GANG GREEN FALLS TO WINDY CITY’S SECOND WIND AND ANN ARBOR AT BREWHAHA
Coming off of a 304-90 victory over the Blue Ridge French Broads on May 11th, Gang Green’s next challenges came at the 4th annual Midwest BrewHaHa tournament in Milwaukee, WI. They had their work cut out for them as they were slated to take on one of the best reserve squads in the country and an up-and-coming WFTDA apprentice all-star team. By the tournament’s conclusion, Gang Green fell to the Windy City Second Wind 115-269 and lost on the final jam to the Ann Arbor Derby Dimes 207-222 in one of the most exciting bouts of the weekend.
GANG GREEN TOPPLED BY SECOND WIND 115-269
With nothing to lose, Ohio’s Gang Green came out quickly against the Windy City Rollers’ Second Wind and took advantage of costly jammer penalties from their opponent. Shocking everyone in the arena, including the Second Wind, Gang Green had amassed a 30 point lead sixteen minutes into the contest. Ohio’s Bigg Rigg started the scoring for Gang Green as she posted a 12-0 jam due to a track cut penalty that was assessed to Windy City’s Zombea Arthur. Arthur got the Second Wind on the board during the second jam as she scored four points after being released from the box. Jammers were content to hit and quit over the next five jams, and Gang Green led 23-20 with 22:00 remaining in the first period.
Three consecutive track cuts to Second Wind jammers Sunshine N Painbows, Mo Vengeance, and Zombea Arthur allowed Gang Green to post double-digit jams on three of the following four plays. HellionBOI, a recent addition to Gang Green, started the run by scoring a 16-4 jam. She was followed by Elektra Magneto, who also posted a 16-4 jam. After scoring 20, Zombea Arthur was sent to the box for the aforementioned trifecta of penalties and gave Bigg Rigg time to score 17 for Gang Green.
With 14:00 remaining, Gang Green led 78-48. The tables then turned in Windy City’s favor as their jammers remained penalty free for the remainder of the period. Including jams of 15 and 12 by Zoe Trocious and Mo Vengeance respectively, the Second Wind outscored Ohio 45-6 to close the half. What had started out good for Gang Green had quickly become an 84-93 halftime deficit. Gang Green held tough during the first thirty minutes of play considering they only obtained lead jammer four times to Windy’s fourteen.
The second half played out much like the end of the first for the Second Wind. Of the second period’s first ten jams, Windy City jammers were able to post double-digit jams seven times. Sunshine N Painbows secured jams of 10, 11, and 19. Zombea Arthur added jams of 19 and 20, while Zoe Trocious posted scores of 15 and 30. In the first sixteen minutes of the period, Windy City was able to outscore Gang Green 124-20. Good pack play by Gang Green’s Angla Vyle, Pearl Rogi, Blitz Lemon, and KloverKill were able to hold Windy City to only 52 points for the remainder of the contest, but the damage had already been done. Gang Green would fall in their opening bout at BrewHaha to the Windy City Second Wind 115-269.
Jamming for Gang Green were: Bigg Rigg (4-9, 35 points), HellionBOI (1-10, 35 points), Elektra Magneto (1-6, 21 points), Shred Head (2-9, 19 points), KloverKill (1-2, 5 points), Pearl Rogi (0-1, 0 points), and Paige Bleed (0-7, 0 points). Gang Green only obtained lead jammer nine times, but were on six power jams.
Jamming for the Second Wind were: Zoe Trocious (6-8, 79 points), Zombea Arthur (7-11, 77 points), Sunshine N Painbows (6-9, 61 points), Mo Vengeance (4-9, 22 points), Ada Hatelace (1-1, 20 points), Abita Down (2-2, 6 points), and Bloody Elle (1-1, 4 points). The Second Wind obtained lead jammer twenty-seven times and were on three power jams.
GANG GREEN DROPS HEARTBREAKER TO ANN ARBOR DERBY DIMES 207-222
In a prequel to the Gang Green versus Ann Arbor bout in Columbus on August 17th, the one that took place at the Midwest BrewHaHa tournament was one of the most exciting bouts of the weekend. The bout featured six lead changes, sixteen power jams, a 62 point lead squandered late, a unique rule application, and a final two minutes that you almost had to see to believe.
Ann Arbor Derby Dimes started the bout quickly as Helen Killer posted a 4-0 to score first. Jammers for both squads were content to nickel-and-dime points over the next eight jams, but the Derby Dimes continued to lead 28-26 with 19:45 remaining in the first half. A multiplayer block by Gang Green jammer Burnadeath allowed Ann Arbor’s Battlecat to secure a 20-0 jam, which increased the Dimes’ lead to 48-26. Helen Killer returned the favor after she committed a back block that allowed Burnadeath to escape the box and score 19 unanswered points.
