#3 Death Track Dolls vs. #2 Chicks Ahoy!
TEAM STATS (2011 Regular Season)
|
Stat |
 Death Track Dolls |
 Chicks Ahoy! |
| Record |
1-2 |
2-1 |
| Points For / Against (+/-) |
193 / 363 (-170) |
408 / 189 (+219) |
| Lead Jammer Percentage |
41% |
55% |
| Points Per Jam |
1.5 |
3.24 |
| Total Blocks (Knockdowns) |
230 (38) |
387 (57) |
| Assists (including offensive blocks) |
64 |
137 |
| Minor / Major Penalties (Minutes) |
84 / 27 (37) |
85 / 23 (30) |
The Dolls put together their best bout of the season against MTLRD's Les Contrabanditas at the Beast of the East. (photo by Derek Lang)
THE SEASON
Given the history between these two teams (including a split of two games at the 2011 Beast of the East), the way in which the Chicks Ahoy! so easily handled the Death Track Dolls in the final bout of the season came as a great surprise to many. The question hanging over this upcoming semi-final is how will the Dolls respond? Will we see the focused and determined Dolls who outlasted 13 other teams to finish 3rdat the BOE tournament? Or will it be the unfocused, frustrated Dolls that the Chicks walked all over in the final bout of the regular season?
The Chicks beat the Dolls in the opening round of the Beast of the East on their way to a 4th place finish. (photo by Derek Lang)
It’s been that kind of season for the Dolls. Opening with a lacklustre (though not terrible) performance against the defending champion Gore-Gore Rollergirls, the Dolls rallied and put together a textbook win against the Smoke City Betties to even up their record 1-1. One clear problem was arising though, and that was consistency. There’d been moments of brilliance against the Gores (a late first-half pushback saw them dominating the packs) that couldn’t be maintained, and lapses against Betties that allowed their opponents to get back into the game. It has become clear that remaining mentally focused and putting together a consistent sixty minutes will be key if the Dolls want to have a shot (this could also explain why they did so well at the BOE where the short games meant streaky play and quick bursts were rewarded). The setbacks were a disappointment for a team that has shown only steady growth over the previous two seasons. They’ll need a season-best performance if they hope to qualify for their first ever Battle for the Boot.
The Chicks were too much for the Dolls in the season closer, a 194-35 victory. (Photo by Chrissie Wu)
The Chicks Ahoy!, on the other hand, have surpassed all expectations in 2011. With a new-look lineup (including a rookie bench boss in Flyin’ Bryan Killman) making up the team that was humbled in the 2010 Battle for the Boot, the Chicks came out flying in a dominant performance against the Betties to open the season. They would maintain that momentum in their rematch against the Gores, when the two teams put together as exciting a half of roller derby that has been seen in ToRD in at least a year. But the Chicks couldn’t hold the momentum and drifted late in the bout. But they were undeterred by the loss and after putting together their finest performance ever at the BOE (4thplace), came out and wiped the track with the Dolls to close out the regular season. That victory, in which they controlled play from start to finish, has got to provide a boost of confidence for the Chicks who are looking for
Nasher the Smasher could be a game changer for the Chicks. (Photo by Derek Lang)
their fourth spot in the championship in five years.
GAME CHANGERS
Chicks Ahoy!: Nasher the Smasher has always been one of ToRD’s most feared blockers, but there was always that one issue that hung over her: lack of discipline. In 2011, Nasher has overhauled her game, still capable of devastating strikes (she was second on the Chicks in blocks and knockdowns), she has become a much more positional force on the track, and—most importantly—has completely done away with the discipline issues that dogged her early in her career recording only 2 majors and 1 (!) minor over the course of the season (despite being on the track for 54% of her team’s jams). Another player who has stepped up in a big way in 2011 is a 2010 rookie standout, Marmighty. The sophomore star matched Nasher’s 54% jam percentage (second to only Rebel Rock-It on the team) and put up an unbelievable plus/minus of 147. Although she ran into some penalty trouble against the Dolls, she was such a dominant force in that bout that this only really stood out on the stat sheet.
Whether jamming or in the pack, Betty Bomber will be a big part of the Dolls' game. (Photo by Chrissie Wu)
Death Track Dolls: Since the retirement of Mach Wheels, Betty Bomber has emerged as the most effective triple threat in ToRD, and her value to the Dolls cannot be overstated. She almost single-handedly kept her team in the final regular season game against the Chicks. If she wasn’t so valuable in the pack, Bomber would undoubtedly be one of the top jammers in the league. Second, the blocking combination of Jubilee and Panty Hoser. The Chicks have an incredibly deep pack, and for the Dolls to have any sort of chance in this one, they are going to need their best pack players to step up and be at their best. When their heads are in the game, Hoser and Jubilee are two of the best in the league, their work one-on-one is outstanding and they were first or second in virtually every major blocking stat for the Dolls this season. The mental focus of the team seems to run through these two players, and they will need to be at their best to counteract the depth of the Chicks.
The rookie duel between the Dolls' Santilly In Yo Face and the Chicks' Kookie Doe could be key. (Photo by Chrissie Wu)
Rookie Showdown: Finally, one of the interesting stories of the bout will be the jammer battles between a few rookies, the Dolls’ Santilly In Yo Face and the Chicks’ Kookie Doe. With Dolls jammer Land Shark returning to the lineup, the first lines of offense are virtually even, which means that it could come down to which of these rookies is capable of providing more depth on offense for her team. While Kookie Doe has clocked a lot more track time this season, Santilly has a slight lead in lead % (47% to 38%) and they are statistically even in points per jam. The one difference could be that Santilly was destroyed by the Chicks’ blockers in the last bout and will have to mentally put that behind her entering the playoffs.
STATS LEADERS
BLOCKERS
|
Stat (Minimum 21 jams) |
Death Track Dolls |
Chicks Ahoy! |
| Blocks | Panty Hoser 57 | Mega Bouche 67 |
| Knockdowns | Jubilee 9 | Mega Bouche 10 |
| Assists (including offensive blocks) | Jubilee 17 | Tara Part 30 |
| Blocker +/- | Lucid Lou +2 | Marmighty +132 |
| Pivot +/- | Dolly Parts’em +11 | Mega Bouche +116 |
| Total +/- | Demolition Dawn +9 | Dyna Hurtcha +160 |
| Minor Penalties | Jubilee/Monichrome 14 | Mega /Rebel Rock-It 14 |
| Major Penalties | Jubilee 6 | Marmighty 4 |
| Penalty Minutes | Jubilee 8 | Marmighty 5 |
JAMMERS
|
Stat (Minimum 21 jams) |
Death Track Dolls |
Chicks Ahoy! |
| Points | Land Shark 80 | Candy Crossbones 141 |
| Points Per Jam | Land Shark 1.9 | Dyna Hurtcha 3.48 |
| Jammer +/- | Land Shark 24 | Dyna Hurtcha +99 |
| Lead % | Land Shark 53% | Dyna Hurtcha 74% |
| Jam % | Betty Bomber 36% | Candy Crossbones 35% |
**Tickets are available online or at numerous retailers downtown. Doors open at 6:30 PM, with opening whistle at 7:30 PM.
**The bout will be broadcast by Rogers TV. Keep an eye out for dates and times.
The Derby Nerd 