The NRDL - a Roller Rumble dynasty

[JonInMiddleGA]

This might be one of the more unusual dynasties posted here, not necessarily because of the game but because of the short backstory.

I first started playing Roller Rumble from PlaayGames about a decade ago. Until a couple of weeks ago, I also last played it back in early 2004.

Some files I stumbled across in a folder on a recovered hard drive and a little searching on the company's Delphi message board later, here we are. The first 26 games of this were played in December 2003- January 2004. Anything after that is newly rolled.

I'm copying & pasting here so that I've got a complete record all in one place. We'll see whether I can get through a season and beyond, I at least hope so because I've worked out a fairly elaborate aging/retirement/improvement/decline process that I'd really like to see put to use. It's a long haul, over 100 games to play for a regular season as you'll see, and with nearly 300 FAC flips per game plus considerable stat/record keeping that I do, this is labor intensive stuff.

[JonInMiddleGA]

National Roller Derby League
-- 9 teams/3 divisions
-- 18 players per team (8M/8F + 2 inactive) (SL set + d'load set)
-- 24 game regular season (6 each vs own division, home-and-home vs rest)
-- Playoffs - 3 division champions plus one wildcard
-- Semi-finals: Best of 3; World Series: Best of 5

Western Division:
Bay Bombers, LA T-Birds, Texas Outlaws

Central Division:
Chicago Hawks, Cincinnati Royals, St. Louis Pioneers

Eastern Division:
Brooklyn Red Devils, New York Chiefs, Philadelphia Warriors

[JonInMiddleGA]

Note for newcomers to the game:

The initial rosters are a combination of the "SL" set that can come with the game and a good set of homebrewed creations that I found online at the time. Those user-created cards were critical for my immersion as they gave me a lot more skaters from the LA T-Birds era that I remembered most, without them I don't know if I would have ever gotten into the game all that far to be honest.

The other roster sets (which I also own), about 96 cards each IIRC, include "SP" Skate Pioneers which are stars from the 50s and 60s, the "RA" Roller America Derby set which has fictional skaters from Plaay and the "RJ" Current Stars set which has stars from the short-lived Roller Jam era of the sport. There are also good instructions online for creating your own cards for fictional players, as well as good templates to plug the info into so that you've got good compatibility between official and homebrewed cards.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Much "discussion" (read as "squabbles amongst owners & their attorneys") about the validity of existing contracts, who belongs to which team, etc.

Initial rosters (before pre-season transactions)

Bombers:
W -- Graves, Allen, Richards, Tucker, Blake,Saunders,Meyer,Cochu,Duran
M --O'Connell,Oroszco,Cook,Canaveri,Butler,Roman,Donovan,Smith, Macedo

T-Birds:
W -- Sanchez,Miller,Murrell,Garvey,Vega,Heldon,Whitman,Sasaki,Fowler
M-Hall,Johnson,Washington,Reilly,Valladares,Tsunoda,Rains,Marshall,Robles

Outlaws:
W-Hardman,Rossner,Rocha,Marshall,Kadrmas,Sims,Steppe,Syverson,Hernandez
M -Lewis,Quarles,Parker,Miller,Williams,Willis,Cheedham,Maroff,Taylor

Hawks:
W-Schroyer,Bowers,DeShields,Garcia,Toledo,Calvello,Laszlo,Stafford,Bardwell
M-Jackson,Rupert,Saunders,Jackson,Drew,Woodbury,Lorenz,Del Gebbio, Shaddock

Royals:
W-Burton,Brown,Thompson,Green,Peterson,Lynch,Moreland,Vallow,Rice
M-Huff,Jackson,Andrade,Miller, Littles,McPherson,Scopas,Turbin,West

Pioneers:
W-Jones,Quilici,Erich,Niebauer,Weston,Mateer,Williams,Young,Kusanovich
M-Robinson,Early,Hein,Krebs,Cattell,Smith,Townsend,Wrice,Tobin

Warriors:
W-Ogbin,Leary,Clay,Vega,Nowinski,Arnold,Mitchell,Scott,Congleton
M-Terrigno,Morgan,Mitchell,Miller,Brown,Trotter,Kelley,Stone, Jones

Red Devils:
W-Carr, Young, Nickler, McGuire,Vella, Chavarin,Jensen, Earp,Browning
M-Stephens, Hesson,Monte, Dancel, Gammon, Tiapula,Boyd, Vasquez, Quinn

Chiefs:
W-Kazmerksi,Mitchell,Kadrya,O'Brien,Forbes,Harrison,Read,Dunn,Fregulia
M-Pound,Russell,Mallory,Hill,AtkinsonJr,Robertson,Groll,Nelson,Amante

[JonInMiddleGA]

Pre-season transactions (by team)

Bay Bombers:
--Traded Lynda Allen & Cliff Butler to New York for
Bill Groll & Cookie Kadyra

Brooklyn:
--Traded Mary Ann Carr, Mike Gammon, & Greg Quinn to Cincinnati for
Jan Vallow, Nick Scopas, & Frank Huff
--Traded Ed Hesson & Gloria Nickler to Cincinnati for
Valerie Blackard & Greg Quinn
--Signed Cathy Pulliam as FA
--Released Shirley Browning
--Traded Cal Stephens, Greg Quinn, & Joyce Young to St.Louis for
Eddie Krebs, Ronnie Nelson,& Candy Jones

Chicago:
--Traded Brenda DeShields to New York for Joan Kazmerksi
--Signed Lois Decker as FA
--Released Rosalie Bardwell

Cincinnati:
--Signed Leroy Gonzales as FA
--Released Don Andrade
--Signed Susie Wong as FA
--Released Debbie Thompson
--Traded L.Gonzales to Texas for Larry Lewis
--Traded Jan Vallow, Nick Scopas, & Frank Huff to Brooklyn for
Mary Ann Carr, Mike Gammon, & Greg Quinn
--Signed Valerie Blackard as FA
--Released Denice Rice
--Traded Valerie Blackard & Greg Quinn to Brooklyn for
Ed Hesson & Gloria Nickler

New York:
--Signed Juan Melano as FA
--Released Joe Amante
--Traded Joan Kazmerski to Chicago for Brenda DeShields
--Traded Dave Pound to Texas for Jenny Marshall
--Signed Rich Hemminger as FA
--Released Sue Fregulia
--Traded Bill Groll & Cookie Kadyra to Bay Bombers for
Lynda Allen & Cliff Butler
--Traded Cliff Butler, Ronnie Nelson & Jenny Marshall to St.Louis for
Skull, Tony Smith & Pearl Quilici

St.Louis:
--Signed Carlos Vega as FA
--Released Dan Tobin
--Signed Skull as FA
--Released Ed Townsend
--Traded Jerry Cattell, Johnny Wrice & Lana Kusanovich to Texas for
Otis Williams, Liz Hernandez, & Ken Willis
--Traded Skull, Tony Smith & Pearl Quilici to New York for
Cliff Butler, Ronnie Nelson & Jenny Marshall
--Traded Eddie Krebs, Ronnie Nelson,& Candy Jones to Brooklyn for
Cal Stephens, Greg Quinn, & Joyce Young

Texas:
--Traded Larry Lewis to Cincinnati for Leroy Gonzales
--Traded Jenny Marshall to New York for Dave Pound--Signed Debbie Cho as FA
--Released Louis Taylor
--Traded Otis Williams, Liz Hernandez, & Ken Willis to St.Louis for
Jerry Cattell, Johnny Wrice & Lana Kusanovich

[JonInMiddleGA]

All the deals, all the training, all the preparation is done.
It's time to Rumble !

