Saint Paul, MN

by The Oxford Commakaze

A rematch of the 2015 International WFTDA Division 2 Playoffs Detroit first-place game had very different results this time as the [Sacred City Derby Girls]](/tournaments/2015/cleveland/team-profiles/sacred-city) of Sacramento, Calif., (Detroit #2) overtook the [Nashville Rollergirls]](/tournaments/2015/cleveland/team-profiles/nashville) of Nashville, Tenn., (Detroit #1) for the title of Division 2 Champions.

Photo by Steve Jurkovic

Low-scoring jams dominated the first few minutes of the game with a fast start for Sacred as blocker Electric Boogaloo held Nashville jammer Chelsea Dagger as Sacred jammer Ariel-LA-Twister juked through the pack for a quick 3 points. A hit-and-quit second jam should have put Nashville in the lead, but Sacred jammer Pink Freud stole 2 points to Phantom Power’s 4 to keep a 5-4 lead for Sacred. One pass in the next jam was enough for Nashville’s Lady Fury to steal the lead back for Music City, but a 23-point jam for Ariel-LA-Twister with Lora Stabs’ offense while Blushy Lushy devastated Nashville jammer Zip Drive established a 20-point lead for the California team. Nashville held Sacred scoreless for four straight jams while inching the score closer to finally overtake the team 31-28 with 20 minutes left in the half, but an apex leap by Ariel-LA-Twister in the next jam gave Sacred the one pass it needed to grab the lead back, 32-31.

An uncertain start with four lead changes in 15 minutes made it appear another neck-and-neck game like the teams’ match in Detroit was imminent, but an 18-point power jam for Ariel-LA-Twister halfway through the period wedged a gap, and a 17-point power jam for Pink Freud right after established a clear lead as Sacred kept Nashville’s blockers frazzled and divided. Low-scoring hit-and-quit jams dominated the remainder of the half, with the exception of a double power jam for The 4closer with six minutes remaining, maintaining a comfortable 110-64 lead for Sacred to close the half.

Photo by Steve Jurkovic

Fast-paced jams inching the score up continued into the second half for both teams, with only 9 points going up for each team in the first five minutes, but a 12-point power jam for Pink Freud busted the scoring gap open to nearly 50 points. Ariel-LA-Twister kept the points coming for Sacred with her flying apex leaps and footwork to clear the tiniest gaps in the pack for her, with Talls switching fluidly from providing devastating offense to being an opposing jammer’s worst defensive nightmare, putting up a 15-point pass with Phantom Power still trapped in the pack. A 13-point power jam for Lady Fury nearly negated Ariel’s work, but a last-minute penalty to her seemed to open the door for Sacred to rack up the points again, but Lady Fury emerged from the box to win the jam 18-6, starting a scoring run that would bring the score back within 30 points with 10 minutes in the game.

More low-scoring jams and a well-timed power jam for The 4closer kept Sacred in the lead, but not securely, leaving the score 174-137 with less than seven minutes remaining. But another big power jam opportunity for Ariel-LA-Twister, who scored more than half her team’s points, came as Phantom Power had to pass to pivot Sugar, who had been a powerful blocker all game but went to the box twice as a jammer and fouled out of the game. Just four minutes and a 56-point gap remained as Chelsea Dagger replaced Sugar as Nashville’s jammer in the penalty box to start the next jam, but a penalty to The 4closer opened the door for Nashville to outscore Sacred 17-4 as Nashville captain Stella Live kept The 4closer trapped in the pack to run the clock down.

Less than 40 points separated the teams, but with not even two minutes remaining on the clock, Nashville needed to do everything right — but a cut drawn by Talls on Lady Fury at the beginning of the jam cleared the way for Ariel-LA-Twister to grab lead jammer and post one more enormous power jam. With her bench counting down the game clock as Ariel engaged cautiously at the back of the pack, she called the jam off when the game clock expired to secure the D2 Championship for Sacred with a final score of 211-163.

FINAL SCORE

Nashville Rollergirls (Detroit #1) 163
Sacred City Derby Girls (Detroit #2) 211