By Peter Cozine
Derby Liberation Front 234, Throttle Rockets 179
Rat City wrapped up the home season last Sunday, as Grave Danger and the Sockit Wenches battled it out to see which would take hope the Championship trophy this year. But first, the other teams took each other on in the Grudge Match.
Fans were given the opportunity to watch the Derby Liberation Front, who ended up in third after a close loss to the Sockit Wenches last month, take on the Throttle Rockets. The Rockets jumped out to an early lead, thanks to a three-jammer rotation of Luna Negra, Missile America, and Sintripetal Force, who were up against a very potent DLF defensive front led by Feline Distemper. DLF didn’t help themselves, as Kamikaze Kim was sent to the penalty box in the 3rd jam, subsequently followed to the box by DLF jammer Full Nelson in the next jam. The Rockets capitalized, scoring over 40 points before DLF even moved the scoreboard.
The Throttle Rockets continued to build on their lead through the midpoint of the first half. Great offensive and defensive blocking from Parker Eyeout and Foxy Throwdown held the DLF jammers at bay, while opening ample opportunities for their own jammer rotation to score. Finally, the Derby Liberation Front were sparked into action, as Jukestapose put up 13 pts lead later in the half. A few short jams later, DLF’s offense ignited on a power jam, allowing Kamikaze Kim to score big, closing the lead for the Throttle Rockets down to 62-48.
DLF continued to chip away at the Rockets’ lead, but the ladies in black were not going to give it up easily. Calder Bluff and Parker Eyeout demonstrated some impressive defensive jamming towards the end of the half, while the DLF blockers continued to lock the Rockets’ jammers down, and at the end of the half, DLF had managed to put up a small lead.
Missile America used some of her impressive athletic arsenal at the beginning of the second half, rallying the Throttle Rockets around her. This translated into further success for both Luna Negra and Sintripetal Force, allowing the Rockets to hop back into the lead quickly, 127-99.
The Throttle Rockets had most of the momentum for the second half, but later in the half, DLF veterans Kamikaze Kim and Full Nelson stepped up. Behind them, DLF battled back, blocking well as a defensive unit, and putting them in great position for their jammers to takeadvantage of a string of power jam opportunities late in the bout. Avihater stepped in during one of those power jams, putting DLF back into the lead, and the team never looked back, as they proceeded to skate cleanly, play tight, and hold on to win a very competitive game against the Throttle Rockets.
| Scoring Recap | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Derby Liberation Front | Throttle Rockets | ||
| #906 Jukestapose | 72 | #321 Missile America | 72 |
| #0 Kamikaze Kim | 69 | #911 Luna Negra | 71 |
| #123 Full Nelson | 28 | #1618 Sintripetal Force | 36 |
At half time, Rat City Roller Girl Glitter presented funds raised by the Rat City Roller Girls to the Special Olympics Project UNIFY®, an education-based program that uses the sports and education initiatives of Special Olympics to activate youth to promote school communities where all young people are agents of change – fostering respect, dignity and advocacy for people with intellectual disabilities. Go online to get more information on Project UNIFY®.
Grave Danger 202, Sockit Wenches 167
The second bout of the evening was the Championship Bout, as two-time champs Grave Danger had to fight off the Sockit Wenches, with the winner taking “Big-T”, as the Rat City Championship trophy is known.
Grave Danger wasted no time, grabbing an early lead as jammers Kutta and Nehi Nightmare started the scoring, allowing Danger to claim a quick 16-0 after two jams. The Sockit Wenches needed to regroup early – and with Anya Heels leading the Wench defense, they stepped up their play after their sloppy start, holding the potent Danger offense to only 10 pts over the following 8 jams. Meanwhile, the Sockit Wench jammers Sami Automatic, Rawkhell SqWelch, and Penny Racer all found their stride, helping to build a Sockit Wench 39-26 lead mid way through the first half, leaving the Danger bench looking a bit worried.
As play continued, the Sockit Wench fans were erupting, creating a deafening din that had the Grave Danger skaters looking a little intimidated. Relying on some of the best blocking that KeyArena has seen all season, the Wench blockers kept frustrating Danger’s jammers, along with playing effective offense to open holes for their own jammers. With minutes left in the first half, Danger put Kutta on the jammer line to try and stop the bleeding before heading to the locker rooms. Thanks to some strong Grave Danger pack work, Kutta managed a number of passes, scoring 24 points in a momentum changing jam, and slashing into the SW lead. Carmen Getsome took advantage of the set-up to close out the half, scoring on back-to-back jams, and allowing Danger to end the half in the lead, 93-86.
Grave Danger started the second half much like the first, as Nehi Nightmare grabbed 8 points, added to Danger’s. But the Wenches didn’t want to let “Big-T” slip out of their hands that easily. Jammer Sami Automatic kick started the Wench offense, putting up a big 25 pts in the 5th jam of the second half. A few jams later, Wench jammer Penny Racer ran big on a power jam, scoring 19 and bringing the lead back to the Sockit Wenches, 140-123. With the momentum shifting back in favor of the Sockit Wenches, Grave Danger had to regroup. They responded well, as Danger’s defense increased their intensity, holding the Wenches from scoring for a number of jams.
A power jam opportunity late in the 2nd half for the Wenches offered up a chance for the Wenches to push back. Sami Automatic took big advantage of the opportunity, putting 21 points on the board, and giving the Wenches a 164-157 lead with just a few minutes left in the game. Grave Danger looked to their jammers Kutta and Carmen Getsome to finish strong, and they did. In the final three jams, Kutta and Carmen scored 45 timely points, while the Wenches’ last opportunity slipped away as their jammer ended up in the box. With a final score of 202-167, Grave Danger three-peated with a win over the Sockit Wenches, retaining their rights to another season with “Big T”. Both teams played smart and physical bouts, capping off a great season for the Rat City Roller Girls
| Scoring Recap | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Grave Danger | Sockit Wenches | ||
| #187 Kutta Betch | 97 | #357 Sami Automatic | 71 |
| #12 Carmen Getsome | 66 | #2 Penny Racer | 56 |
| #48 Nehi Nightmare | 35 | #761 Rawkhell SqWelch | 32 |