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 1
Texas Outlaws @ LA T-Birds

Outlaws starting lineup:
W-Kadrmas, Rossner, Hardman, Sims, Cho
M-Parker,Cattell,Pound,Gonzalez,E.G.Miller

T-Birds starting lineup:
W-Sanches,Heldon,Miller,Vega,Murrell
M-Rains,Reilly,Hall,Valladares,Washington

T-Birds grabbed an early lead & held off a late Outlaw rally to win 40-39.

LA led 25-17 at the half, built from a 6-1 advantage in the first period.

Texas closed the gap to 25-23 after 5 but the T-Bird men responded with a 10-0 whitewash in the 6th. Again, Texas ladies pounded away to close to score to 36-31 but the Outlaw men fell short when Leroy "Bad Boy" Gonzales couldn't quite manage to lap the pack & was held to five points on a furious final jam.

Score-by-periods
Outlaws-1-5-6-5-6- 0-8-8 = 39
T-Birds-6-6-5-8-0-10-1-4 = 40

Texas scorers
Kadrmas 12, Sims 4, Hardman 4, Cho 1
Gonzales 9, Miller 9
LA scorers
Murrell 4, Sanchez 4, Vega 3, Miller 1
Washington 11, Valladares 7, Hall 5, Rains 5

Penalties/Minutes
Texas: Kadrmas 1/1,Hardman 1/1,Syverson 1/1,Miller 1/1,Sims 1/1 (for coach ejection)
LA: Whitman 1/1,Washington 1/1, Tsunoda 1/1, Marshall 1/1

Injuries -- Sanchez (by Hardman), Whitman (by Hardman)

Players of the Game:
Outlaws: Tonnette Kadrmas & LeRoy Gonzales
T-Birds: Honey Sanchez & Sam Washington

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 2
Texas Outlaws @ Bay Bombers

Outlaws starting lineup:
W-Syverson,Rossner,Hardman,Sims,Cho
M-Parker,Cattell,Quarles,Gonzalez,E.G.Miller

Bombers starting lineup:
W-Tuckers, Saunders, Baker, Cochu, Meyer
M-Cook, Donovan,O'Connell,Roman, Smith

Bombers exploded for 38 points in the first half and routed the visiting villains 61-36.

A 6-1 first period by the ladies was eclipsed by a 17-7 2nd period by the men and from there the game was never really in doubt. 38-19 at the half, growing to as much as 28 in the 7th period.

In spite of the margin, the game wasn't without excitement. By games end, 4 Outlaws and 1 Bomber were ejected, 1 Outlaw and 5 Bombers were injured at various times and


Score-by-periods
Outlaws-1- 7-3- 8-8-4- 1-4 = 36
Bombers-6-17-3-12-5-7-10-1 = 61

Texas scorers:
Sims 6, Cho 4, Kadrmas 3
Gonzales 12, Parker 5, Miller 3, Wrice 3
Bombers scorers:
Cochu 17, Graves 5, Meyer 2
Smith 17, Roman 15, Macedo 5

Penalties/Minutes:
Outlaws -- Rossner 1/2 (ejected), E.G. Miller 1/2 (ejected), Hardman 1/1, Cattell 1/1, Maroff 1/1, Wrice 1/1, Kadrmas 0/0 (ejected infield fight)Rocha 0/0 (ejected infield fight)

Bombers -- Cook 1/1, Oroszco 1/1, Macedo 1/1, Kadyra 0/0 (ejected infield fight)

Injuries:
Outlaws -- Quarles (ran into bench)
Bombers -- Saunders (by Rossner), Meyer (left with ankle injury), Richards (by Syverson), Donovan (by Cattell & by Paker), Canaveri (by Maroff)

Players of the Game:
Outlaws: Sonja Sims & Leroy Gonzales
T-Birds: Francine Cochu & Larry Smith

[JonInMiddleGA]

Up next: An early season showdown between the two odds-on favorites in the NRDL, as the T-Birds head north to tackle the Bay Bombers.

Both teams survived their openers against the Outlaws with their records unblemished but the same can't be said for their lineups, with more than a half dozen players hoping to shake off injuries.

After the Western Division openers are complete, we'll turn out attention to the Central, where Ann Calvello & "Mister Mean" Harold Jackson are looking to make an statement against their rivals and maybe to the higher profile teams in the west as well.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 3
LA T-Birds @ Bay Bombers

T-Birds starting lineup:
W-Heldon, Garvey, Miller, Murrell, Vega
M-Rains, Johnson, Reilly, Washington, Valladares

Bombers starting lineup:
W-Tucker, Kadyra, Saunders, Cochu, Baker
M-Cook,Oroszco ,O'Connell,Roman, Smith

Bombers play without Meyer & Donovan, out with lingering injuries suffered against Texas, T-Birds are without Honey Sanchez.

-- T-Birds lead 5-3 after 1, courtesy of Miller's 5 pt jam to end the pd.
-- Men skate to 6-6 draw in the 2nd, it's T-Birds 11-9 after 2 pd.
-- Bombers erupt for 10 in the 3rd as Saunders & Cochu both hit for 5 pts and give Bay a 19-13 lead after 3
-- T-Bird men answer with 10 pts of their own, led by 6 from reserve Billy Marshall and at the half, we're all even at 23.
--Bombers again gain an advantage with the women, 7 pts in the period by Cochu is enough to make it 30-26 after 5 periods
--Bay Bombers get four points from Roman to end the period & maintain the advantage, now 34-30 after 6
-- Heldon gets 5 for the T-Birds for a 35-34 lead but Cochu responds with 6 on the final jam sessin, it's 40-35 Bombers with 12 mins to go.
-- Valladares gets 4 on a power play, after Cook was ejected for verbally abusing the referee (he was still angry about a big hit by Reilly in the 2nd), making it 40-39 Bombers ... Washington gets ahead of the pack & lands 3 points for LA, it's 42-40 T-Birds midway through the 8th ... Roman rescues a miralce jam for the Bombers but only manges 1 point, it's 42-41 T-Birds with time for one more jam ... Home crowd roaring for the Bombers, Smith & Valladares break out of the pack, clock winding down ... and Valladares smartly calls off the jam as time expires, denying any chance for a Bomber comeback.

