Vaudeville Vixens 105, Quad Squad 96

If the gods and goddesses of mythology were looking for entertainment April 23, they only needed to peer down from Mount Olympus to Madison where the Mad Rollin’ Dolls were hosting their semi-finals, “Crash of the Titans.”

It has been said good things come to those who wait and patience paid off for the Vaudeville Vixens who won their first game of the season at an opportune time – the Mad Rollin’ Dolls semi-finals. Just three weeks earlier, the team met up with the Quad Squad, who pulled the win with a 25-point lead; this time around, the Vixens avenged the loss. Within the first few jams of the bout, fans were prepared to watch a very defensive game.

In the third jam, the Quad Squad kicked up its defense with Allie Gator, Buzz Tightrear, Hops Scotch and Kit Shickers causing trouble for jammer Ace S. Wild. Two jams later Vixens pack comprised of Darling Nikki, Ace S. Wild, Meanie Cooper and Stevie Knocks took turns hitting jammer Jenny Knoxville. Through the first half, the teams traded off lead jammer status.

On three occasions the Quad Squad jammers called the jam before any points could be scored including when Thunder Kitten was knocked down by Peter Pannies. Vixen Major Kusaknocky called the jam after two grand slams when Rhoda Hell returned to the track after serving a penalty. While the Vixens relied solely on veterans at the jammer line, the Quad Squad chose to give two rookies the star during the first half. Though Rhoda Hell was unable to get a scoring pass due to major defensive blocking by Mustang, teammate Roxie Moxie was able to score six points in the first half. Roxie Moxie finished the game with a total of 29 points.

At the half, the score sat at 55-29 in the Vixens favor. Neither team was prepared to let down their strong defense as the bout resumed. During the first jam, Quad Squad blockers Allie Gator and Lil Miss Behavin’ put major hits on Mustang, allowing Thunder Kitten to score three grand slams once she was able to clear the pack. Two jams later, Major Kusaknocky matched those points and added three more even after being forced out of bounds by Daizee Haze.

With less than five minutes remaining, the Quad Squad was down by a mere seven points. It came down to the final five jams to determine which team would secure its spot in the championships. For three of those jams, Vixens’ Chop Suzzy faced Thunder Kitten, who took the lead and quickly called off the jam, giving up three points to Chop Suzzy.

In the final jam of the bout, with only a 10 point difference, Quad Squad jammer Lil Miss Behavin’ took the lead, but with Ace S. Wild shortening the distance between the skaters, Lil Miss scored only a single point before hitting her hips. The Vixens skated away with a nine-point lead for the win. This will be the third consecutive year the Vixens will play in the championship bout and only the second time in the league a fourth seed team will play in the championships.

Major Kusaknocky led the Vixens with 47 points and Thunder Kitten led the Quad Squad with 46 points. Quad Squad veterans Allie Gator and Lil Miss Behavin’ led in attacks with 25 each. Career highlights included Thunder Kitten skating her 300th jam and earning her 900th point. Darling Nikki picked up her 700th career point during the night; Jenny Knoxville also added her 900th career point.