Dallas, TX

By Whacks Poetic

The 2pm game at the 2015 International WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs Dallas featured another “new to WFTDA tournament play” team, Stockholm Roller Derby from Stockholm, Sweden, taking on Championship and tournament regulars, the Rat City Rollergirls hailing from Seattle, WA, USA . The American team came in the higher seed at fourth while Stockholm was slated to be slightly behind in them as the fifth seed at this tournament. Stockholm Roller Derby led the first half leading 62-54 at the end of 30 minutes. Rat City, however, would take the game, 204-73 with a short bench causing problems for the European team.

Photo by David Haughton

The game started with heavy defensive walls braced by a blocker for both teams. The jammers both took over a full lap and 90 seconds to complete their initial passes with Mad Maloony managing to score one point for Stockholm before calling it off. Fifteen minutes in, Stockholm called a timeout with a score that had crept up to 34-22 in favor of Rat City. The European team started a scoring run with 12 unanswered points across three jams and a pair of jammer cuts by Lunacorn and Kayla Gasket allowed Stockholm to tie the game with Lil Slinky scoring 12 points of her own. Stockholm continued their favorable run and finished the half with a 4-0 jam for Mad Maloony and the scoreboard boasting 62-54 in their favor.

Dominå F. Äkt, Stockholm Captain “Beating Rat City and making it to Champs were two of our goals coming into this tournament. We thought they were lofty goals but looking at the score at halftime, we were in awe. Our goal was doable. In the end, Rat City showed their depth of tournament experience though and what we need to be able to do to make it to Championships.”

Photo by Duane Baker

Rat City showed their depth and fortitude, coming back to take the lead in the first jam of the second half with Lunacorn scoring 15 points with Mad Maloony stuck in the pack. Stockholm would not be able to score any points in the half until the ninth minute on a two minute jam. Rat City, however, put up 37 points to be leading 106-64 with twenty minutes remaining. After a successful star pass earlier in the game, Lacey Ramon donned the jammer cover off the line and added another 12 points to Rat’s total. Stockholm would have only their second point scoring jam of the second half with 15 minutes left in the game putting up three points to Genevieve Moore’s 10 from the same jam and bringing the score to 134-67. Playing with only 11 skaters started taking its toll on the Swedish athletes resulting in a very tired looking three jammer rotation, increased penalties and foul outs. As Stockholm shortened their bench further keeping Polygamy Winehouse, CaRollin’ Thunder and Dominå F. Äkt on the track jam to jam as blockers, Rat City’s jammers continued to add to the score differential –with five minutes to go, the scoreboard read 185-69 for the perennial Championship contenders from Seattle. Rat City scored a total of 150 points in the second half to Stockholm’s 11 and would take the game, 204-73.

Raven Seaward, Rat City Skater “We spent the first half trying to be calm but we were too calm. The second period was more what we train like, who we are.”

Rat City faces the winner of Rose City Rollers versus Crime City Rollers (playing at 4pm today) in the quarterfinal match up tomorrow where the winner of that game is guaranteed a spot at the 2015 International WFTDA Championships in St. Paul, MN, USA. Stockholm Roller Derby plays at 10am tomorrow in the consolation bracket versus 10th seed, Rideau Valley Roller Girls.

FINAL SCORE

Rat City Rollergirls (#4) 204
Stockholm Roller Derby (#5) 73