Score-by-periods
T-Birds-5-6-2-10-3-4-5-7 = 42
Bombers-3-6-10-4-7-4-6-1 = 41

LA scorers:
Heldon 8, Miller 5, Murrell 2
Washington 12, Valladares 8, Marshall 6, Rains 1
Bombers scorers:
Cochu 20, Saunders 5, Graves 1
Roman 11, Smith 3, Macedo 1

Penalties/Minutes:
T-Birds -- Rains 1/1, Robles 1/2 (infield skirmish)
Bombers -- Cochu 1/1, Canaveri 1/2(infield skirmish),
Cook 1/2 (ejected)

Injuries:
T-Birds -- None
Bombers -- Cook (by Reilly)

Players of the Game:
Outlaws: Debbie Heldon & Sam Washington
T-Birds: Francine Cochu & Tony Roman

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 4
Chicago Hawks @ St.Louis Pioneers

Hawks starting lineup:
W-Laszlo, Kazmerski, Calvello, Garcia, Stafford
M-H.Jackson, Rupert, Woodbury, Drew, Del Gebbio

Pioneers starting lineup:
W-Marshall, Young, Weston, Mateer, Hernandez
M-Williams, Hein, Butler, Robinson, Vega

-- 5 jams produce only 6 total points, as St.Louis takes a surprising 4-2 lead after 1 period
--Hawks show their style, sending 3 Pioneers off shaken up after big hits and take a 9-6 lead.
--St.Louis ladies hold their own & actually close the gap to 13-11. Laszlo goes too far, gets ejected after starting an infield fight.
--"Don't get mad, get even" must have been the St.Louis rally cry, as Robinson explodes for 7 points en route to a 13-5 period. It's 24-18 Pioneers at the half.
-- Chicago women were good, St.Louis women were better in a 9-7 period that extended the lead to 33-25
-- "Don't get even, get ahead" becomes new St.Louis motto, a 7-0 skunking of an increasingly frustrated Chicago men's squad. It's 40-25 after 6 periods.
-- Hawks women close the gap to 43-32 with a 7-3 period
-- 6 jams were not nearly enough for Chicago, as St.Louis finishes strong and claims a 50-36 upset win.

Score-by-periods
Hawks----2-7-4- 5-7-0-7-4 = 36
Pioneers-4-2-5-13-9-7-3-7 = 50

Chicago scorers:
Decker 6,Stafford 5,Garcia 4,Bowers 3,Calvello 2
Drew 10, Woodbury 4, Del Gebbio 2
St.Louis scorers:
Mateer 14, Weston 3, Yong 2, Hernandez 2
Robinson 16, Vega 7, Williams 6

Penalties/Minutes:
Hawks -- Laszlo 1/2 (ejected infield fight 3rd)
Pioneers -- Weston 1/2 (ejected 7th after fake by Calvello),
Williams 1/1, Hein 1/1

Injuries:
Hawks -- Garcia (skate malfunction fall 5th)
Pioneers -- Williams(by H.Jackson 2nd), Butler (by Woodbury 2nd), Robinson (by Drew 2nd)

Players of the Game:
Hawks: Ann Calvello & John Drew
Pioneers: Bobbie Mateer & Ronnie Robinson

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 5
St.Louis Pioneers @ Cincinnati Royals

Pioneers starting lineup:
W-Young,Marshall,Weston, Mateer, Hernandez
M-Williams, Stephens,Hein,Robinson, Vega

Royals starting lineup:
W-Green, Moreland,Lynch,Peterson,Carr
M-Hesson,Jackson,Miller,Gammon,Lewis

--St.Louis comes off their upset of Chicago very flat, trails 8-1 after 2 periods, with Mateer scoring their only point
--From flat to en fuego, the Pioneers pound the Royals in periods 3-5, with 9-5, 11-1, and 10-1 scores. It adds to a 31-15 lead through 5 periods. 5th period included spectacular 10 point jam as Hernandez got 6 as the lead jammer, Mateer added 4 more as the trailer.
-- In the 6th, Royals get 2 pts from Lewis ... then 1 from Littles + 4 from 2nd jammer Lewis ... then 2 more from Lewis ... then 5 more from Littles on the final jam session ... it's a 14-0 period & the St.Louis lead is cut to 31-29
--A disappointing 7th period for all the ladies, as Cincy manages the only 2 points scored, sending us to the final period tied at 31-31.
-- 1st jam produces no points ... 2nd jam sees Vega rally from nowhere for 3 Pioneer points while Lewis was skunked ... final jam is all Royals as Gammon scores for the first time in 7 james, it's 5 big points to complete the comeback victory

Score-by-periods
Pioneers-1-0-9-11-10- 0-0-3 = 34
Royals---5-3-5- 1- 1-14-2-5 = 36

St.Louis scorers:
Mateer 11, Hernandez 6, Young 3
Hein 6, Williams 5, Vega 3
Cincinnati scorers:
Moreland 7, Peterson 6
Lewis 11, Littles 7, Gammon 5

Penalties/Minutes:
Pioneers --Weston 1/1, Hernandez 1/1, Niebauer 1/1, Williams 1/2, Vega 1/2(ejected fight w/Lewis 8th), Early 1/2 (ejected infield fight 4th)
Royals -- Carr 1/1, Jackson 1/2, Miller 1/1, West 2/3, Lewis 1/2 (ejected fight w/Vega 8th)

Injuries:
Pioneers -- Marshall (by Green 2nd), Robinson (fall 8th)
Royals -- None

Players of the Game:
Pioneers: Bobbie Mateer & Bob Hein
Royals: Carolyn Moreland & Mike Gammon

[JonInMiddleGA]

1 more game from the Central, as Chicago looks to shake off that season-opening upset, hosting Cincinnati.

Then it's off to the East, where Philadelphia, Brooklyn & New York await.

Updated standings, leaders, and other info after we wrap up the first round of divisional play.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 6
Cincinnati Royals @ Chicago Hawks

Royals starting lineup:
W-Green, Brown, Lynch, Moreland,Peterson
M-Hesson,McPherson,Miller,Gammon,Lewis

Hawks starting lineup:
W-Laszlo,Garcia,Calvello,Decker,Stafford
M-H.Jackson,Rupert,Shaddock,Drew,Saunders

Hawks are w/out Kazmerski(unexplained)
Royals are w/out Young (injured vs St.Louis), Jackson (suspended after ejection vs St.Louis)

--Hawks start strong, leading 9-3 after two periods. Infield fight during the women's action in the 1st saw male skaters Woodbury(Chi) & West (Cin) ejected
-- Royals mount a comeback in the 3rd, on 7 points from Lynch to close the gap to 12-10 but Hawks answer in the 4th with a 3-0 whitewash
-- Halftime score: Chicago 15 - Cincinnati 10
-- Royals explode for 11 points in the 5th, take a 21-17 lead
-- Hawks men answer again, this time with 6 points from a determined Harold Jackson to re-take the lead 25-22
-- 7th period is all Hawks after a spectacular 10 point jam by Garcia.
Period ends 15-1 Chicago, it's 40-23 Hawks with 12 mins to play
-- Royals outhustle Hawks, who take advantage of the lead to focus on the physical play they so enjoy. Fights lead to Drew & Rupert being ejected, along with McPherson of Cincinnati. Even an 11-0 period isn't nearly enough to rally the visitors.

