Omaha, NE

By Shelly Shankya

The early morning game of Day 2 at the 2015 International WFTDA Playoffs in Omaha, Nebraska, featured the Boston Derby Dames (#6) against the Toronto Roller Derby from Toronto, Ontario, Canada (#8). Depth of bench and jammer awareness played into Boston's favor as the team rolled away with a win.

Photo by Ryan Quick

Opening the game with a strong lead jammer showing, Toronto’s CN-Power was the first to draw blood against the Boston Derby Dames, as jammer Hard Times of Boston went to the penalty box on a low block and two blockers followed suit. The strides were definitely in Canada's favor, but the tides turned as Boston skaters put on a forceful pinch, forcing two star passes from Toronto in jams four and five. Boston Massacre jammer Flyin' King scored the first of four double-digit jams in the first period. And after Boston found their stride, the CN-Power was left struggling to maintain their footing.

"We're sometimes slow to start, and it usually takes us a couple jams to adapt to the other team's strategy," Boston Captain Womanimal said. "But we are good at adaptation, and we have a versatile strategy which allows for us to adapt to our opponent's game."

Boston jammer Maya Mangleyou used her jammer awareness to call things off before the opposing jammer could score, even when teetering on toe stops. And the communication from her teammates, the likes of Planitz and Shark Week, made her awareness all the more keen. With just over 14 minutes remaining in the first period, Boston took the lead, one that they refused to relinquish. Of note, Toronto's jammer Mad Megz used speed and agility to complete a spinning apex jump before scoring four and calling off the jam at the half's close. By that time, however, Boston had established a firm lead going into the half, 96-59.

Photo by Steve Jurkovic

Despite blocker penalty trouble on both teams, the pack play was full of defensive maneuvers, making things all the more difficult for the jammers. Misery Mae, pivot and jammer for Toronto Roller Derby spent a full minute in the box after committing a back block and failing to leave the track quickly enough, and that mistake allowed Boston jammer Space Invader a chance to score 19 points in the second jam of the period. That jam set the tone for the second period, as Toronto jammers fell to jammer penalties throughout the half, some forced by the blocking acumen of Boston -- Ginger Kid forced a track cut on jammer Beaver Mansbridge, and strong braces from Shark Week, Shayna Nestor, and Womanimal elicited a high block from Mad Megz.

There was a light in CN-Power's tunnel, but it came too late, as jammers Bala-Reina and Mad Megz had 15 and 16-point jams to inch scoreboard differential ever closer to Boston. Blocker penalties, however, failed to support the push from the Toronto jammers; for several jams in a row, the Toronto pack was limited to two on the track and two in the box. Despite the late push from Toronto, Boston had already made a substantial dent in the differential, even while fielding a deeper jammer bench - spotlighting blockers-turned-jammers Womanimal and Ginger Kid.

"We wanted to make sure that our primary jammer rotation was sufficiently rested for this afternoon's game," Womanimal said. 'We played Helsinki at the Big O this year, and it was a very close game, so we wanted to play other skaters when possible."

The Boston Derby Dames defeated the Toronto skaters 212-127 to move on to play Helsinki Roller Derby (#7) at 4 pm CDT on Saturday. Toronto moves to play for ninth place on Sunday morning at 10 a.m.

FINAL SCORE

Boston Derby Dames (#6) 212
Toronto Roller Derby (#8) 127