(BALLWIN, MO) The results from Saturday night’s regular season finale for GateKeepers Roller Derby (GKRD) and the Arch Rival Roller Girls (ARRG) saw a men’s title trip clincher and a women’s teeth clencher.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
In front of 600 at Midwest Sport Hockey, the Riverfront Crimes earned a spot in the upcoming GKRD Turf Wars championship with a 185-137 victory over the Dogtown Rockets. In the women’s main event, the Smashinistas topped the Stunt Devils, 156-153, with a come-from-behind victory on the game’s final jam.
The Crimes (2-2) meet the South Grand Slammers (3-1) for the Turf Wars trophy June 13 at Chaifetz Arena. The Smashinistas (3-1) and the Stunt Devils (2-2) continue their rivalry that same night for ARRG’s league title.
GKRD: RIVERFRONT CRIMES 185 DOGTOWN ROCKETS 137
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
Mere months ago, the Riverfront Crimes were at the bottom of the Turf Wars’ totem pole with a winless record. After posting back-to-back convincing victories, the mafia is now in position to sprint from worst to first. Saturday’s 48-point duke over Dogtown makes them arguably a favorite to claim the men’s trophy in June.
“It’s our camaraderie between us,” assessed Crimes’ jammer Indecent Exposure on his brotherhood’s rapid ascension. “We’re relaxed but we have that sense of getting things done.”
The tone was set early as the Crimes notched a 51-0 advantage eight minutes deep. After jammer Screecharound collected four in the second jam, Exposure posted 24 via the power jam with 26:15 left in the first period to extend the lead to 28-0.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
Debaucherous Prime added five in the next rotation, Screecharound plunked four in jam four and Exposure finished the rally with 14 power jam points at the 21:35 mark to push the lead to 51-0.
The Rockets rebounded and went on a 17-3 run over the next five rotations. After Shane Bower finished the sprint with a 4-2 jam with 16:15 left in the first period, the red rollers had narrowed the gap to 54-17.
The Crimes thwarted the Rockets’ surge by going on a 49-5 run over the next five jams, paced by the foundations set by blockers Bled Zepplin, Percy Controll, BA Blockenstein, Walker Hamilton, Nate Bower, Skulls McCrackin, The Saint, Slammin’ T. Killa, Dash and Nate Bower. Accented by a 20-point rotation by Exposure in jam 15 and an 18-point strike by Prime on the next shift, the Crimes amassed a 103-22 lead with 5:20 left in the period.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
To their credit, the Rockets did not allow themselves to be fitted with “concrete shoes” and finished the half with a strong 32-0 run. Jammer Poppa Choppa notched 21 points with 4:30 left in the frame to start the rally. Shane Bower followed with five on the next rotation and Dr. Dredd collected a pair of points in the first period’s penultimate jam. Bower capped the run with a four-point strike to narrow the gap to 103-54 at intermission.
The momentum flipped to begin the second period as the Crimes posted 19 points straight. Following Exposure’s five-pointer in jam five, the Crimes built a 122-54 lead with 22:30 left in the game.
Stubborn blocking by the Crimes held the Rockets to a solo point scored in the second half’s opening thirteen minutes. Riverfront expanded its lead to 141-55 with 17:30 left following Prime’s `15-point power jam.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
Dogtown chipped at the deficit as the period progressed with blocking from Monster Jam, Kurt Mangle, Wrecking Bill, Atom Bomb and Specs Offender. A 22-point power jam scored by Magnum P.I.M.P. with 15:40 left whittled the gap to 141-77.
The Rockets rallied deep, and outscored the Crimes 83-82 in the second period, but a late jammer penalty yielded 19 points for Prime with 6:55 remaining and secured the Chaifetz trophy trip for the Crimes.
Prime paced Riverfront scoring with 82 points while P.I.M.P. topped the Rockets (1-3) with 78.
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
RIVERFRONT CRIMES (185): Debaucherous Prime 82, Indecent Exposure 76, Screecharound 27.
DOGTOWN ROCKETS (137): Magnum P.I.M.P. 78, Shane Bower 49, Dr. Dredd 6, Poppa Choppa 4.
ARRG: SMASHINISTAS 156 STUNT DEVILS 153
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
If the women’s battle provided a preview for the ARRG Championship game in June, then one should anticipate a donnybrook at Chaifetz. The tussle featured nine lead changes, six tied scores and hand-wringing, late-game heroics. The two-time defending champs came up with the come-from-behind victory on the game’s final rotation.
“We’re all in a very good head space right now,” said Smashinistas jammer Brickyard afterwards. “Tonight was the most positive that we have ever been on the bench. We all got to play a lot and we all did really great stuff. No matter what happens at Chaifetz, this bout was the pinnacle of our season.”
Training 2-1 after the opening jam, the Smashinistas posted eleven straight as Brickyard collected four and EnYa Nightmare added seven off a power jam in the third rotation to build a 12-2 lead three minutes deep. Their lead widened to 17-3 after eight jams.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
The Stunts proceeded to whittle away at the deficit and inevitably tie the game with the next three cycles. Mighty Mighty Boston’s five in jam nine was followed by five off of Chokehold Chanel’s power jam with 19:10 left to slice the margin to 17-13. Bricktator collected four in jam 11 to tie the score, 17-17, with 18:45 left in the period.