Score-by-periods
Royals-1-2-7-0-11-1- 1-11 = 34
Hawks--4-5-3-3- 2-8-15- 0 = 40


Cincinnati scorers:
Lynch 7, Carr 7, Moreland 6
Lewis 9, Gammon 4, Littles 1
Chicago scorers:
Garcia 13, Calvello 6, Decker 5
Drew 9, H.Jackson 6, Saunders 1

Penalties/Minutes:
Royals -- Green 1/1, Hesson 1/1, West 1/2 (ejected infield fight 1st),
McPherson 2/3 (ejected fight 8th)
Hawks -- Schroyer 1/1, H.Jackson 1/1, Rupert 1/2(ejected fight 8th), Drew 1/2 (ejected fight 8th), Woodbury 1/2 (ejected infield fight 1st)

Injuries:
Royals -- McPherson (by Rupert 2nd)
Hawks -- None

Players of the Game:
Royals: Terri Lynch & Mike Gammon
Hawks: Stephanie Garcia & Harold Jackson

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 7
Philadelphia Warriors at New York Chiefs

Warriors starting lineup:
W- Scott, Mitchell, Sowinksi,Arnold, Clay
M-Brown, Stone, Trotter,Terrigno, Miller

Chiefs starting lineup:
W- Dunn, O'Brien, Mitchell, Read, Forbes
M- Hemminger, Skull, Atkinson,Jr, Robertson, Mallory

--Chiefs start fast, building a 21-11 lead after 2 periods.
--Warriors answer with a 10-0 run in the 3rd period, tying the score.
--New York men score 8 in a row as part of a 9-8 period edge.
--It's 30-29 Chiefs at the half
--5th & 6th periods belong to New York, 7-5 & 5-2, the lead is 42-36 after 6 periods
--Warriors women shut-out New York for the 2nd time in the game, an 8-0 edge makes it 44-42 Philadelphia.
--Robertson get 1 for New York on the first jam, cutting the deficit
to 1 ... Brown gets 3 for Philly but Atkinson,Jr explodes for eight points on the same jam, it' 51-47 New York with time running out ... final jam and Terrigno goes for five Warrior points while Mallory was held scoreless ... Philadelphia wins 52-51 on the final jam of the game

Score-by-periods
Warriors-4- 7-10-8-5-2-8-8 = 52
Chiefs---9-12- 0-9-7-5-0-9 = 51

Philadelphia scorers:
Clay 15, Vega 10, Arnold 2
Terrigno 11, Miller 11, Brown 3
New York scorers:
Read 6, Mitchell 5, O'Brien 4, Forbes 1
Atkinson, Jr 12, Mallory 12, Robertson 11

Penalties/Minutes:
Warriors -- R.Mitchell 2/2, Ogbin 1/1, C.Mitchell 1/2, Trotter 1/1, Terrigno 1/1
Chiefs --Dunn 1/1, C.Mitchell 1/1, Read 1/1, Forbes 1/1, Hemminger 1/1,
Mallory 1/1

Injuries:
Warriors -- R.Mitchell (by Dunn in 5th); Miller (by Skull in 8th)
Chiefs -- None

Players of the Game:
Warriors: Judy Arnold & Jim Terrigno
Chiefs: Sandy Dunn & Buddy Atkinson,Jr

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 8
New York Chiefs at Brooklyn Red Devils

Chiefs starting lineup:
W- O'Brien, Mitchell,Dunn, Forbes, Read
M- Skull,Hemminger,Atkinson,Jr, Robertson, Mallory

Red Devils starting lineup:
W-Jensen,Chavarin,Vallow, McGuire, Jones
M-Scopas, Dancel,Monte, Krebs, Vasquez

-- Brooklyn leads 9-1 after two periods. Chiefs lone point comes from Read to tie the game at 1 in the first.
-- Signs of life from New York as the Chiefs match the Devils 5-5 in the 3rd, it's still 14-6 Brooklyn
-- Chiefs men suffer a scoreless 1st half, blanked 6-0 in the 4th, Brooklyn leads 20-6 at the break
-- Things go from bad to worse in the 5th as McGuire scores 11 points on 4 jams to extend the lead to 31-7.
-- Both teams sluggish, Hemminger gets ejected to provide the highlight (and maybe to get himself some relief from the massacre), it's 33-8 Brooklyn after 6 periods
-- Brooklyn subs can't match Chiefs regulars in the 7th, an 11-0 run brings the score to within 33-19
-- Mallory becomes the 2nd Chief to be ejected, a lackluster period by both teams as time mercifully expires with Brooklyn on top 38-21.

Score-by-periods
Chiefs-----1-0-5-0- 1-1-11-2 = 21
Red Devils-4-5-5-6-11-2- 0-5 = 38

New York scorers:
Read 11, Forbes 7
Mallory 2, Robertson 1
Brooklyn scorers:
McGuire 20
Krbes 8, Vasquez 5, Monte 3, Nelson 2

Penalties/Minutes:
Chiefs -- Quilici 1/1, Hemminger 1/2 (ejected fighting 6th), Mallory 1/2 (ejected fighting 8th), Russell 1/2
Red Devils -- McGuire 1/1, Blackard 1/1

Injuries:
Chiefs -- Russell (by Dancel in 4th)
Red Devils -- Dancel (by Skull in 2nd), Krebs (by Mallory 4th)

Players of the Game:
Chiefs: Cathy Read & Greg Robertson
Red Devils: Judi McGuire & Eddie Krebs

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 9
Brooklyn Red Devils @ Philadelphia Warriors

Red Devils starting lineup:
W-Jensen, Ear,Vallow, McGuire,C.Jones
M-Dancel, Scopas, Monte, Krebs, Vasquez

Warriors starting lineup:
W-Arnold, Scott,Sowinski,Clay,Vega
M-Brown, Stone, Trotter,Terrigno, Miller

Warriors C.Mitchell out (suspended 1 game for ejection vs NY)

--Red Devils come out physical, take 3-0 lead after 1 period
--Warriors rally with 6 points from Terrigno to lead 6-5 after 2nd.
--Philly women explode for a 10-3 period, Warriors up 16-8 after 3rd
--All even at 4-4 in the 4th, it's 20-12 Philly at the half
--All Brooklyn in the 5th, a 12-1 rally that makes it 24-21 Red Devils after 5 periods
--Momentum swings back to the Warriors with a 5-0 6th period, Philadelphia leads 26-24
--Brooklyn's women win their third period in four tries, this time by a 6-2 margin, visitors leads 30-28
--1st jam of the 8th is scoreless ... Nelson gets a single point for Brooklyn on the 2nd jam, extends the lead to 31-28 ... Morgan comes off the bench to score a pair for the Warriors, it's 31-30 with time dwindling ... Terrigno scoots around for five Philly points, and a 35-31 lead ... final jam goes scoreless and the Warriors remain unbeaten 35-31.


