(BALLWIN, MO) The top two seeds of the Arch Rival Roller Girls’ 2014 Local Playoffs notched victories Saturday night at Midwest Sport Hockey, albeit using different methodologies.
In the #1 vs. #4 semifinal, the top-seeded M-80s overpowered fourth-seeded Rebel Skate Alliance, 248-105. Meanwhile in the nightcap, the second-seeded Smashinistas utilized late-bout heroics to topple the third-seeded Stunt Devils, 188-183.
The winners now face each other for the League’s trophy at the 2014 ARRG Local Championships, set for Friday, March 7 at Chaifetz Arena.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
The M-80s – who last won an ARRG title in 2012 at Chaifetz – implemented effective scoring, strategy, and most importantly, adaptation en route to the 143-point victory that pushed the team’s record to 4-0.
“What we’ve been doing this season is play differently against the other (three) teams because they are all so completely different,” said M-80s’ blocker Tupac Shank-Her following her team’s semifinal win. ”Finding a way to adapt to their styles gives us our biggest opportunities. We are hard hitters. That’s what we do. But sometimes roller derby isn’t just about hitting someone hard.”
Adjustments became necessary as Rebel Skate Alliance gave the top seed fits early. Down 32-14 eight minutes in, the Rollin’ Rebs notched 19 uncontested points. Following RSA jammer Pink Diamond’s 14-point power jam, the fourth seed sported a 33-32 lead with 19:10 left in the period.
The M-80s countered on the next rotation and regained the lead as jammer IDA the Living Dead collected 30 points via a power jam to give her squad a 62-33 advantage. The differential widened as the period progressed and the M-80s sported a 107-55 lead at intermission.
The M-80s’ self-defined, hard-hitting style came to the forefront in the second period. IDA’s second-period opening 24-point strike widened the gap to 131-55. The “firecrackers on quads” outscored Rebel Skate Alliance 131-55 in the second period to earn its trip to March’s Championship bout.
IDA finished the evening with 130 points. Sleazy E paced Rebel Skate Alliance (0-4) with 45 points.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
Whereas the evening’s opener was decided early, the battle between the middle seeds featured eight lead changes and a five-point victory decided as the period clock expired. The 188-183 Smashinistas’ win gave the defending ARRG champions (3-1) its second consecutive title bout trip.
“That was so much fun,” said Smashinistas’ blocker Downtown Dallis after the nail biter. “We are really rallied right now and our camaraderie is better than ever before.”
Rallies were the theme, but neither squad was able to post a sizable margin in the first period. Trailing 64-46 with 8:00 left in the frame, the Stunts posted a 27-0 rally over the next five jams to sport a 73-64 edge with 2:30 left. The Smashinistas countered with a 36-13 run on the period’s final two jams to possess a 100-86 halftime lead.
In the second period, eighteen points straight by the Stunt Devils out of the gates flipped the advantage back to their favor, 104-100. The Smashinistas regained the advantage on the next rotation as jammer Brickyard scored a 19-4 strike off a power jam at 24:40, resulting in a 119-108 lead change.
The defending champs widened the margin as the period progressed and built a 172-142 lead with 6:45 remaining following back-to-back nine-pointers from Brickyard and The Educator.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
Undaunted, the Stunts charged hard in the next four rotations and churned out a 38-1 rally to regain the lead following the bout’s penultimate jam. The scoring tandem of Mighty Mighty Boston and Dirt Diggler, aided by their blocking schema, flipped the scoreboard back to the Stunt Devil’s favor, 180-173 with under :45 left.
In the final jam, and with the other coveted Championship invitation well within grasp for both teams, Smashies’ jammer Brickyard raced to the front of the pack to grab lead while the Stunts’ Boston closely pursued. As time expired on the period clock (and play continued within the bout’s official jam clock), Boston was whistled for a track cut and sent to the penalty box, resulting in a power jam for the Smashinistas.
A 15-3 final jam strike for the camo-clad troopers ensued and resulted in a 188-183 come-from-behind victory. Brickyard paced the Smashinistas (3-1) with 102 points.
Boston’s 106 points topped the ledger for the Stunt Devils (1-3), who saw its streak of seven straight ARRG Championship appearances snapped.
“It was a really hard game to lose because we wanted to go to championships again,” said Stunt Devils’ blocker Morgan Le Faetal afterwards. “We’re disappointed that we didn’t win but we’re also really proud that we have come so far this season. When we played them in November, we lost by a significant amount. To lose this bout by five points is a huge step for us.”
The Stunt Devils face Rebel Skate Alliance in the league’s third place bout at Chaifetz on March 7.
For more information on the 2014 ARRG Championships, go to archrivalrollergirls.com.
