(BALLWIN, MO) The defending champions for both the Arch Rival Roller Girls and GateKeepers Roller Derby notched victories in their respective leagues’ local season openers Saturday night at Midwest Sport Hockey. However, each game’s final differential was anything but similar.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
In front of 500 at Queeny Park, ARRG queen pins The Smashinistas staved a hard charge from the pesky M-80s to notch a 219-187 win while GKRD Turf Wars defending champion the South Grand Slammers sprinted to a 183-95 victory over the Dogtown Rockets.
With the victories, both teams sit atop their respective league’s hierarchy with 1-0 records. The six-event regular season for both ARRG and GKRD resumes December 6.
ARRG: SMASHINISTAS 219 M-80s 187
The re-match of last season’s championship game featured plenty of momentum shifts throughout. A late charge for the team looking for a “three-peat” in 2015 resulted in the 32-point duke.
“I think that our team work was fantastic,” said Smashinistas’ blocker Prof. Rumbledore after the hard-fought battle. “There wasn’t anybody going out of their way to be selfish and everybody worked together so well. And we played everybody on our bench, which was awesome.”
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
Up 7-5 after three jams, the first of numerous flat-track bombs dropped by the camo-clad troopers led to a 35-point strike by jammer Brickyard, resulting in a 42-5 Smashies’ lead five minutes deep.
The M-80s responded with 34 points uncontested on the next two rotations. Jammer IDA the Living Dead notched 14 via a power jam and Science Friction followed with 20 scored at 19:45 to narrow the Smashies’ lead to three points, 42-39.
The Smashinistas countered with a 28-0 run over the next two jams. After Brickyard collected five in jam six, Cloak N’ DragHer scored 23 to give the defending league champs a 70-39 lead with 17:15 left in the first period.
Stubborn blocking by the leaders widened the differential as the period progressed. Paced by the walls constructed by blockers Downtown Dallis, Party Rockher, Eli Wallop, Chewblocka, Prof. Rumbledore, Fletch-A-Sketch, Girl Fawkes and Rock Slobster, the Smashies maintained a 104-62 lead with 3:30 left in the half.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
The M-80s’ wick was lit in the period’s penultimate jam, resulting in a hard charge late. Blocker Tupac Shank-her received a star pass from jammer Jamheiser Bush, resulting in a 29-point scamper that whittled the deficit to 104-91. IDA notched five on the period’s final rotation to make the bout a single-digit affair, 104-96 at intermission.
The firecrackers’ momentum, propelled by blockers Rhino-Might, The Ginger Assassin, Warpath O’ Jen, Sp!ce Rack, Party Foul, Carmina Piranha, Deuce Bomber, Arcane Sugar, eZe and Betty Blaster, carried over into the second period as IDA collected eight points at 27:45 to tie the score, 104-104. Friction notched three on the next rotation to give the M-80s its first lead of the contest with 27:05 left, 107-104.
However, the lead was short-lived as the Smashinistas posted 28 points uncontested. A scoreboard-flipping four-pointer from DragHer in jam four was followed by 20 from Brickyard. EnYa Nightmare’s four-pointer at 23:30 concluded the rally, which pushed the Smashies’ lead to 132-107.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
The M-80s tried to maintain traction as the period progressed and only trailed by 16 points, 203-187, with under 5:00 left but Brickyard’s 15-pointer scored on the game’s penultimate jam secured victory.
The Smashinistas outscored the M-80s, 115-91, in the second period to pick up the season-opening, 32-point duke.
Brickyard paced the Smashinistas with 151 points, followed by DragHer’s 35. The league leader is idle until January.
IDA topped the M-80s’ ledger with 64 points, followed by Party Foul’s 56. Considering that the 14-skater roster had six new members heading into the season opener, the output, even in defeat, against the defending champion was impressive.
“The one thing I love about the M-80s is that we’re always there to put on a show,” said blocker Rhino-Might afterwards. “I’ve always prided myself, along with the team, is that we are the team that you can never count out. Even when you think we’re down, nope, we’re right back in it. We saw a lot of brilliance tonight.”
