(BALLWIN, MO) The St. Louis GateKeepers earned entry into the championship game of the 2015 Men’s Roller Derby Association (MRDA) tournament, “River City Rumble,” with a 153-105 victory over the New York Shock Exchange Sunday morning at Midwest Sport Hockey in Queeny Park.
St. Louis, 13-1 and seeded second in the ten-tournament, now aims for its first-ever MRDA trophy later tonight at 7 p.m. as they meet three-time defending MRDA champion Your Mom Men’s Derby.
Trailing 5-4 after two jams, the GateKeepers flipped the scoreboard to its favor with a 13-point jam from Debaucherous Prime at the 26:00 mark that gave St. Louis a 17-5 lead. Screecharound posted four on the next rotation to push the score to 21-5.
NYSE scored three in jam 5 to whittle the lead to a baker’s dozen but then St. Louis responded with sixteen straight. Highlighted by Magnum P.I.M.P.’s nine-pointer scored in jam 9, the GateKeepers extended its lead to 37-8 with 18:20 left in the period.
St. Louis pushed the score to 45-11 at the 16:00 mark following Screecharound’s eight-point power jam, but then New York went on 37-9 rally over the next ten minutes. NYSE jammer Kenbo Slice collected a 13-pointer with 11:05 left in the period to slice the score to 54-30 and Jonathan R. followed with ten on the next rotation to cut the gap to 54-40.
Photo Credit: Bob Dunnell
New York proceeded to post eight points over the next three jams to whittle the semifinal to single digits. St. Louis clung onto a 54-48 lead with 5:50 left.
St. Louis finished the period with four-pointers from P.I.M.P. and Shane Bower, pushed the lead back to double digits and possessed a 62-51 lead at halftime.
The GateKeepers began the second period sprinting out of the gates and posted a 29-5 run in the first five minutes. With scoring passes by the jamming rotation, St. Louis stretched the score to 91-56 with 24:30 left in the contest.
After NYSE’s Slice collected ten straight to quell the surge, the GateKeepers made a statement in a three jam crunch that resulted in 33-2 rally that resulted in a comfortable margin. Magnum’s two point tally in jam 8, St. Louis picked up a pivotal power jam which resulted in 23 points for Bower and pushed St. Louis’ lead to 116-66 with 17:30 left.
Prime’s 8-2 jam followed on the next rotation to finish the streak and push the score to 124-68.
As the game reached the final stretches, the St. Louis blocking schema, paced by Percy Controll, The Saint, Double Excel, Spin Diesel, Kyle Stark, Inquadable Hulk, Wrecking Bill and Monster Jam, held New York to low scoring.
The GateKeepers outscored New York, 91-54, to pick up the semifinal victory and earn entry into tonight’s MRDA Championship game.
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
GATEKEEPERS (152): Magnum P.I.M.P. 61, Shane Bower 40, Debaucherous Prime 3, Screecharound 15, Handrail 7.
CLICK HERE FOR INDIVIDUAL SKATER STATS
Tonight’s Championship Game be seen for free online AT THIS LINK
Arch City Sports will have a recap of St. Louis’ MRDA Championship game later tonight.