Score-by-periods
Red Devils-3-2- 3-4-12-0-6-1 = 31
Warriors---0-6-10-4- 1-5-2-7 = 35

Brooklyn scorers:
McGuire 19, Pulliam 4, C.Jones 1
Nelson 5, Krebs 2
Philadelphia scorers:
Clay 9, Arnold 3, Leary 1
Terrigno 13, Morgan 5, Miller 4

Penalties/Minutes:
Red Devils -- Earp 2/2, Monte 1/1, Boyd 1/1, Vasquez 1/2 (ejected infield fight in 6th)
Warriors -- Scott 1/1, Clay 1/1, Leary 1/1, Jones 1/2 (ejected infield fight in 6th)

Injuries:
Red Devils -- None
Warriors -- Trotter (by Monte in 2nd), R.Mitchell (by Jensen in 7th),
Stone (by Scopas in 8th)

Players of the Game:
Red Devils: Judi McGuire & Nick Scopas
Warriors: Lydia Clay & Jim Terrigno

[JonInMiddleGA]

NRDL Standings (after 2 of 24 games)

Western W L GB Pts
LA T-Birds 2 0 -- 82
Bay Bombers 1 1 1 102
Texas Outlaws 0 2 2 75

Central W L GB Pts
St. Louis Pioneers 1 1 -- 84
Chicago Hawks 1 1 -- 76
Cincinnati Royals 1 1 -- 70

Central W L GB Pts
Philadelphia Warriors 2 0 -- 87
Brooklyn Red Devils 1 1 1 69
New York Chiefs 0 2 2 72

[JonInMiddleGA]

NRDL Individual Leaders (after 2 of 24 games)

Women's Point Scoring
---------------------
J.McGuire (Bkn) 19.5 ppg
F.Cochu (Bay) 18.5 ppg
B.Mateer (StL) 12.5 ppg
L.Clay (Phl) 12.0 ppg
S.Garcia (Chi) 8.5 ppg

Men's Points Scoring
----------------------
T.Roman (Bay) 13.0 ppg
J.Terrigno (Phl) 12.0 ppg
S.Washington (LA) 11.5 ppg
L.Gonzales (Tex) 10.5 ppg
T.Smith (Bay) 10.0 ppg
L.Lewis (Cin) 10.0 ppg

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 10
Bay Bombers (1-1) @ Brooklyn Red Devils (1-1)

Bombers starting lineup:
W-Tucker,Saunders,Baker,Cochu,Meyer
M-Oroszco,Donovan,O'Connell,Roman,Smith

Red Devils starting lineup:
W-Jensen, Earp,Vallow, McGuire,Pulliam
M-Dancel, Scopas, Monte, Krebs, Vasquez

The first battle of East vs West, as inter-division play begins.

--Red Devils get 5 from McGuire for an 8-4 lead after 1.
--5 from Vasquez extend the Brooklyn lead to 16-11 after 2 ... Dancel left with an injury, leaving the Red Devils minus a key starter for the rest of the game
--Bombers answer with 6 pts from Cochu, take a 19-18 lead after 3.
--Bay explodes for a 15-1 period, lead 34-19 at the half.
--Brooklyn comes right back with a 13-1 period, it's 35-32 Bombers thru the 5th period
--Both teams sluggish in a griding 6th, 38-35 Bombers now.
--In the 7th ... Devils get 5 from Vallow, lead 40-38 ... Meyer answers with 3 to pull back in front 41-40 ... Jones gets 2 for Brooklyn but Cochu notches 4, it's 45-42 Bombers with one period to go
--Vasquez sprints around, scores 6 points to give Brooklyn a 48-45 lead ... Roman ties it with a 3 spot, 48-48 with just under 6 mins to play ... Vasquez back on the jam, comes up with 3 big points for a 51-48 lead ... Nelson scores a single point & wisely calls off the jam before Smith can get anything ... Brooklyn pulls the upset at home 52-48.

Score-by-periods
Bombers---4-7-8-15- 1-3-7- 3 = 48
Red Devils-8-8-2- 1-13-3-7-10 = 52

Bay Bombers scorers:
Cochu 11, Meyer 9
Smith 17, Roman 11

Brooklyn scorers:
Jones 10, Vallow 5,McGuire 5,Vella 5,Pulliam 3, Earp 2
Vasquez 17, Krebs 4, Nelson 1

Penalties/Minutes:
Bombers -- Tucker 1/1, O'Connell 1/1
Red Devils -- McGuire 1/1, Jones 1/2

Injuries:
Bombers -- None
Red Devils -- Dancel (hamstring in 2nd)

Players of the Game:
Bombers: Francine Cochu & Larry Smith
Red Devils: Candy Jones & Herb Vasquez

Next game schedule -- LA T-Birds @ Chicago Hawks

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 11
LA T-Birds (2-0) @ Chicago Hawks (1-1)

T-Birds starting lineup:
W-Whitman,Heldon,Miller,Sanchez,Murrell
M-Rains,Reilly,Hall,Valladares,Washington

Hawks starting lineup:
W-Laszlo,Kazmerksi,Calvello,Garcia,Decker
M-H.Jackson,Drew,Woodbury,Del Gebbio,Saunders

Chicago hopes to make a statement against the Western Division leaders

--Hawks start strong, get a 5 spot from Decker for a 6-4 lead after 1;Heldon injured by Garcia
--T-Birds rally with the men, highlighted by a spectacular 9 pt jam by Washington, 15-12 T-Birds after two periods;Reilly & Johnson both taken out by Drew, Hall sent to the infield by Woodbury
--LA responds to the brutality of Garcia's second cheap shot on Heldon with 6 unanswered points to extend their lead to 23-16 after 3
--Chicago keeps banging away, with Reilly taken down hard by Woodbury; Meanwhile the T-Birds answer with points, including another 6-0 run to end the half with a 32-19 advantage.
--Hawks offense returns with a 9-0 whitewash of LA, led by 5 points from Garcia; it's 32-28 LA after 5
--T-Bird men again dominate the Hawks, an 8-0 6th period makes it 40-28
--Garcia scores all 8 Chicago points in the period, closing the gap to 43-36 after 7
--8th period sees Drew blanked by the LA defense ... then Del Gebbio is shut-down on a 2nd straight power jam ... Drew gets 5 for the Hawks to make it 43-41 LA ... Washington breaks free then calls off the jam as Saunders approached the pack, still 43-41 ... Marshall takes a page from Washington's notebook & frustrates a hard-charging Drew, sealing the 43-41 win for LA

