Minnesota Knocks Back #17 Carolina, 105-69

By Garrison Killer, Last updated Fri Oct 23 2009 11:17pm

ST. PAUL, MN --In the beginning of flat-track derby, the original, 'v1.0' rules of our governing body didn't even exist. Get a player from those days over a beer, and you'll hear about how the two teams would hash out the ruleset between them only hours before the bout was played. Minnesota and Carolina played one of the very first interleague bouts of the modern derby era at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in November 2005. That match is an interesting footnote in the record books (237 MNRG - 173 CRG) as the second-highest bout recorded in overall points scored ever. More importantly, it was with great delight that it was announced that Carolina's All-Stars would kick off the MNRG season.

On paper, this looked like a bit of a mismatch. In WFTDA's East region, Carolina is ranked fourth and came through their tournament in fifth place. Minnesota is ranked sixth in the North Central region and won only their last match against Grand Raggidy to place ninth. What's more, Carolina sent a strong staff to Saint Paul; eleven of the fourteen players on the track this weekend were part of Carolina's tournament crew for Eastern Regionals. Minnesota switched out Hanna Belle Lector for Scarmen Hellectra, but kept the remainder of the MNRG-Chicago staff from the Brawl of America together.

Suzie Smashbox (co-captain of MNRG) sped through pressure from Carolina's Princess America to take the first lead against Holly Wanna Crackya. While Holly dueled with woman-on-woman specialist Tiki Torture, Suzie scored five and called off the jam. MNRG all-star rookie L'exi-cuter got hung up by a stretched-out Carolina pack (it's a tactic called 'bridging') while Carolina's MVP DVS took the next lead for six. MNRG jammer Harmony Killerbruise returned the favor with a textbook grand slam-plus that went unanswered from her opponent Princess America - thanks to Minnesota's three-deep walling of the Carolina fan favorite. All of that action was packed into five minutes of play, and Minnesota had the lead 13-5.

After two scoreless jams, L'exi Cuter took the lead and scored five as she caught Kitty Crowbar trying to engage outside the pack. Holly Wanna Crackya then crashed through a light pack and scored five as Minnesota's blocking staff's minor fouls caught up. DVS followed up for three against Psycho Novia, but the next three jams were Minnesota's for eight points. Minnesota's back walls and pivot (particularly Venus Thightrap) ably handled Carolina's jammers. Deviled Leggs broke the MNRG jammer streak by forcing 20 feet on Mitzi Massacre and Misfit Maiden to score three.

The refs sent Leggs to the box for minors, only to be sent out after her opponent Suzie Smashbox was sent in - and then seconds later returned once Suzie was clear. Minnesota started working the penalty clock. Leggs got trapped in the box over the next two jams, then finally emerged on fire but could not score. With L'Exi well past the pack, Leggs got caught up in the full brunt of the Minnesota defense. L'exi scored nine on that jam, and with one other scoring run, Minnesota continued to hold an appreciable lead 39-16 with eight on the clock.

Holly then brought Carolina right back into the game; off of more MNRG foul trouble, Holly shot through a depleted pack for eight, but allowed three from Harmony Killerbruise. Carolina's Pinkslip then scored nine, and the CRG bench - smelling blood as the MNRG continued to draw fouls - sent Holly Wanna Crackya back out and Holly put up her biggest jam of the night...a triple slam. These jams were the first three where Carolina had taken more than a single scoring run in a jam in the entire game and gave Carolina the lead. A final lead jam for Suzie brought the game to halftime, 48-46 Carollina.

Except for Carolina's late scoring run, Minnesota appeared to have control over the game. However, the problems with the MNRG's defense and their foul trouble mounted throughout the period. It gave Carolina an opportunity to come out and resume control of the game. That said, of the four jammers scoring double digits in the first half, only one - Holly Wanna Crackya - played for Carolina.