Detroit, MI

By The Oxford Commakaze

Although the Boulder County Bombers of Longmont, Colo., held the lead for much of the first half, Wasatch Roller Derby of Salt Lake City, Utah, held out to recapture the lead going into the second half and never let go in the first consolation bracket game at the 2015 International WFTDA Division 2 Playoffs Detroit.

Photo by Derby With Recess

Despite Wasatch’s higher ranking, Boulder County burst out for lead jammer as CatastropPhoebe drew a quick penalty on Wasatch’s jammer, earning a 13-0 lead. Wasatch edged onto the board and overtook the lead just five minutes into the game first as Ole Chole racked up points first as pivot Bruiser Ego held Boulder County’s jammer trapped in the pack, and later on a power jam thanks to a well-timed cut drawn by her blockers.

But the score was far from settled as the game saw two lead changes and two ties within the next 15 minutes as both teams threw themselves into jammer-killing heavy defensive formations, providing power jam opportunities galore for both teams with six jammer box trips for each team in the first half alone. Wasatch briefly snatched the lead mid-jam halfway through the period, but a quick duck through the pack by Smashalotopus for Boulder County as Wasatch jammer Stache Bot called the jam a hair too slow brought the game to a 54-54 tie at the end of the jam. Boulder County re-established its lead in the next jam, but it was a tenuous hold that never exceeded 8 points. With less than 10 minutes in the half, Wasatch forced another tie at 62-62 and then commanded the lead for the game’s last lead change -- but the score still hung at a nail-biting 96-102 in Wasatch’s favor going into halftime.

“I think we maybe assumed this would be our easiest game, but it really wasn’t easier than our tougher games,” said Wasatch captain Penny Slain. “We were thinking this is our lower game and we can play some of our lower charter members, but D2 is a different game this year. In D1 the top team and the bottom team can be 40 teams apart, and in D2 you’re only 10 or 20 spots apart,” making for the tight games seen at this weekend’s tournament.

The game stayed tight going into the second half as Wasatch tried a last-second pivot line start to kick the half off, but that strategy was familiar to Boulder, which frequently employed the same strategy in its game last night against Bear City Roller Derby of Berlin, Germany, to much success, allowing them to hold Wasatch to just 1 point on that jam. But despite a run of lead jam calls in Boulder’s favor, a glut of jammer penalties forced two-minute jams that Wasatch ran away with, building a 119-170 lead with just twenty minutes left.

Boulder’s shutdown defense allowed them to hold Wasatch at 170 for three straight jams, but fatigue hit Boulder just as Wasatch was settling into its rhythm after building a lead, putting up just 3 points on a power jam as time for a comeback dwindled. After relying heavily on its shutdown defense in the first 45 minutes of the game, Wasatch started sending more aggressive offense from Bruiser Ego and Skull Candi as they built up a 137-199 lead.

With single-digit minutes left on the clock, Boulder countered with offensive punches of its own from ever-present blocker Trixi Von Tease while Sauce kept Wasatch’s jammers tangled in the pack and held Wasatch scoreless for five crucial minutes at the end of the game. With the clock stopped at 19 seconds on Boulder’s last time-out of the game, they’d inched the score to just 182-206. Boulder needed a fast lead call and hardcore offense, but Wasatch’s leading point-scorer Sookie Slaphouse dashed out for lead and started scoring before Feist E. Once could break free of her initial pass. Although she broke through before Sookie Slaphouse could complete her scoring pass, the period clock had wound down to zero with Wasatch holding the lead, calling it for a final score of 182-207.

Wasatch will move on to play the Sac City Rollers of Sacramento, Calif., today at 4 p.m. Boulder will play the loser of this afternoon’s game pitting the Emerald City Roller Girls of Eugene, Ore., against the Brewcity Bruisers of Milwaukee, Wis., for 9th place tomorrow at 10 a.m.

Final Score

Wasatch Roller Derby (#5) 207
Boulder County Bombers (#7) 182