Score-by-periods
T-Birds-4-11-8-9-0-8-3-0=43
Hawks---6- 6-4-3-9-0-8-5=41

T-Birds scorers:
Murrell 9, Vega 4, Garvey 2
Washington 12,Valladares 8, Marshall 5, Rains 3

Chicago scorers:
Garcia 17, Decker 5, Stafford 4, Calvello 1
Drew 8, Del Gebbio 5, Saunders 1

Penalties/Minutes:
T-Birds -- Heldon 1/1, Miller 1/1,Sanchez 1/1,Murrell 1/1,
Valladeres 1/1
Hawks -- Laszlo 1/1, Garcia 1/1, Stafford 1/1

Injuries:
T-Birds -- Heldon (by Garcia 1st, by Garcia 3rd), Sanchez (by Kazmerksi 1st), Garvey (by Kazmerksi 7th), Reilly (by Drew 2nd, by Woodbury 4th),
Hall (by Woodbury 2nd), Johnson (by Drew 2nd)
Hawks -- None

Players of the Game:
T-Birds: Coleen Murrell & Ronnie Rains
Hawks: Stephanie Garcia & Bob Woodbury

Next game schedule -- Philadelphia Warriors @ Texas Outlaws

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 12
Philadelphia Warriors (2-0) @ Texas Outlaws (0-2)

Warriors starting lineup:
W-Scott, Mitchell,Sowinski,Clay,Arnold
M-Brown, Miller,Trotter,Terrigno,Morgan

Outlaws starting lineup:
W-Syverson,Rossner,Hardman,Sims,Cho
M-Cattell,Parker,Pound,Gonzales,Miller

Philly tries to join LA at 3-0

-- All even after one period, 4-4, with Cho scoring 3 late pts to tie
-- Texas grabs the lead, 13-9, with Miller notching 6 for the Outlaws and Trotter & Terrigno both shaken up (by Pound & Gonzales hits)
-- Warriors go back in front, 23-21, as Arnold explodes for 13 points on three jams
-- 7 points by Miller send Texas to the lockeroom with a 28-26 lead
-- 4 different players score for the Outlaws as they extend the lead to 39-33;Mitchell ejected for Philly after bumping into the referee
-- Low scoring period, just 5-3 for the Warriors, pulling the visitors back to within 42-38
-- Five points on two jams by Clay put Philly back in front 43-42 ... Arnold adds another 3, 46-42 Warriors ... 3 by Kadrmas on the final jam of the period bring the Outlaws back to within one, at 46-45
-- Terrigno scores 2 while Miller is blanked, 48-45 Warriors ... Gonzales was about to sweep past the pack which had tumbled to the deck when something flies from the crowd onto the track. A startled official blows the jam dead, discovering later that it was an errant beach ball that wouldn't have affected play, Philly still leads by 3 ... Miller scores three for Texas to tie the score at 48-48 ... Gonzales gets one point with time winding down, Outlaws lead 49-48 ...
Maybe time for one last jam, as the pack forms up, play is stopped again as a fan climbs the rail and runs across the track, heading for the infield ... The wild-eyed fan manages to evade security & reaches the Warriors bench before being corralled ... The fan manages to break free from security and shoves a piece of paper to King Trotter ... Trotter glances at the paper, a smile spreads across his face and he frantically calls a timeout ... Only Terrigno dons a jamming helmet while the other Warriors join hands in a circle, it looks like Philly has gone a bit crazy from the Texas heat ... Crazy like a fox, perhaps, as the circle quickly becomes a whirling dervish that sends Outlaws flying in every direction, leaving an open track for Terrigno as time winds down ... Terrigno caps off the strange scene with a five point jam and the Warriors rally for a 53-49 win

Score-by-periods
Warriors-4-5-14-3- 7-5-8-7=53
Outlaws--4-9- 8-7-11-3-3-4=49

Warriors scorers:
Arnold 16, Clay 13, Leary 3, Vega 1
Terrigno 9, Morgan 8, Jones 2, Miller 1

Outlaws scorers:
Sims 10, Cho 8, Hardman 4, Kadrmas 3, Rossner 1
Miller 16, Gonzales 4, Pound 3

Penalties/Minutes:
Warriors -- Mitchell 1/2 (ejected ref bump 5th), Scott 1/1, Sowinski 1/1, Clay 1/1, Vega 1/1
Outlaws -- Sims 2/3 (ejected for instigation late 7th), Parker 1/2 (ejected for roughing 4th), Miller 1/1

Injuries:
Warriors -- Trotter (by Pound 2nd), Terrigno (by Gonzales 2nd), Brown (by Parker 4th)
Outlaws -- None

Players of the Game:
Warriors: Judy Arnold & Jim Terrigno
Outlaws: Sonja Sims & E.G. Miller

Next game schedule -- New York Chiefs @ St.Louis Pioneers

[JonInMiddleGA]

You just gotta love a next-to-last FAC "Highlight Reel", especially one that ends up with a Reel C 66 result

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 13
New York Chiefs (0-2) @ St.Louis Pioneers (1-1)

Chiefs starting lineup:
W-O'Brien, Dunn, Mitchell, Forbes, Read
M-Hill, Skull, Atkinson Jr, Robertson, Mallory

Pioneers starting lineup:
W- Niebauer,D.Young, Weston, Mateer, Hernandez
M-Stephens, Hein, Butler, Robinson, Vega

New York looks for their first win

-- Five point jam by Hernandez highlights an 8-4 period for St.Louis
-- Not much scoring by the men, 2 pts each, it's 10-6 Pioneers thru 2
--Another low scoring affair, Hernandez tallies the only four pts, extends St.Louis lead to 14-6 after 3 periods; Dunn ejected for New York after saying several of the "magic words" to the referee
--Signs of life from the Chiefs, who win the period 9-2 & close the gap to 16-15 at halftime
--All even at five apiece in a five-jam fifth period. It's 21-20 Pioneers
--Homestanding men take control of the game with 6 points from Robinson; It's 29-20 St.Louis after 6 periods
--New York pulls within 6 but gives up four points to D.Young at the end of the period; St.Louis now leads 33-23
--Mallory rallies New York with a 3 point miracle jam, now 33-26 St.Louis ... Pioneers get five from Robinson & 2 more from Butler to push the lead to 40-26 ... Teams swap one point jams as the clock winds down ... St.Louis drops New York to 0-3 with a 41-27 win.

