Omaha, NE

By Shelly Shankya

Gotham Girls Roller Derby (#1) worked through their eighth game of the 2015 season and paved their way to Championships by defeating Montreal Roller Derby (#4) in Game 9 of the 2015 International WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs in Omaha, Nebraska.

Photo by Danforth Johnson

Team veterans Mel E. Juana for Montreal and Bonnie Thunders for Gotham, took to the jammer start line for the first jam of the game, and Mel E. Juana snuck out the pack with lead jammer before Thunders could get through. In fact, Montreal denied lead jammer status to Thunders for four jams. The quick lead, as well as keeping Gotham to limited lead jammer statuses lasted only for a time, as Gotham settled into their consistent game play. Montreal refused to give up the fight, however, as blockers Konichiwow, Jess Bandit, Ohi, and Surgical Strike used blocker bracing to hold Gotham jammers at bay. The Gotham jammers scored double-digits in only five of the period's 19 jams.

The pace of the pack was speedy to say the least; in many of the jams, the Gotham blockers sped up to run the pack at speed-lap pacel to clear the penalty box or to keep the Montreal jammer from scoring. If Montreal felt the pain of those speed laps, it didn't show, as Miracle Whips took lead jammer status after her team scored only 2 points to Gotham's 69; Miracle Whips celebrated the status on the track, but the celebration was premature. She got a misconduct penalty for contact after an apex jump that sent Gotham on a 25-point power jam.

Photo by Bill Zingraf

In the last jam of the period, Montreal blocker Mange Moi El Cul landed a well-placed hit on jammer Shortstop. As Mange reversed on the track to draw Shortstop back, Gotham blocker Sexy Slaydie exited the penalty box for a jam-stopping hit on Mange. The time had elapsed on the period clock, but the captains and officials stayed on to consider the level of contact Slaydie dished, and Montreal called for an official review. Official's deemed Slaydie's contact with Mange as legal, and the teams went to their locker rooms; Gotham held the lead at 120-5.

As the second period began, Montreal dropped 39 points to 1 in the first two jams. A back block by Gotham jammer Bonnie Thunders set Montreal jammer Falcon Punch on a power jam, giving her the chance to nearly double her team's score; she picked up 10 unanswered points. Gotham's blockers continued to impress with powerful hits, meaningful track communication, and game awareness. In jam four of the period, Montreal jammer Mel E. Juana executed a star pass to pivot Dyna Hurtcha. The Gotham pack adjusted, and blocker Violet Knockout raced to the front to force Dyna to the outside of the track which resulted in Dyna recycling to the back of the pack; Gotham picked up 15 points because of that awareness.

Photo by Ryan Quick

An interesting exchange occurred in the fourteenth jam of the second period, as Montreal jammer Miracle Whips hit Gotham jammer Shortstop out and tried to pull her around to the front of the pack. Shortstop refused to follow, and Whips had a taunting exchange with Gotham blocker Violet Knockout, backed up by her teammates. Whips ended up sending herself back around the pack, and the jam continued. The elapsed time, however, was the pause that Shortstop needed to nab lead jammer and 15 points. In the second period, Gotham landed lead jammer status in all but three jams; they received lead jammer status 29 out of the game's 38. With the win, Gotham continued its march to another undefeated season and an undefeated streak that began in 2011.

Gotham advances to play for first place against the winner of Game 12 between Angel City Derby Girls (#2) and Minnesota RollerGirls (#3) in the Championship game on Sunday. Montreal Roller Derby plays for third and a chance at Champs against the loser of Game 12.

FINAL SCORE

Gotham Girls Roller Derby (#1) 259
Montreal Roller Derby (#3) 21