BOMBER BABES WIN THE 2007 DERBY TITLE
by JEN PHILLION ('LADY SHATTERLY')
(EDITOR'S NOTE: "Lady Shatterly" does not dwell upon her own efforts, but Philion's performance in the final bout showed why she is one of the League's most popular skaters. She was like a wisp of wind in each jam, breezing through the pack before opponent blockers even knew she was there. She skated more than any other jammer, and her efforts were noisily appreciated by the screaming crowd, though she is too modest to say so in her report)
In a hard-fought Salt City Derby Girls season finale, the Bomber Babes’ aggressive blocking carried them to the 2007 league championship, 107-102 over the Death Dealers.
The bout featured a showdown between the top two jammers in the league, "N.O.S." of the Bombers and the Dealers’ "Lady Shatterly." N.O.S. finished the game with 62 points to Lady Shatterly’s 57, the two highest single-game scoring totals in the league’s two-year history.
The two teams started out neck-and-neck, trading the lead through the first period until N.O.S. outscored "The Last Rocker" 10-1 in the 10th jam, giving the Bombers a 34-26 lead heading into the first break.
In the second period, the momentum swung crazily between the teams. "Squid," jamming for the Bombers, was sent to the box with a major penalty. Lady Shatterly took advantage of her position as the only jammer on the track, skating the full two-minute jam to score eight points and cut the Bombers’ lead to 43-39.
"Major Etta" (a.k.a. "Dirty Pirate Hooker") answered right back, outscoring "Schizo Bitcho" (a.k.a. "Kinky Killbasa") 8-4 to extend the Bombers’ lead to eight points. Lady Shatterly came back on the track to face N.O.S., and caught another break as N.O.S. picked up a fourth minor penalty for elbowing and was sent to the box. Jamming alone once again, Lady Shatterly got great support from her blockers en route to another eight-point jam to tie the game.
By that time, though, the Bombers’ hard-hitting game plan was paying off, frustrating the Dealers into penalty after penalty. Bomber "Dominican Detroyah," in particular, had The Last Rocker in her crosshairs for much of the game, leveling the jammer time after time. Bombers pivot "Red Suzy" created a one-woman wall at the front of the pack, forcing the Dealers' jammers to take penalties just to get around her.
Heading into the final period with a 70-64 lead, the Bombers knew they had to keep calm and continue to play their aggressive game. They edged further ahead, extending their lead to 14 points. "Vaga Steel" (a.k.a. "China White") gave the Dealers late hope, shutting out "Medusa Damage" 5-0 to pull the Dealers within nine points with four minutes to play.
Once again, N.O.S. and Lady Shatterly stepped to the line, each with 55 points in the game so far. N.O.S. broke through the pack first to earn lead jammer status, with Lady Shatterly close behind. As the jammers reached the pack again, N.O.S. busted through quickly, while her blocker Dominican Destroyah delivered one of the biggest and most important hits of the night, knocking Lady Shatterly into a hard fall off the track.
While Lady Shatterly got back up and into the action, she could not break through the lead wall of Bombers blockers, and N.O.S. came around again, scoring seven points to Lady Shatterly’s two before calling off the jam.
The Dealers made one final rush, in the last jam of the night, as Vaga Steel shut out Squid 8-0. But the Bomber Babes knew that their victory was secure, and their many loyal fans erupted into cheers as time ran down. Captain "Honey DeLunatic" screamed for joy, while on the Dealers bench, players fought back tears as they applauded their opponents.
Leading Scorers
Bomber Babes:
N.O.S, 62 points
Squid, 18 points
Major Etta, 16 points
Death Dealers:
Lady Shatterly, 57 points
Vaga Steel, 20 points
Lady Octane, 13 points
Penalty Leaders
Bomber Babes:
Hot Pants, 14 minors
N.O.S., 9 minors, 1 major
Death Dealers:
The Last Rocker, 12 minors, 2 majors
Lady Shatterly, 14 minors
Lady Octane, 11 minors, 1 major
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The Salt City Derby Girls would like to thank all of our 2007 sponsors for helping us put together a successful second season. And most of all, we want to thank the fans who came out this season to support us. As Derby Girls, we have put our hearts, our time and tons of effort into getting this league off the ground, and it can’t be put into words how incredible it feels to play in front of such an enthusiastic audience. Come back next season—it’s only going to get better!
Jennifer Philion
(Lady Shatterly, SCDG)