Gotham Intraleague: Bronx Runs Down Queens, 121-78
NEW YORK, NY -- In the opening bout of the fifth Gotham Girls Roller Derby home season -- and a rematch of the 2008 GGRD championship -- the Bronx Gridlock topped the Queens of Pain by a score of 121-78.
The last time these teams met it was October of 2008, vying for the coveted Golden Skate trophy. Queens came out on top of that bout, besting their rivals by a score of 161-113. However, in the off-season, the rosters of these teams underwent some changes due to retirements and rookie additions. Queens lost jammers Cheapskate and Scarlett Rage but gained 4 new faces: Anais Ninja, Knockturn Ali, Sarah Impalin, and Steel Magnolia. Two of these rookies come with some previous derby experience: Steel Magnolia previously skated with Garden State Rollergirls and Sarah Impalin spent some time as fresh meat with Rat City.
The Bronx lost blockers Daizy Chainz and Lemony Kickit, the latter returning in a new role as bench manager. As for new faces on the Gridlock, Ani Dispanco is now wearing yellow and checkers after spending two seasons with the Brooklyn Bombshells, and the team picked up transfer Care Bear Scare (formerly with the River City Rollergirls) and rookie Rat-a-Tat Kat (formerly skating with Suburbia Roller Derby). The Gridlock also celebrated the return of Murder City Mandy from maternity leave, and Beatrix Slaughter, now fully mended from a broken collarbone suffered in the last regular season matchup between Queens and Bronx.
With both teams hungry to prove they have what it takes to be on top in 2009, the whistle blew on the first jam with Bonnie Thunders in Gridlock yellow versus Suzy Hotrod in Queens black. Suzy jumped out of the pack first for lead jammer, but with Bonnie hot on her heels, she called the jam quickly with a 2-0 win. Queens would get the lead jammer whistle for the first three jams, starting off the bout 9-0. Brigitte Barhot put Bronx on the board with their first lead jammer call and 4 points to make the score 11-4 in favor of Queens.
In the next four jams, Bronx clawed back to within one point of Queens with a strategy of quick, small-scoring jams, but it was in jam 10 that Bonnie Thunders put the cabbies on top with a 4-0 jam over Donna Matrix. With the scoreboard reading 19-18 in favor of the Gridlock, Bronx jammers Thunders, Barhot, and Luna Impact hit the gas and zoomed off on a 60-15 tear to close out the first half. Queens jammers in the penalty box helped the Bronx cause, but Bronx blockers still had to contend with hard hitters Ana Bollocks, Donna Matrix, and Steel Magnolia. As both teams headed to the locker rooms for halftime, the Bronx Gridlock held the lead over the Queens of Pain, 79-33.
After a first half filled with quick jams featuring single scoring passes, both teams stuck to similar strategies in the second half. Queens came roaring back, seeking vengeance for their first half woes by obtaining lead jammer in 5 straight jams and scoring 16 unanswered points. The Gridlock’s Luna Impact put a stop to the lead jammer streak for Queens by getting the whistle and a 4-4 tie against the multitalented Ana Bollocks. The momentum once again shifted the Bronx into high gear, as the Gridlock blockers shut down Queens jammers and Bronx jammers raced through the pack to widen the margin.
Penalty troubles for Queens blockers compounded their woes as they played multiple jams with at least one blocker sitting in the box. Towards the end of the second half, Queens blockers managed to keep the Bronx jammer rotation from getting past, forcing lead jammers to call the jam without scoring all 4 possible points. As the period clock ran down and skaters lined up for the last jam, Bronx rookie Rat-a-Tat Kat was given the star, and amid loud encouragement from her sizeable cheering section, broke through the pack for lead jammer but called the jam as a 0-0 tie with Donna Matrix. At the end of the evening, Bronx had avenged last year’s championship loss by a score of 121-78.
Stats
Jammer Bonnie Thunder s garnered MVP honors for the Gridlock, scoring 41 points in 19 jams. Blocker/jammer Ana Bollocks got the nod for the Queens of Pain, putting the hurt on jammers in 20 jams at pivot/blocker and scoring 6 points in 4 jams. Jamming for the Bronx were Luna Impact (45 points in 11 jams), Brigitte Barhot (35 points in 9 jams), and Care Bear Scare and Rat-a-Tat Kat with one jam each. Suzy Hotrod was the leading scorer for the Queens of Pain with 40 points in 19 jams, and other Queens skaters wearing the star were Hyper Lynx (19 points in 12 jams), Donna Matrix (9 points in 5 jams), the aforementioned Ana Bollocks, and Haulin’ Cass (4 points in 1 jam).
Standout blockers for the Gridlock were Beatrix Slaughter, returning from injury as a devastating pivot/blocker, Care Bear Scare, who singlehandedly held jammers back at the front of the pack, and double threat Luna Impact, blocking in addition to jamming. Queens blockers of note were MVP Ana Bollocks bullying jammers at the back of the pack and pivot, Donna Matrix often as the first line of Queens defense, and Bluebonnet Plague as the main pivot in black.
Next up in Gotham Girls intraleague action are the Brooklyn Bombshells versus the Manhattan Mayhem on May 16 at the Hunter College Sportsplex. The #1-in-the-nation Gotham all-stars take on Carolina (ranked #4 in the East by WFTDA, and #8 nationally by DNN) on June 6 in Raleigh.
Photos: Tom Igoe (top, front page), Brendan McMullen (bottom)