The eleventh jam saw one of the most amazing derby moves of the weekend as Gang Green’s Shred Head took a wide approach into turn one, jumped the apex around the entire pack, and landed inbounds in the middle of turn two. The athletic move provided the bout’s first lead change and gave Ohio a one point advantage (49-48) with 15:30 remaining. Gang Green’s lead would not last as on the very next jam Lezzie Arnez would recapture the lead for Ann Arbor 50-49.
The lead would then change again on the third consecutive jam as a track cut to Lezzie Arnez at the end of the previous jam allowed Paige Bleed to score a 14-0 jam. Bleed’s unopposed track time gave Gang Green the lead 63-50. Ohio held the lead for the next two jams until stout pack play by Ann Arbor’s Courtnasty, Jacky O’Bashes, and Boon Jock Saint held Elektra Magneto on her initial pass. Michelle O’BombYa was able to post 20-0 and provide the Derby Dimes the lead once again, 73-70. Shred Head would again work her jammer magic as she scored ten with an assist from Texas Chainsaw Sasskicker. Shred’s ten pointer gave Ohio the lead for the bout’s fifth lead change with 8:00 remaining in the period. A 25 pointer by HellionBOI was the only other double-digit jam of the half, and Gang Green entered halftime with a 117-80 lead.
As the first half went back and forth, the second period was dominated by Ann Arbor, but with timely jammer penalties that kept Gang Green in the lead. Ann Arbor jammers were able to obtain lead each of the first nine jams of the half. With 20:30 remaining, Gang Green continued to lead 138-118. A high block assessed to Derby Dimes Helen Killer provided a power jam for Paige Bleed. Bleed scored 20 unanswered and increased Ohio’s lead to 158-118. Starting unopposed, Shred Head added an additional 22 points as Helen Killer was released from the box, but quickly returned after cutting the track on an attempted apex jump.
The track cut was Killer’s seventh trip to the box, which meant she had fouled out. Shred Head also committed a track cut and was also sent to the box. The aforementioned unique rule application then came into play. The referees stopped the jam because since Helen Killer fouled out, no jammer was able to return to the track after Shred Head was sent to the box. The jam was ended, and Ohio held their biggest lead of the bout (180-118) with 16:45 remaining. Starting unopposed, Battlecat scored ten for Ann Arbor. Four jams later, Battlecat outscored HellionBOI 18-8 after both skaters were sent to the box. With 10:30 remaining, Ohio continued to lead 192-149. Gang Green still led by 56 points with 8:00 remaining in the contest.
It appeared the bout was in the bag for Gang Green, and then the proverbial wheels fell off for Ohio. A track cut to Bigg Rigg allowed Lezzie Arnez to score 25-0, which took the score to 205-174 (Ohio) with 5:45 left. Five points on the following jam to Ann Arbor cut the lead to 205-179 with 4:45 remaining. A track cut to HellionBOI gave Lezzie Arnez the chance to skate on a power jam. She took full advantage and scored 19, and cut the deficit to 205-198 with 3:00 left.
On the second to last jam, Gang Green’s Shred Head knocked Battlecat out of bounds at the jammer line, but Battlecat reentered the track in front of Shred and was sent to the box for a cut. Just needing to run out the clock to secure the win, Shred Head appeared to jump into the back of Ann Arbor’s Courtnasty. The odd move was deemed to be a misconduct penalty, and Shred Head was sent to the box, which released Battlecat. Having only to serve as much time as Battlecat, Shred Head was quickly released but picked up a second penalty and was returned to the penalty box for a low block.
At the end of the two minute jam, Shred Head was seated in the box and the score was tied 207-207. The final jam started with approximately thirty seconds left in the bout. Ann Arbor’s Lezzie Arnez was able to get around Ohio’s pack and obtain lead. She scored fifteen points before the jam clock expired. Ann Arbor had outscored Gang Green 73-15 over the final seven jams to steal the victory 222-207. As previously mentioned, Ann Arbor will travel to Columbus for a rematch with Gang Green on August 17th as the Ohio Roller Girls welcome the Carolina Rollergirls from Raleigh, NC.
Jamming for Gang Green were: HellionBOI (5-10, 53 points), Shred Head (5-10, 46 points), Paige Bleed (4-6, 42 points), Burnadeath (4-8, 37 points), Bigg Rigg (1-10, 15 points), Elektra Magneto (0-2, 9 points), TactiGal (0-1, 5 points), and Pearl Rogi (0-1, 0 points). Gang Green obtained lead jammer nineteen times and benefited from nine power jams.
Jamming for Ann Arbor were: Lezzie Arnez (9-16, 95 points), Battlecat (12-17, 89 points), Michelle O’BombYa (1-2, 20 points), Helen Killer (4-10, 18 points), Bex (0-1, 0 points), and Heavy Petting Zoo (0-1, 0 points). The Derby Dimes obtained lead twenty-six times and were on seven power jams.
