by Jim Almy
J Killa (#425) picked up 14 of her bout total 24 points in the fifth jam of the night between her team, Grave Danger, and the Sockit Wenches last Saturday, March 7, at the Rat’s Nest.
That put Grave Danger ahead 36-19 in what looked like the makings of a one-sided match. Wenches jammers Winter Scoming (#1221) and Sister Slaughter (#480) had other ideas. They brought their team back to an eight point lead at the half of a hard fought, lead changing bout finally won by Grave Danger 202-176.
With the win the team that calls itself “Your Worst Nightmare” evened their record to 2-2. The Wenches fell to 0-4 in a season where the skaters in the bright blue have to asking themselves, “where can a girl get a break around here?”
Not from Grave Danger. Early in the bout Danger blockers StunHer (#316) and Trouble Dutch (#2468) helped bottle up Wenches jammers, holding them to three points in five of the first six jams. Winter Scoming took advantage of a 5-3 power jam to pick up 18 in one outing or the Wenches would have been looking at an even bigger hill to climb. Tempura Tantrum (#99), Muffstache (#17) and Cat-a-ma-ram (#10) ran a series of pivot triangles along with Dee Cap Attack (-1), Keri Watson (#39) and Daisy Duke’m (#909) that held Wenches jammers in the pack. Danger continued to hold their lead. Then, in the final two jams of the half, Sister Slaughter and Winter Scoming found the invisible rail that runs around the outside of the track, picking up 9 and 18 points respectively and sending the Wenches into the half ahead 119-111.
First Danger blocker Loco Chanel (#37) put a shoulder into Winter Scoming who, with her body on the track by one skate, reached for that phantom rail, kept her balance, passed along the edge, and finished the jam with 18 points. Only 40 seconds remained, but that was long enough for Danger blocker Aalto Ego (#43) and Sister Slaughter to repeat the scene. This time Ego hipped the Wenches’ jammer on her first scoring pass, sending everything but her skates off the track. Somehow (the rail, we assume) Slaughter stayed upright and on the track, passed for five on her way to a nine point jam and the halftime lead.
Defense held sway as the second half opened. Clobberin’ Mame (#440), Moe YaDown (#14) and Ginger Brute (#7343) built walls against Danger jammers. In the second jam of the second half neither team’s jammer was able to complete a pass. Only two points, by Danger jammer Ponyo Knees (#81) were put up in jam seven and those didn’t come until only 15 seconds remained in the jam.
But too often as the bout progressed the Wenches’ zeros were bettered by the Danger’s ones and two and fours. Grave Danger built their lead to 30 points. The Wenches chipped away, but could not put enough big scoring jams together to close the gap. Perhaps the final jam of the night best illustrates the Sockit Wenches frustration as Sister Slaughter spent as much time skating backwards as forwards when first Muffstache recycled her twice, then Daisy Duke’m and Loco Chanel a couple more times.
Grave Danger selected Sister Slaughter as their Most Valuable Opponent. The Wenches voted that honor to Trouble Dutch.
StunHer led all scorers for the bout with 68. Other jammers for Grave Danger included Daisy Duke’m with 39, Nehi Nightmare, 25, J Killa, 24, Trouble Dutch, 15, Tempura Tantrum, 14, Aalto Ego, 11, Cat-a-ma-ram, 4 and Ponyo Knees, 2.
Sister Slaughter and Winter Scoming each had 54 points for the Sockit Wenches. Sun Shiner had 35, Sher Nobyl, 16, Vishus Trollope, 8, Hurl Jam, 5 and Mal Fet, 4.
The Wenches next face undefeated Derby Liberation Front at the Rat’s Nest in the first of two bouts on March 28 starting at 5:30. Grave Danger will take the track later that evening against the Throttle Rockets.