 11:15am in the quarter-finals.

(For archival purposes: original article first appeared on Uproar on the Lakeshore website.)

Uproar re-recap: Texas retires Bay Area, 72-59

No one said Texas’s trip into the quarterfinals would be easy.
WFTDA’s Uproar on the Lakeshore – the international championship of modern roller derby – began with a tactical clinic.  The surprise darlings of the West – Bay Area Derby Girls – took on the Texecutioners of Austin, TX.
The first half was marked by low scores and very close play.  A single trip to the penalty box by a jammer from either side – Chantilly Mace of Bay Area – only grossed six points by Texas’ Bloody Mary.  The power jam nonetheless resulted in bringing the score to Texas 13 – Bay Area 7 with twenty to go in the half.
Bay Area’s Ivy Prophane scored a thirteen-point jam only minutes later unassisted by a power jam, returning the lead to Bay Area as her blockers swarmed Texas’ jammer.  Bay Area held that lead until five minutes remained on the clock, when Texas blocker Belle Starr spent two minutes keeping Chantilly Mace in the pack as Bloody Mary grabbed ten points.  At the half, Ivy Prophane grabbed another five points to bring the game within one point, 38-37.
Ivy, who had scored twenty-five in the first half, nabbed the lead from Texas five minutes into the second half with a three-point jam.  With the score 43-41 for the BAD Girls, that would be the last time that Bay Area would be on top.
Despite a tiring Bloody Mary and some valiant scoring jams from Bay Area’s Burlybot, Nock Nock, and Ivy Prophane, the Texecutioners pack descended on their opponents like velociraptors. Bay Area could only drop single lap point scores when they took the lead, and often the Texas pack could keep up with the opposing jammer long enough for their own scorer to break the pack.  The jammer-killer Belle Starr kept recycling the Bay Area to the back, and Bay Area had no way to keep up.
The deciding jam came from Texas’ Olivia Shootin’ John who paced the lanky Ivy Prophane for a grand-slam-plus unassisted by a power jam in the 24th minute of the second half.  Bringing Texas up to 68-53, the Bay Area could not find a way to score enough to make up the gap.  Final score: Texas 72 – Bay Area 59.
Texas now advances to play Gotham at 9:30am CDT on Saturday.

(For archival purposes: original article first appeared on Uproar on the Lakeshore website.)