2017 D1 Playoffs Seattle Game 16: Angel City vs. Rose City

Angel City Derby Girls (#2) vs. Rose City Rollers (#1)

The top-seeded Rose City Rollers of Portland, Oregon, U.S. (#1, WFTDA #2) overwhelmed the the Angel City Derby Girls of Los Angeles, California, U.S. (#2, WFTDA #4), 227-120, to win first place in the 2017 International WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs Seattle. Both teams will go on to play in November’s 2017 International WFTDA Championships Philadelphia.

These two teams met in June at Rose City’s Hometown Throwdown tournament in Portland, when the Wheels of Justice also came out victorious, 186-134.

The two halves of this game were very different. Rose City owned the first half, earning lead jammer status 77 percent of the time. Angel City was held scoreless in 14 jams and kept to 36 points in the first half while the Rose City jammers cut through the Hollywood Scarlets’ defense again and again earning 133 points by halftime.

Angel City was missing some key skaters including Octane Jane and the retired Ghetto Fabu-lez, and their defense seemed unable to hold the Rose City jammers for long.

Loren Mutch zipped up the inside line on the first jam before the Angel City blockers were able to blink. Rose City’s defense held tight to the normally slippery Satan’s Little Helper. It was a trend that continued throughout the first period. She was held to six points in the first half.

On the Angel City side, Darby Dagger and pivot -turned jammer- Tui Lyon had 12 points each in the first half. When Angel City earned lead jammer status they were only able to score a few points before they had to call it off, or worse, a penalty sent them to the box and Rose City’s jammer was left on a power jam.

In jam nine, Darby Dagger headed to the box on a back block penalty. Rose City’s Brute cut through the pack on her scoring pass and when Darby was released she got snagged for another back block penalty.

Angel City called a timeout to regroup after the back-to-back jammer penalties.

It helped a bit. Two jams later it took a solid minute of fighting through the tight and cycling walls for either jammer to breach and earn lead. Angel City’s Pearl Jam shut the jam down after earning two points and denied Loren Mutch points for the first time in the game.

In jam 14 Satan’s Little Helper pushed through Rose City’s tripod and grabbed lead jam but when she came around for her second scoring pass she was knocked down by Tarantula and called it off and shut Rose City out of the jam.

But with 10:40 left in the first half, Rose City had a solid lead of 72-23.

Satan’s Little Helper headed to the box for a track cut penalty and left Rose City’s Bonnie Thunders on the track. Even after Satan’s Little Helper returned to the track she was caught by Rose’s swirling defense and Thunders earned 17 points before the jam ended.

At the half it was 133-36 with Rose City in the lead.

The second period was a different story. Angel City did a solid reset in their locker room and it showed immediately on the track. In the second jam of the period neither jammer got through the defense.

Angel City won lead jammer status 52 percent of the time during the second period and was able to score 84 points. They held Rose City to 94 points in the second period.

Angel City’s defense came together for a more solid and consistent and they sent more offense for their jammers. Often, Rose City’s blockers would just cycle around Angel City’s offense and reform, but sometimes the offensive tactics did work. The second period felt more even and it was — Rose City only had a 10-point advantage.

Angel City pulled Laci Knight up to jam in the second period and it made a difference. She was Angel City’s top scorer with 35 total points and a 75 percent lead jammer status.

A bit more than halfway through the period, Laci Knight won lead jammer status and Loren Mutch hit the penalty box. But Mutch sped out of the box, through on her initial pass and a quick scoring pass. When Knight finally called it Mutch had grabbed eight points to Knight’s 11, but Angel City had pulled that much closer.

In the second-to-last jam of the night Darby Dagger got through and earned lead jammer status while Angel City’s defense held onto Bonnie Thunders. But Darby Dagger was called for a penalty and headed to the box, leaving Bonnie Thunders on a power jam. Thunders did what she often does and pushed, pirouetted and jumped through the Angel City blockers that were left on the track. By the end of that jam, it was 18-4 in favor of Rose City.

Rose City was able to contain Angel City’s intense second period surge. Both teams will now head to Philadelphia in November for WFTDA Champs.

FINAL SCORE

Rose City Rollers (Seed #1, WFTDA #2) 227
Angel City Derby Girls (Seed #2, WFTDA #4) 120

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