Score-by-periods
Chiefs----4-2-0-9-5-0-3-4=27
Pioneers--8-2-4-2-5-8-4-8=41

Chiefs scorers:
O'Brien 6, Read 4, Mitchell 2
Mallory 10, Robertson 3, Atkinson Jr 2

Pioneers scorers:
D.Young 9, Hernandez 9, Mateer 2, Weston 1
Robinson 14, Vega 4, Butler 2

Penalties/Minutes:
Chiefs -- Dunn 1/2 (ejected misconduct 3rd), Harrison 1/2 (ejected misconduct end of 7th), Read 1/1, Mitchell 1/1, Skull 1/1, Atkinson Jr 1/1, Robertson 1/1 = 7 penalties for 9 minutes

Pioneers -- Niebauer 1/2 (ejected misconduct end of 7th), Williams 2/2, Westons 1/1, Robinson 2/2 = 6 penalties for 7 minutes

Injuries:
Chiefs -- Hill (left in 4th with cramps)
Pioneers -- None

Players of the Game:
Chiefs: Maureen O'Brien & Alvin Mallory
Pioneers: Liz Hernandez & Ronnie Robinson

Next game schedule -- LA T-Birds(3-0) @ Cincinnati Royals(1-1)

[JonInMiddleGA]

This seems like as good a time as any to mention an additional stat that I'm keeping track of.

Lacking a better name, I call them "Pack Points" -- basically anything an individual player does to advance their team on the jam track = 1 pack point.

It's not the sort of thing that would be tallied IRL, so I've mentally assigned it as an "unofficial" stat that is recorded when the game films are reviewed.

It's a way for me to add some tracking for blockers & pivots who contribute to their team success but don't find themselves wearing the jam helmet very often.

I decided I better mention this now, because it's going to give me something to talk about in the next game report

[JonInMiddleGA]

Occasionally, the inter-division schedule leaves a team with more time off than they really wanted, so exhibition games are a way to generate a little extra revenue while keeping the skaters in game-ready condition.

Exhibition opponents are often made up of free-agents, so these games usually attract attention of coaches & scouts around the league for a chance to see potential additions under game conditions.

The first exhibition of the season found the idle Cincinnati Royals hosting a collection of FA's wearing Liberators jerseys.

About all that was liberated was the Royals urge to score as they routed the makeshift opponent 59-2. (maybe these players are unsigned for a reason)

Substitutions flowed freely throughout the game, with Cincinnati reserves Susie Wong & Rick West playing well in extended action.
7 players scored for the Royals while Denise Rice & Danny King each had one point for the Liberators who avoided the shutout by scoring in the final two periods.

While the final score bordered on the absurd, the visitors weren't without a couple of players who may have raised their profile around the NRDL a bit. Of the women, Anna Anaya posted 5 "pack points" to be their player of the game. For the men, Ed Meek had 6 pack points to stand out a bit from the rest of the squad.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 14
LA T-Birds (3-0) @ Cincinnati Royals (1-1)

T-Birds starting lineup:
W- Whitman,Heldon,Miller,Murrell,Sanchez
M-Rains,Hall,Reilly,Valladares,Washington

Royals starting lineup:
W-Green,Moreland,Lynch,Peterson,Carr
M-Jackson,McPherson,Hesson,Gammong,Lewis

T-Birds looking to start 4-0.

-- Peterson highlights with a four point jam as the Royals take a surprising 7-3 lead after one period
-- T-Birds answer with 14 points from three jammers to take a 17-12 lead after two periods
-- All Royals again with the women, with a trio of 2-point jams putting Cincinnati back out in front 18-17 after three periods
-- T-Bird men answer the bell with a 5-2 period, it's 23-20 LA at the half
-- From bad to worse for LA, skunked 11-0 by the Royals in the 5th, Cincinnati leads 31-22
-- Three jams, three total points in the 6th, with Cincinnati inching farther ahead 33-23
-- Royals women complete their domination of LA with a 3-1 period edge
and lead the game 36-24 with one period to play
-- A quite period with only seven total points scored. Rains & Lewis are ejected for an infield fight which had more action than the LA women (outscored 27-4 by the Royals women) ... Cincinnati finishes the upset win 40-27

Score-by-periods
T-Birds--3-14-0-5- 0-1-1-3=27
Royals---7- 5-6-2-11-2-3-4=40

T-Birds scorers:
Murrell 3, Sanchez 1
Valladares 10, Washington 5, Rains 4, Reilly 3, Tsunoda 1

Royals scorers:
Peterson 11, Carr 9, Moreland 3,Lynch 2, Wong 2
Gammon 9, Littles 3, Lewis 1

Penalties/Minutes:
T-Birds -- Miller 2/2,Whitman 1/1, Murrell 1/1, Rains 1/2 (ejected infield fight 8th), Hall 1/2, Reilly 1/1, Valladares 1/1
= 8 for 10 mins
Royals -- Green 1/1, Lynch 1/1, Carr 1/1, Lewis 1/2(ejected infield fight 8th), Hesson 2/2, Jackson 1/2 = 7 for 9 minutes

Injuries:
T-Birds -- Vega (by Moreland 5th)
Royals -- Nickler (fall over rail 3rd)

Players of the Game:
T-Birds -- Honey Sanchez & John Johnson
Royals -- Terri Lynch & Mike Gammon

Next game schedule -- Bay Bombers (1-2) @ New York Chiefs (0-3)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 15
Bay Bombers (1-2) @ New York Chiefs (0-3)

Bombers starting lineup:
W- Tucker,Kadyra,Saunders,Cochu,Meyer
M-Cook,Donovan,O'Connell,Smith,Roman

Chiefs starting lineup:
W- Dunn,Mitchell,Read,O'Brien,Forbes
M- Hemminger,Skull,Atkinson Jr, Robertson,Mallory

Bombers look to stop a 2 game losing streak.

-- Fast start for the Bombers who sprint to a 10-1 lead before Read gets five late points to close the gap to 10-6 after 1
-- Bombers extend the lead to 17-9, with a 2nd period highlighted by Roman's 5 point jam
-- More Bay Bombers with a 5-2 period, making it 22-11 visitors
-- Mallory gets four late points to help New York salvage the period, Chiefs still trail 25-15 at the half
-- Bombers get a 5-0 shutout to extend the lead to 30-15, few signs of life for the Chiefs
-- New York scored six points but gave up seven including a late four to Smith, it's 37-21 Bombers after six periods
-- Bombers seem sluggish but Chiefs only manage four points in a low-scoring 7th period. It's now 37-25 Bombers
-- 1 point by Robertson & 5 points by Melano on the first two jams close the gap to 37-31 ... Oroszco steals a point while Robertson gets stuffed by the Bomber defense and it's 38-31 Bay ... Final jam of the period produces nothing and Bay ends their 2 game losing streak with a 38-31 win on the road

