NEW YORK, May 22 – For 30 minutes, Saturday’s Gotham Girls Roller Derby bout between the Manhattan Mayhem and the Queens of Pain was a near carbon copy of the first half of their last meeting nearly a year ago. But while in 2009 Manhattan parlayed a dominant second half into a lopsided victory, this one wasn’t truly decided until the final jam, as Manhattan pulled away for an electrifying 94-84 victory before a sold-out crowd at Hunter College.
The win, Manhattan’s first of the 2010 season, is also their second in a row over the three-time GGRD champions, who are winless in four league bouts since winning their last title in 2008.
Suzy Hotrod, the 2009 league MVP, led all scorers with 48 points; Manhattan’s Em Dash led the Mayhem with 37 points. Earning game MVP honors were Manhattan’s debuting transfer Swede Hurt and Queens’ Donna Matrix.
Eager to get back in the win column while evening the score with last year’s conquerors, Queens came out fast at the opening whistle, jumping to a commanding 28-7 lead, with half of those points put on the board by Suzy Hotrod. But behind a patient attack and rock-solid defense, along with some costly Queens penalties, Manhattan clawed its way back into the bout, and a 24-0 run in the final three jams deadlocked matters by halftime.
With the outcome of the bout to be decided by the final 30 minutes, Manhattan dug into its bag of tricks in the second period, with reliable standbys Em Dash, Sweet Sherry Pie and Fisti Cuffs teaming up with talented rookie Anne Frankenstein to score the first 15 points of the half. Unlike last year’s bout though, this one was far from over, and with Hyper Lynx, Ana Bollocks, and Donna Matrix keeping things close, it set the stage for Suzy Hotrod to give Queens the lead 74-72 in the 30th jam, which came with less than 10 minutes to go.
The lead was short-lived, as a 9-0 jam from Anne Frankenstein put Manhattan back in front, and while the Mayhem wouldn’t relinquish their advantage thanks to stellar blocking and big hits from Fisticuffs, Swede Hurt, and GalXC, Queens stayed within striking range, putting the bout on the line in the final jam.
It was the perfect way to end the crowd-pleasing matchup, but as Suzy Hotrod broke loose from the pack as the lead jammer with her team trailing 89-84, she was whistled for a major forearm penalty (one of 87 Queens penalties, to 57 for Manhattan) and sent to the box. Manhattan’s Em Dash took advantage and finished the bout with a five point jam that secured the 10-point win.
Manhattan, a finalist for last year’s GGRD title, joins defending champions the Bronx Gridlock atop the GGRD standings with identical 1-0 records. The two will meet in the league’s next home bout at Hunter College on June 12th.
This full Manhattan-Queens bout, along with skater profiles, replays, and commentary, will air on NYC live (Channel 25) on Wednesday night, June 2, at 11:30pm.
- Thomas Gerbasi
Period 1 Period 2 Total
Queens 46 38 84
Manhattan 46 48 94
Queens MVP: Donna Matrix
Manhattan MVP: Swede Hurt
Leading Queens Scorers:
Suzy Hotrod: 48 points (15 jams)
Hyper Lynx: 18 points (10 jams)
Puss 'n' Glutes: 12 points (6 jams)
Leading Queens Blockers:
Donna Matrix: 22 jams (-4 +/-)
Ana Bollocks: 18 jams (-12 +/-)
Haulin' Cass: 16 jams (-6 +/-)
Leading Manhattan Scorers:
Em Dash: 37 points (17 jams)
Anne Frankenstein: 22 points (7 jams)
Fisti Cuffs: 19 points (5 jams + 1 star pass)
Leading Manhattan Blockers:
Sweet Sherry Pie: 24 jams (-15 +/-)
Miss American Thighs: 20 jams (+25 +/-)
Swede Hurt: 17 jams (+4 +/-)
Manhattan penalties:
Minors: 49. Majors: 8. Box Trips: 15
Queens penalties:
Minors: 65. Majors: 22. Box Trips: 35
(Source: Gotham Girls Roller Derby Website)