Back-to-back 1-1 stalemates pushed the contest to 19-19 at the 17:00 mark. Bricktator scored four in jam 14 to give the Stunt Devils a 23-19 lead with 16:10 left in the frame.
The lead would be short-lived as the Smashies flipped the scoreboard on the next rotation with Shimmy Hoffa’s baker’s dozen, resulting in a 32-23 lead change at the 14:29 mark. The defending champs pushed the score to 37-23 with 11:50 left following Hakuna Renata’s four-pointer.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
The Stunts rebounded and posted fourteen straight on the next two shifts. Boston notched four in jam 19 and Bricktator followed with 10 that resulted in the game’s fourth tie, 37-37, with 9:30 left in the first period.
Brickyard’s 18-6 strike on the next rotation netted the Smashies a 55-43 edge with 7:50 left, but the Stunts were able to re-focus, post a 12-5 late-period stretch and narrow the game to 60-55 at intermission.
The Smashies maintained its five-point edge, 64-59, after the second period’s first two jams, but then Boston collected four for the Stunts with 27:00 remaining to make the contest a one-point affair, 64-63. The Smashinistas countered with a solo point from Renata in jam four that extended the lead to two points, 65-63.
Then after two scoreless jams, the Stunts posted a 28-0 rally, paced by the walls built by blockers Mayor Francis Slayer, Grave Danger, Morgan LeFaetal, Ninja Sass ‘Em, Smack A’NOVA, Shear-Ra Powers, Danisaurus Rex, Orange Ya Sry, Soundproof, Aggie Wartooth and Aceta Menacin.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
Chanel’s five-pointer with 23:10 remaining flipped the scoreboard to the Stunts’ favor, 68-65. Bricktator followed with a 19-point power jam on the next rotation to stretch the lead to 87-65 with 21:15 left. Boston added four to finish the three jam sprint and pushed the margin to 91-65 with 20:15 remaining.
Comfy lead? Not quite! The Smashies collected 25 on the next shift as Brickyard’s power jam made the game a solo-point affair, 91-90, with 18:20 left in the contest.
A 22-1 Stunts’ run highlighted the next three rotations. Back-to-back four-pointers from Chanel and Boston was punctuated by Bricktator’s 14-1 power jam with 15:20 left, resulting in a 113-91 lead for the purple-clad rollers.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
The differential held steady approaching the final ten minutes as the Stunt Devils maintained a 133-112 lead, but then the Smashinistas went on a 29-7 run, paced by the walls set by blockers Eli Wallop, Chewblocka, Party RockHer, Girl Fawkes, Fletch-A-Sketch, Prof. Rumbledore, Holliver Fist and Rock Slobster.
Renata sported eight in jam 18 to pull the defending champs to 133-120. Brickyard followed with a 21-7 power jam with 8:20 left, resulting in a 141-140 scoreboard flip for the Smashies.
After Bricktator collected four on the next rotation for the Stunts, resulting in a 144-141 lead change, Renata posted three for the Smashinistas in jam 21, resulting in the game’s fifth tie, 144-144, with 5:30 left in the game.
Four-pointers traded by both squads on the next two rotations resulted in another stalemate, 148-148, with 3:50 left.
The Stunt Devils regained the lead, 153-148, following Boston’s three-point strike with 1:25 left.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
The Smashinistas collected eight straight on the final two jams to pull out the come-from-behind victory. Brickyard posted three with :40 left to whittle the margin to two points, 153-151. Then on the game’s final jam, and in front of a standing crowd at Midwest Sport Hockey, the Smashies’ brain trust kept the reigning ARRG League MVP on the flat track with the jammer panty in tow.
She sprinted to the front of the pack, scored five as the period clock expired and helped the Smashies snatch the win, 156-153, to seal home track advantage at Chaifetz Arena in June. She topped the defending champs’ scoring ledger with 107 points.
The Stunts were paced by Bricktator’s 74 points, followed by Boston’s 39. The purple-clad rollers return to the league’s title trophy mix following a one-season absence.
“Tonight was a real barometer to see where we were and what we needed to work on between now and Chaifetz,” assessed Stunts’ blocker Grave Danger. “We’ve got some good talent and we’re really going to work on continuing to develop and tightening up our game.”
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
SMASHINISTAS (156): Brickyard 107, Hakuna Renata 16, EnYa Nightmare 14, Shimmy Hoffa 13, Cloak N’ DragHer 6.
STUNT DEVILS (153): Bricktator 74, Might Mighty Boston 39, Aceta Menacin 20, Chokehold Chanel 20.
Tickets for the ARRG & GKRD June 13 twin bill at Chaifetz are on sale. Save $5 on adult tickets purchased in advance at thechaifetzareana.com.
For more information on GateKeepers Roller Derby, go to stlgatekeepers.com.
For more information on the Arch Rival Roller Girls, go to archrivalrollergirls.com.