The M-80s face the Stunt Devils (0-0) on December 6.
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
SMASHINISTAS (219): Brickyard 151, Cloack N’ DragHer 35, EnYa Nightmare 30, Prof. Rumbedore 3.
M-80s (187): IDA the Living Dead 64, Party Foul 56, Jamheiser Bush 42, Tupac Shank-her 29, Science Friction 25.
GKRD: SOUTH GRAND SLAMMERS 183 DOGTOWN ROCKETS 95
The complexion of the men’s bout differed greatly from the women’s opener as the defending “Turf Wars” kingpin utilized a quick sprint out of the gates and capitalized on 46-0 first period surge.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
The South Grand Slammers set the tone with powerful walls containing what could be best described as…well, um…Grade A beef.
“We’re huge,” Slammers blocker Double Excel jokingly said afterwards. “We can put a line-up out there that is a metric ton. And that’s not a lie, that’s just math. And if you don’t want to believe it, just get a calculator.”
Excel’s kidding aside, the Slammers methodically kept the Rockets at bay in the first period and posted points en route to a halftime cushion.
Down 3-1 after the opening jam, the Slammers hit a blackjack on the flat-track table and notched 21 points uncontested. After jammer D Mouthful scored four, Indecent Exposure collected nine at 26:10 to push the lead to 14-3. Hand Rail followed with an eight-pointer to push the margin to 22-3 with 24:30 left in the period.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
The Rockets rebounded with a 9-4 strike from jammer Magnum P.I.M.P. to narrow the margin to 26-12 with 23:10 left in the period.
A 20-0 Slammers’ run ensued over the next three rotations as Mouthful and Exposure posted back-to-back four pointers followed by Rail’s dozen that pushed the score to 42-12 with 20:30 left in the period.
The Rockets broke the drought with Magnum’s four scored at 19:10 to narrow the gap, 42-16.
The defending champs then went into “beast mode” and posted a 45-0 rally over the next nine minutes. The aforementioned Excel, alongside Neil Death Experience, Sweet Tooth, Spin Diesel, Percy Controll, Inquadable Hulk, Fruit Wallup and Gnat King Kill allowed the Slammers’ jammers to consistently post lead and expand its lead to 87-16 with 10:00 left in the period.
Mouthful’s 17-point strike in the period’s penultimate jam put an exclamation point on the dominant first half and the Slammers held a 123-29 lead at intermission.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
To its credit, the Rockets did not wave the white flag and outscored the Slammers in the second period. Mueller collected a baker’s dozen in jam 30 to make the score 140-50. Shanego Fett added 12 points two jams later that narrow the margin to 141-62 with 17:45 left in the contest. The returning Bat Wing scored on jams of eight and five points down the stretch.
Inspired by the solid play of blockers Monster Jam, Kurt Mangle, Wrecking Bill, Atom Bomb, Dr. Dredd, Specs Offender, Red Rider and High Pains Drifter, the Rockets outscored the Slammers, 66-60, in the final frame. The 183-95 loss was understandably difficult to swallow initially, but the competitive passion shown in the second period was enough to give the scrappy squad hope as it progresses on its next mission in January 2015 after a month layoff.
“Our jammers showed a lot of heart,” said Rockets’ co-captain Monster Jam afterwards. “Our defense was really tough. That second half we really rallied and I think that showed what we’re really capable of this season.”
Meanwhile, it’s full speed ahead for the Slammers, who face the Riverfront Crimes (0-0) at Midwest Sport Hockey on December 6. Scoring was topped by Hand Rail’s 63 points while Mouthful and Exposure both added 60.
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
SOUTH GRAND SLAMMERS (183): Hand Rail 63, D Mouthful 60, Indecent Exposure 60.
DOGTOWN ROCKETS (95): Shanego Fett 33, Magnum P.I.M.P. 31, Mueller 16, Bat Wing 15.
For more information on the Arch Rival Roller Girls, go to archrivalrollergirls.com.
For more information on GateKeepers Roller Derby, go to stlgatekeepers.com.
