(PHILADELPHIA, PA) St. Louis-based Arch Rival Roller Derby suffered a setback Saturday in the quarterfinals of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association Division 1 Championships held at the Liacouras Center.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
Utilizing a 66-0 first-period run, Rose City, the two-time defending WFTDA champions, topped ARCH 237-109 to advance to the bracket’s semifinals.
Arch Rival (7-5) still has the opportunity to finish the season with a consolation grid victory as they meet Crime City Sunday at 2 pm Eastern (1 pm Central). ARCH topped the Malmo, Sweden-based league at the Big O Invitational this past May, 223-138.
St. Louis, currently ranked seventh internationally by the WFTDA, captured an early edge over the Portland, Oregon powerhouse. Following a four point pass by jammer Bolt Action, ARCH held a 9-3 lead.
That small advantage was quickly converted into a huge deficit as Rose City began to display the mechanisms of a team that hoisted the Hydra Cup the past two seasons.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
The aforementioned 66-0 rally was launched by veteran Loren Mutch’s 25-point strike in Jam 4 that flipped the scoreboard 28-9. Mutch later finished the streak with a 14-pointer with 15:15 left in the half that widened the score to 69-9.
Action collected a grand slam that made the score 69-14 but then another, and more eye-opening, Rose City run quashed any attempt of an ARCH comeback.
By claiming seven straight lead jams, and aided by double-digit scoring from Bonnie Thunders, Beyond ThunderDame, Frisky Biscuits and Brute, Rose City produced a 70-0 stretch and possessed a 139-14 lead with 3:15 left in the period.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
Arch Rival’s Annie Swanson’s ten-pointer scored on the next rotation stopped the streak but the differential remained overwhelming at intermission with Rose City leading 143-31.
Thunders’ 24-point launched second period scoring as the Wheels of Justice increased their lead to 167-31.
To their credit, Arch Rival refused to wave the white flag and at certain moments displayed plenty of their own firepower. With blocking paced by Kayla Woodward, Cloak N’ DragHer, Shimmy Hoffa, Smarty McFly, Salty, Grant, Shear-Ra Powers, Vicious VanGoGo and CupQuake, St. Louis produced a nifty 60-28 run during an eight-jam stretch .
In the process, Action posted 13 in Jam 6 and Swanson added 12 on the next rotation. The run was finished by Bricktator’s 13-pointer collected with 9:30 left that made the score 200-93.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
A good effort was shown by ARCH in the second half as they were outscored by only sixteen points in the frame, 94-78, as Rose City picked up the impressive quarterfinal win. Thunders topped the Wheels of Justice scoring with 75 points followed by Mutch 74.
Swanson paced Arch Rival scoring with 35 points.
Sunday’s Arch Rival vs. Crime City game can be heard online for free at THIS LINK.
ARCH INDIVIDUAL SCORING: Annie Swanson 35, Bolt Action 29, Bricktator 18, Vicious VanGoGo 14, Reptar 13.
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.
