By Derby News Network, Last updated Wed Jul 28 2010 5:25pm

WFTDA Sanctioned | General Interleague | Local Bouts

WFTDA Sanctioned

#5 Denver 208, #8 Charm City 101 -- On Saturday night, #8 Charm City hosted #5 Denver for the first time in their history at the Du Burns Arena in Baltimore, MD.  The first half of the bout saw tight play by both teams keeping the score low and close. The second half, however, saw Charm City playing too many jams shorthanded and Denver took perfect advantage to earn a solid win over the home team.

The bout opened with plenty of very slow pack play and very little scoring -- none of the first 14 jams had more than a single scoring pass.  With twelve minutes remaining in the half, Denver held a small lead at 20-13 and Charm City’s Holden Grudges matched up against Denver’s Heather Juska.  Holden earned lead while Joy Collision and Dolly Rocket continued to hold Juska in the pack.  Denver’s blockers began going to the box, allowing Flo Shizzle and PENALTYna to help hold Juska, finishing the jam with a big 18-4 run for Holden Grudges putting Charm City ahead at 31-24.  

Charm's lead wouldn't last too long, though. The following jam Denver’s Julie Adams began with an early power jam when Just Carol false started.  After scoring 10, however, Adams was called on a back block when she landed from a daring apex leap on the back of Charm blocker Reckless Ndangerment. That allowed Carol to recover eight points of her own bringing the score to 39-34.

A quick 3-0 jam for Denver followed, putting the score within two points with Lady Quebeaum lining up for Baltimore and Andrea Hill taking the star for the Mile High Club, who held a 4-2 pack advantage.  The pack advantage quickly turned into a power jam as well as Lady Q was sent to the box on a back block and Denver regained the lead with a big 14-0 jam. The last four jams saw at least two and sometimes four blockers in the penalty box at a time, but the scores remained low to end the half at 56-46 advantage for Denver.

The second half continued the pace of the first half as both teams traded 4-0 jams until the fourth. Denver had a power jam but was down a blocker, but they were still able to trap PENALTYna and force a 20’ call that sent both Joy Collision and Flo Shizzle to the box, which Heather Juska used to earn a monstrous 24-0 over Charm.  

From this point on Charm City appeared rattled and slipped into a long run of trouble; 6 of 8 consecutive jams had 2 Charm blockers in the penalty box, often with one or more waiting for an open chair. Dolly Rocket fouled out of the game with more than 12 minutes remaining, and finally bench coach Virginia Slim lost his temper at a referee and found himself quickly ejected from the game.  

In the mean time, Denver continued to play beautifully and broke open the bout with a 114-10 run that included 18 Grand Slams.  By the time Charm City regained their footing there was only 6:15 left and Denver still wasn’t willing to let up. Charm City ended on a high note with a 14-0 jam by Just Carol on a boxed Monica Carson, but the final score was Denver 208, Charm City 101.

Denver’s offense was led by Julie Adams with 67 points and Andrea Hill with 48 points and a +6.5 point differential per jam. Their defense showed solid team play, but Gabrielle Begeman stood out enough to earn the MVP.  Charm City’s highest scorers were Just Carol with 42 points and Holden Grudges with 25 points and the only positive point differential of +11.  Joy Collision earned the MVP for both offensive and defensive contributions. -- N8

See the archived boutcast here.

#13 Madison 180, Houston 80 -- After a string of losses to top-10 teams, Madison’s Dairyland Dolls (13) notched their first interleague win of 2010 against the unranked Houston’s HaRD Knocks behind 86 points from Mouse.

Close at first, Houston managed a small 9-4 lead behind a defense that held Madison scoreless for five jams. Madison then took control of the game, and late in the first half pounced on the night’s first power jam situation. In four minutes, Madison grew their lead from 18 points to 61, a big part of that on a 30-point effort from Mouse.  At halftime, Madison held a commanding 99-29 lead.

Mouse’s point parade continued in the second half, thanks to two 19-point power jam scores. The Dairyland Doll jammers hit the penalty box only once, in the night’s penultimate jam, and Mistilla “The Killa” took advantage for 15 points and Houston’s biggest score of the night. For the visitors, it was too little too late.  Final score, 180-80.

Houston has lost 10 of the players that helped them make it to the WFTDA Championship Tournament last fall, and despite a disciplined and spirited pack, the lack of experience and depth showed.  Captain Carmen Gedditt was a standout on defense, while Mistilla led the HaRD Knocks in scoring with 33 points. -- Geoffrey Saucer

River City 96, Long Island 86 -- In a battle to avoid last place in the WFTDA East Division, the River City Rollergirls Poe's Punishers of Richmond, VA came away with their first WFTDA-sanctioned win, emerging victorious over the Roller Rebels of Long Island. Although the Rebels made their case early for a change of address from the basement of the rankings (at one point leading by seventeen points), the Poe's Punishers proved too much in the end, eking out a nailbiter with the final score of 96-86.

For most of the rest of the first period, River City could only watch helplessly as Long Island put the hurt on them thanks to several ill-timed penalties and strong performances from C-Roll and Celtic Thunder. The onslaught began at with about 20 minutes left in the period, as C-Roll knifed through a penalty-depleated Punishers pack to make it 17-11 and Celtic Thunder chimed in with seven point jam of her own with 15 minutes left to go in the first period. A few jams later, C-Roll again made her presence felt with a 7-point jam as River City was once again caught shorthanded by penalties, making the score 36-19.

The Punishers were not quite ready to go quietly into the sweltering Virginia night, though. Raci Lords of RCR initiated the comeback in earnest with 2:45 left in the period with a brilliant six-point jam to make the score 39-26, and, after an injury to LI jammer Point N. Shoot, the Punishers continued the charge with five-point and three-point jams by Lenore Quicksilver and Paris Kills, respectively, leaving the score at the half 40-34 Long Island.

Into the second half, the Punishers were able to pair their timely offense with stout defense, with Raven Darkhold posting 5 unanswered points and Shake 'n' Baker doing the same, laying claim to a 44-44 tie three short minutes into the period. Lenore Quicksilver pushed through with four points of her own on a power jam with 24:30 left on the clock, giving the Poe's their first lead since nine minutes into the first period. A few more power jams from Raven and Shake 'n' Baker left Long Island reeling with the scoreboard reading 68-44 Punishers. C-Roll did her best to answer on a power jam of her own with 18 minutes left in the bout but a track cutting penalty cut her heroics short and left her seething in the box with only four points to show for it. Lenore and Baker widened the lead to 79-49 with 13:43 showing on the clock.

C-Roll and Celtic Thunder would not be denied late in the second period, however, putting a serious scare into the home team. C-Roll once again led the charge with a fantastic ten-point jam with 10:30 to go, willing herself through several vicious hits. Another flurry of points (and some penalty confusion from the officials, giving C-Roll a much-needed rest) and the score read 79-71, River City.

Her late charge would fall short, however, as C-Roll feel victim to another track cutting penalty, leaving Shake 'n' Baker an open invitation to pad the Punishers' lead with an epic fifteen-point jam, putting the tally at 94-76 with 5:50 left to go. Once again, Long Island did their best to weather the storm posting two unanswered three- and five-point jams, but Raci Lords sprang from her stance in the last jam and established lead jammer immediately to seal the win at 96-86. -- Andy Liguori