April 21, 2012 wasn’t just another Hell on Wheels. It wasn’t just another rematch of the Suicidal Saucies and the Devil Dollies.
It was the sixth rematch of the teams in the sixth game of the sixth season of QCRG.
Get it? 666.
There were some other significant similarities for the teams as well. Maybe not quite in the realm of Kennedy’s secretary named Lincoln and Lincoln’s named Kennedy, but, well, you decide if there was some divine (or other) intervention.
Both teams lost vets from the 2011 season. The Saucies saw Dr. Dementer and Lollypopz leave the team. The Dollies lost Pepper Stix, Busty Pipes, Bea Aggressive and Argo.
Both teams are down a vet due to pregnancy: Izzy Hung on the Dollies and Mexicali Bruise on the Saucies (who delivered a healthy, adorable baby boy later that night).
Both teams picked up six new skaters in the 2012 draft. And both teams saw a change in their coaching staff. Fetishly Devine took over as coach of the Dollies. Señor Weiner took charge of the Saucies.
Hell on Wheels is always the last regular season bout and sets the final piece of the play off puzzle and after so many years has become a little bit of a grudge match between the two teams. In season 2 the Saucies won by one point; in season 3 by two points. Needless to say, you never know what might happen at Hell on Wheels. So, it is an understatement to say that both teams were looking forward to meeting on the track.
The teams did not disappoint their fans. In a high scoring game with tons of action, the teams battled for points and position from the first jam all the way to the final seconds of the last jam. It was obvious to all that if the teams got points for grit, determination and heart, the score would have been much closer.
The Dollies lined up their clutch jammers: DayTripHer (711), Vanilla Creamz (234) and rookie Lo-Hits Griffin (143) for the same jammer rotation that served them well against the Kats.
The Saucies played a wider jammer bench with Homicidal Barbie (187), Alli Snatcher (972), Head Huntress (54), Bella Stiletto (111), and Wrecks Kitten (73) all taking to the jammer line, though it was securely anchored by B’Kini Whacks (21). All of their jammers rotated in as blockers, as well.
The Dollies struck hard right from the first, grabbing lead jam in the first four jams and collecting a total of 29 points compared to the Saucies’ 14 points. The Dollies controlled the lead jam status for most of the first period, and also had some big scoring jams. But the Saucies worked the pack with their hard-hitting blockers including Sheer Tara, Stormie Weather, Bully Holiday and Yankher Bomb.
By the end of the first period the score was 155 – 62 in the Dollies’ favor.
The Saucies made use of the half-time to change up their strategies and reach for their inner fire. Lead jam was divided between the teams rather than dominated by the Dollies, and the second half score was a much closer 106(DD) to 85(SS). But between the large lead built up in the first half, tight packwork and strategic lines, the Dollies prevailed. The final score was Dollies 261 – Saucies 147.
Since the Devil Dollies finished second overall for the season, and the Saucies finished fourth, they will not be playing each other in the playoffs May 12th. It is possible, however, if they both win their respective bouts, that they will meet again at the championships on June 2nd.
If not, there’s always Hell on Wheels VII to look forward to.
Photos by Andy Foremiak