While knights may have had most of the fun in medieval times, it was the ladies of the rink who engaged in fierce competition at the Mad Rollin’ Dolls “All Hail the Queens” bout March 19.
Quad Squad – 177; Reservoir Dolls – 108
Adding another page to their storied rivalry, the Quad Squad stole all the swagger from the Reservoir Dolls with their first win in nearly two years - and what a win it was. In a nearly flawless performance, the ladies in green dominated play and led by as much as 87 points.
Experiencing a big roster turnover in 2010, the Quad Squad was winless last year. With six more rookies on board in 2011, the Quads only had five skaters on Saturday who had ever tasted victory during a home bout.
The Reservoir Dolls, on the other hand, are loaded with veteran players. With solid wins against the Vaudeville Vixens and Unholy Rollers already under their belts this season, the Res Dolls were heavy favorites going into the match-up.
The first- and second-year skaters on the Quad Squad controlled the formation and pace of the pack from the very start, time and again springing seven-year veterans Jenny Knoxville and Thunder Kitten for lead jammer status and quick four-point scores. The Quad Squad built a 17-1 lead after five minutes, and thanks to three straight Res Dolls jammer penalties, led 44-14 thirteen minutes in.
The Quad Squad closed the first half on a 64-19 run, thanks partly to two more power jams, but thanks also to their own growing confidence and a sense of disarray on the part of the Reservoir Dolls. The Res Dolls drove the pace only once during this stretch, resulting in an 8-0 score from Rosetta Stoned. At halftime, the score was a shocker: 108-33 in the Quad Squad’s favor.
The Reservoir Dolls regrouped a bit at the half, and managed to outscore the Quad Squad 75-69 in the second period. With 20 minutes remaining, Mouse added a minute to a major track cut with an insubordination penalty, but sprang out of the box on the following jam for the Res Dolls’ biggest single score of the night, 19-0, thanks partly due to Thunder Kitten’s one mistake of the night, a major low block. Jenny Knoxville answered on the following jam (another Quad Squad power jam) with an 18-7 score and, clearly enjoying the moment, gave herself a short round of applause on the way back to the bench.
The Quad Squad’s confidence ran deep. Rookies Roxie Moxie and Rhoda Hell both had effective turns as jammers. Jenny Knoxville took more turns at blocking than she did at jamming, but provided a solid 38 points for her team. For Thunder Kitten, it was a banner night. Averaging 60 points a bout in 2008, TK has always been a big scorer, but her 72 points this night set a new single-game individual scoring record for the league.
It was an ugly night for the Reservoir Dolls jammers. They lost of four of 14 leads on penalties and ceded a whopping 11-2 margin on jammer penalty minutes. Playing only in the second half as she did during the 2011 season opener in December, Mouse led her team with 35 points, with Charlie Hustle right behind her with 34.
In the pack, finesse won out over force. The Res Dolls blockers were much more active - for example, the Res Dolls had 12 jammer knockdowns compared to two for the Quad Squad - but not nearly as effective in springing their jammers.
In their methodical consistency, it was shades of the Quad Squad pack of old. With Kit Shickers and Thrill Show trading pivot duties most of the night, the pack at times was a solid green center, at other times a green wall up front. While the Quad Squad pack broke apart the Reservoir Dolls blockers, Quads captain Lil Miss Behavin’ roamed the track against the Res Dolls jammers, garnering seven jammer force-outs and a jammer takedown.
Old Capitol City Roller Girls – 145; Unholy Rollers – 143
Old Capitol City Roller Girls, the WFTDA apprentice league from Iowa City, Iowa, traveled to Madison and showed they are prepared to skate with the best as they faced the Mad Rollin’ Dolls 2010 season champions, the Unholy Rollers.
Old Capitol dominated in the first six jams. They scored 27 points, but not without the Unholies putting up resistance. Hello, Sailor, Abby Negative and Goldie Mean created a wall of red during jam four, holding Ophelia Fracture to three points. The next jam, Old Capitol’s Gladi8Her picked up two grand slams and an extra four points.
After scoring three points in the next two jams, the Unholies’ Evie Metal added 13 points to the board in the ninth jam. The Old Capitol led by only two points after a triple grand slam from Twisted Halo, who scrambled through a wall of black consisting of Jane Bang, Fannysaurus Rex and Bat R Up. Two jams later, Dee Toure put a hit on Old Capitol’s jammer Gladi8Her, giving Abby Negative a chance to score and ending with a one point advantage for the Unholies. Three jams later, the score was again tied thanks to a defensive wall, created by Unholies Elle Machete, Red Rhyme and Tammy Faye Undertaker, and two grand slams by Dee Toure, who was taken out by Old Capitol’s Triple D Zaster.
At the end of the half, Old Capitol led by a single point. The visiting team was unable to score during the first three jams of the second half due to great defensive play by Madison’s blockers. The Unholies grabbed lead jammer for the next four jams, earning 24 points, 18 of which came from a triple grand slam by Goldie Mean. Her teammates Magic Missile and Dee Toure held opposing jammer Ophelia Fracture from making a pass through the pack. This gave the home team a 24-point lead.
The Unholies kept the lead until the 16th jam, when Old Capitol’s Gladi8Her took advantage of Twisted Halo’s time in the penalty box, giving the visitors a three-point lead. With less than four minutes left, Gladi8Her scored three grand slams with her pack preventing lead jammer Evie Metal from scoring. The visiting team led by 18 points in the last jam when jammer Left 4 Deadwards went to the penalty box. Twisted Halo flew through the pack, earning four grand slams. But Left 4 Deadwards flew out of the box at the end of her penalty and quickly scored four, enough for a two-point win.
Top scorers of the bout were Madison’s Twisted Halo with 54 and Iowa City’s Gladi8Her with 53. Defensively, Elle Machete had four jammer knockdowns wile Fannysaurus Rex, Bat R Up and ZomB Blocker each had three jammer force-outs. Twisted Halo reached 300 career points, and Evie Metal beat her personal at-home best, scoring 22 points.
The next Mad Rollin’ Dolls bout will be April 2 with the Vaudeville Vixens facing the Quad Squad and the Reservoir Dolls playing Quad City Rollers from Illinois; the Unholy Rollers will have a bye.
By Geoffrey Saucer and Iambic PentUpAnger
