Omaha, NE

By Shelly Shankya

Game 5 of the 2015 International WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs in Omaha pitted the undefeated Gotham Girls Roller Derby (#1) against the Queen City Roller Girls (#9), and Gotham handily defeated their upstate neighbors to advance to the first of the two semifinal games on Saturday.

Photo by Danforth Johnson

While the two teams represent New York state, their skating styles differed. Gotham showed their mastery of pack awareness, while Queen City worked on transitioning from offense to defense as quickly as possible. Blocker Blackrock Bruiser used the transition time to put a square hit on Gotham jammer Bonnie Thunders, and B'Kini Whacks and Midnyt Maniac waterfalled and worked together to hold Shortstop. The efforts from the Lake Effect Furies, however, fell short, as Gotham outscored Queen City by more than 60 points to 1 in the first half.

The standout blockers from Gotham, Violet Knockout and Sexy Slaydie, managed their lines with a know-how that showed both their veteran status on the team, but also their knowledge of the game. And while Gotham shows prowess in many aspects of roller derby, what they truly showed the crowd at Ralston Arena was that they can play the sport with seeming ease, despite the fact that their efforts against Queen City mark only their seventh game of the 2015 season. Going into halftime, Gotham led Queen City 284-8.

Photo by Donna Olmstead

With 14 scoreless jams in the second period, Queen City refused to give up the fight against Gotham. A 12-point jam by Librawlian, followed by a 7-point jam from InSINerator put the Furies in a record-breaking position: at 29 points, the team scored more than any other team against Gotham in a Playoffs quarterfinal since 2009, when Providence Roller Derby scored 25 points against Gotham at the Wicked Wheels of the East Regional Tournament.

Both teams used and lost their official reviews in the second period; Queen City for requesting a low block call against a Gotham blocker, and Gotham for requesting a low block call on the Queen City jammer. During the final moments of the game, Queen City co-captain Tabrina Schreier fouled out. While the Queen City Furies failed to overcome the behemoth that is Gotham, they did manage to make a bit of history against a team that continues to stretch the expectations of roller derby fans around the world.

Queen City Roller Girls (#8) move to the consolation bracket to play in Game 11 on Saturday at 6:00 p.m., and Gotham Girls Roller Derby (#1) continues on to play the winner of Game 6.

FINAL SCORE

Gotham Girls Roller Derby (#1) 590
Queen City Roller Girls (#8) 29