(ST. PETERS, MO) A quality that has been synonymous with the St. Chux Derby Chix in 2014 has been its ability to roll out early leads and use stifling defense down the stretch to overcome its opponents.
That trait came to the forefront again Saturday night at Matteson Square Gardens as the Pack In Black, ranked #63 internationally by the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), engineered a 208-92 win over #72 Twin City Derby Girls.
Up 112-53 at intermission, SC/DC outscored Twin City 96-39 in the second period to pick up the 116-point victory and improve to 3-0 in WFTDA-sanctioned play.
Photo Credit: Jeff Higgins
“We’ve improved so much this year,” said SC/DC jammer Jedi Knight-N-Gale following the win. “We knew we were stronger. We came in confident, knowing that we could rely on each other.”
Perhaps that sense of unity has been the most impressive aspect of SC/DC during its undefeated sprint out of the gates this season. Rather than merely a collection of athletes, it’s operating as one cohesive unit with all positions creating a perfect blend on the flat track.
“We all have been here for awhile, so we know how to work together as a team,” said Pack In Black blocker SlaughterHaus. “We know how to work through injuries and illnesses. We want this to be our season and we’re doing our best to make that happen.”
St. Chux drew first blood with GI Jamie’s bout-opening, 25-point power jam that put the hostesses in front, a position it never surrendered.
“That’s always good for morale to get that first power jam right off the bat,” said Knight-N-Gale of the early points posted.
The St. Chux lead was stretched to 34-4 seven minutes deep into the contest. Twin City cut into the deficit in Jam 7 as Houchebag notched a 19-7 strike that whittled SC/DC’s margin to 41-23 with 20:20 left in the period.
The Pack In Black responded with a 37-0 run over the next three jams. Punctuated by Flash’s 15-point power jam midway through the frame, SC/DC widened its lead to 78-23 with 15:20 left in the period.
Photo Credit: Jeff Higgins
Undaunted, Twin City chipped away at the margin as the period progressed. A 15-0 run, concluded by Houchebag’s grand slam with 9:10 remaining, narrowed the gap to 78-38.
Leading 87-49 heading into the period’s penultimate jam, St. Chux notched another 25-point power jam from Jamie that pushed the score to 112-49. TCDG’s Anthrobrawlogist tallied four on the final rotation to make the score 112-53 at halftime.
After comparable scoring early in the second period, St. Chux widened its lead with power jams. Knight-N-Gale scored 25 via that method with 21:00 left in the bout to give the Pack In Black a 147-62 advantage.
Meanwhile, SC/DC’s blocking schema, paced by SlaughterHaus, Whip L’ Ash , Tara Eyes, Stabby McCutcha, Bobbi Slamher, Zo D. Ax and others, kept Twin City at bay. With 11:30 left, St. Chux maintained a 169-73 lead.
Jamie’s 24-point power jam with 9:15 remaining sealed the deal for the Pack In Black, which extended the lead to 193-73. St. Chux surrendered a tight 39 points to Twin City in the second period en route to the 208-92 win.
“We have always been a strong second half team and we always adapt to the other team’s skills,” said Jamie, who topped scoring with 91 points. “What you see is what you get.”
What was seen Saturday night was SC/DC’s solid four-jammer rotation that had Knight-N-Gale and Flash add 52 and 38 points, respectively, while Vixen TaGetcha collected 27.
The Pack In Black now prepares for its inaugural “Skate to Thrill” invitational, held in Wright City on April 12-13. The 10-team event features 15 WFTDA sanctioned bouts over the weekend. SC/DC competes against its highest-ranked Division 2 opposition thus far with bouts against #44 Ft. Meyers, #54 Paper Valley and #59 NEO Roller Derby.
“We’re set out to play teams that are difficult,” said SlaughterHaus. “We’re going to go out, play our best and let them see what we’re made of.”
Twin City was led by Houchebag’s 45 points. The Champaign/Urbana, IL-based rollers also plays at “Skate to Thrill” in two weeks, where it faces #67 Brewcity, #71 Fargo Moorhead and #75 Northstar.
UNOFFICIAL SCORING:
ST. CHUX DERBY CHIX (208): GI Jamie 91, Jedi Knight-N-Gale 52, Flash 38, Vixen TaGetcha 27
TWIN CITY DERBY GIRLS (92): Houchebag 45, Anthrobrawlogist 42, Black Eyed Betty 5.
In the evening’s opening bout, the SC/DC Hell’s Belles, the league’s B-team, utilized a first-period push to notch a 234-114 victory over the Fleur De’Linquents, the C-team of the Arch Rival Roller Girls. The 119-point victory improved the Hell’s Belles record to 3-0.
For more information on the St. Chux Derby Chix, go to stchuxderbychix.com.
By trade, he is a six-time, regional Emmy Award-winning news videographer/editor for KTVI/KPLR-TV. By hobby, he is a writer for Arch City Media, dating back to February 2014. Emphasis is on featuring and promoting local women's sports, but will cover anything that is not reported by traditional media outlets. Also a contributor to local concert reviews.
