1NC Windy City Retains Region Title Despite Strong Challenge From 3NC Minnesota
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Photo: Bob Dunnell
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - In their second straight meeting for the WFTDA North Central Region playoff title, the top seed once again took home the top prize while maintaining their lifetime undefeated streak against region foes.
Utilizing a 28-0 rally to begin the second half, top-seeded Windy City defeated third seed Minnesota 123-100 Sunday in the finals of Monumental Mayhem at the Indiana Convention Center. Both teams – along with third place Naptown – advance to the 2011 WFTDA Championships in November. With the 23-point title win, Windy City (13-2) finished with a 2011 North Central Region record of 7-0 (23-0 lifetime in sanctioned region bouts.) Minnesota (9-3) finished in the region 6-2.
Minnesota began the bout with a 7-0 run with four points from Medusa followed by Harmony Killerbruise’s trey at the 27:10 mark. Windy City answered with nine from Yvette Yourmaker to take a 9-7 lead. Commander Nix netted two points on the next jam to tie the score 9-9 at the 23:40 mark. The Northern Illinoisans would collect seven straight off the next two jams. Four from Beth Amphetamine was followed by three non-lead points from Varla Vendetta to extend Windy City’s lead to 16-9 with 18:30 left. Minnesota’s Juke Boxx collected four points with 17:00 left in the first half to pull the third seed to within three, 16-13.
Windy City would net eight from Yourmaker on the next jam to extend the lead to double digits, 24-13. Amphetamine went to the box midway through the half on a back block major, which allowed Killerbruise to score 10 power jam points for Minnesota, making the contest a one-point bout, 24-23 Windy City at 13:25. Lexi C’uter’s four-point post one jam later resulted in a 27-24 lead change for Minnesota.
Vendetta would net nine on the next jam to reclaim the lead for Windy City with 10:15 left in the first frame. After two scoreless jams, Minnesota posted four from Commander Nix to narrow Windy City’s lead to two. Then in the final five minutes, Killerbruise would race out to a triple-grand slam. The 15-3 surge resulted in the half’s fourth lead change, which saw Minnesota up 46-36 with 3:15 remaining. Following five from Windy City’s Yourmaker one power jam later, Medusa scored nine to finish the half’s scoring and give Minnesota a 55-41 lead at intermission.
Following a second half opening three-point tally by Minnesota ‘s Medusa, Windy City went on a 28-0 run. Amphetamine scored three, Vendetta posted ten and Jackie Daniels would add an additional lead-changing 15 to give the defending North Central champs a 69-58 lead. With 22:20 left, Minnesota jammer Lex’i Cuter went off to the penalty box for a back block major, which allowed Vendetta to notch an 18-point power jam, extending Windy City’s lead to 87-60.
As the half continued, Minnesota reversed the roles and went on a rally themselves. The Gopher State rollers whittled the lead down to a 20-point bout with seven combined from Medusa and Jukeboxx. Capitalizing on a Vendetta track cut at 16:30, a Cuter power jam netted ten points. Medusa added a trey one jam later to complete a 20-0 run for Minnesota and narrow the lead to 87-80 with 16:00 left.
With a stubborn opponent nipping at their heels, the defending region champs shut down Minnesota defensively in the last quarter of the bout. Windy City responded the Twin City fury with an 18-0 surge as Daniels’ nine off two jams was supplemented by Athena DeCrime’s solo nine, extending their lead to 105-80 with 10:50 remaining.
Although Minnesota would net eight straight to pull within striking distance, Windy City would seal the victory with 14 unanswered points, punctuated by Daniels’ 10 to make the score 119-88 with under 3:00 left. Windy City outscored Minnesota 82-45 to pick up the North Central regional title with the 123-100 win.