Score-by-periods
Bombers--10-7-5-3-5-7-0-1=38
Chiefs--- 6-3-2-4-0-6-4-6=31

Bombers scorers:
Cochu 17, Baker 2, Meyer 1
Smith 9, Roman 6, O'Connell 2, Oroszco 1

Chiefs scorers:
Read 8, Forbes 2, Mitchell 1, DeShields 1
Melano 9, Mallory 8, Robertson 2

Penalties/Minutes:
Bombers -- Tucker 1/2, Kadyra 1/1, Cochu 1/1, Roman 3/3, Macedo 1/1, Donovan 1/1 = 8 for 9 minutes
Chiefs -- Dunn 1/2, Mitchell 1/1, Forbes 1/1, Robertson 1/1, Atkinson Jr 1/1 = 5 for 6 minutes

Injuries:
Bombers -- None
Chiefs -- None

Players of the Game:
Bombers -- Francine Cochu & Larry Smith
Chiefs -- Cathy Read & Juan Melano

Next game scheduled -- St.Louis Pioneers(2-1) at Texas Outlaws (0-3)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 16
St.Louis Pioneers (2-1) @ Texas Outlaws (0-3)

Pioneers starting lineup:
W-D.Young,Marshall,Weston,Mateer,Hernandez
M-Williams,Hein,Butler,Robinson,Vega

Outlaws starting lineup:
W-Syverson,Kadrmas,Rossner,Hardman,Cho
M-Maroff,Cattell,Pound,Gonzalez,Miller

Outlaws still looking for their first win, a task made tougher by the absence of suspended starters Sims & Parker.

--Outlaws start fast, stealing socring on 3 of 4 jams to take an 8-1 lead
--Pound starts the period with 4 for Texas but the Pioneers rally for 5 unanswered to finish the 2nd down 12-6
--St.Louis chips away at the lead again, getting 6 points for Mateer while limiting Texas to 4 points on 5 jams. It's 16-12 Outlaws thru 3
--Pioneers start the period with 7 points to take a 19-16 lead but Texas answers in a big way, finishing the period with 13 unanswered points and a 29-19 halftime lead
--St.Louis again begins the comeback trail, a 10-4 period closes the gap to 33-29.
--Back come the Outlaws, with a spectacular 5 point jam by Wrice off the bench, it's 39-30 after 6 periods
--Pioneers pull within 5 but give up a late 3 pointer to Hardman so it's 43-35 Texas after 7
-- Williams begins the period with 3 Pioneer points, it's 43-38 ... Robinson bobs & weaves his way to a five point jam, we're all tied at 43-43 ... Gonzalez decides it's his turn to shine, racking up 6 big points (with an assist from Pound) to make it 49-43 Texas ... Miller wisely calls off a jam to deny Vega any points, still 49-43 with time running down ... Final jam gets off & Robinson streaks around the track, getting three easy points before running afoul of a sandbagging Gonzales, who stops Robinson cold to preserve a 49-46 Texas victory

Score-by-periods
Pioneers--1-5-6- 7-10-1-5-11=46
Outlaws---8-4-4-13- 4-6-4- 6=49

Pioneers scorers:
D.Young 10, Mateer 7, Weston 5
Robinson 19, O.Williams 5

Outlaws scorers:
Hardman 9, Cho 7, Steppe 4
Gonzalez 12, Miller 7, Wrice 6, Pound 4

Penalties/Minutes:
Pioneers -- Weston 1/1, Mateer 1/1, Hernandez 1/1, O.Williams 1/1,
Butler 1/1, Vega 1/1 = 6 for 6 minutes
Outlaws -- Rossner 1/1, Gonzales 1/1 = 2 for 2 minutes

Injuries:
Pioneers -- D.Young (by Kadrmas 3rd), Niebauer (by Syverson 5th), Stephens (by Cheedham 8th), Willis (by Quarles 8th)
Outlaws -- None

Players of the Game:
Pioneers -- Donna Young & Ronnie Robinson
Outlaws -- Shirley Hardman & Leroy Gonzales

Next game scheduled -- Philadelphia Warriors(3-0) @ Chicago Hawks(1-2)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 17
Philadelphia Warriors(3-0) @ Chicago Hawks (1-2)

Warriors starting lineup:
W- Scott,Arnold,Sowinski,Clay,Leary
M- Mitchell,Miller, Trotter,Terrigno,Morgan

Hawks starting lineup:
W- Laszlo,Kazmerski,Calvello,Garcia,Stafford
M- H.Jackson,Rupert,Woodbury,Drew,Del Gebbio

Warriors hope to remain the last unbeaten team in the NRDL.

-- Hawks finish the period strong, with 8 points from Garcia, to take an early 9-3 lead
-- Momentum stays with Chicago, again scoring big (5) on the final jam of the period to hold an 18-9 advantage at the end of 2 periods
-- Warriors close within five,only to give up four late points and it's 23-14 after three periods
-- Strong defensive effort by Philadelphia allows them to narrow the gap a bit before halftime. It's 23-18 Chicago at the break
-- The Warriors continue to chip away at the lead, thanks in part to Clay's 4 point jam at the buzzer, it's 28-26 Chicago after five.
-- 6 points across two jams by Terrigno put Philly in front for the first time since the opening period, but Del Gebbio answers with 3 late points to close back within one. It's 32-31 Warriors thru 6.
-- Calvello grabs a helmet and scores 4, Stafford follows with a quick 3 and Chicago roars back into the lead 38-32 ... Arnold & Sowinski each notch single points to make it 38-34 Hawks after 7 periods
-- Trotter gets 4 on the opening jam of the 8th period, we're tied at 38-38 ... Terrigno follows with a deuce, Philly leads 40-38 .. Morgan calls off a jam to prevent Chicago from scoring, still 40-38 ... Time for one more jam, Del Gebbio breaks away and heads for the pack ... Staggering into the infield, Drew "accidentally" sends a chair onto the track, creating a pile-up & an opening for Del Gebbio ... the referee spots the chair on the track & whistles play dead - BEFORE - Del Gebbio can streak past ... Warriors win 40-38 ... Drew has to be restrained while Philly celebrates their narrow escape

Score-by-periods
Warriors--3-6-5-4-8-6-2-6=40
Hawks-----9-9-5-0-5-3-7-0=38

Warriors scorers:
Clay 8,Arnold 4,Leary 2, Congleton 2,Sowinski 1, Vega 1
Trotter 9, Terrigno 8, Morgan 4, Miller 1

Hawks scorers:
Garcia 8,Calvello 5, Stafford 4, Bowers 4,Laszlo 3, Decker 2
Del Gebbio 8, Drew 4

Penalties/Minutes:
Warriors-- Sowinski 1/1, Ogbin 1/1, Vega 1/1 = 3 for 3 minutes
Hawks -- laszlo 1/1, Garcia 1/1, H.Jackson 1/1, Woodbury 1/1, B.Jackson 1/1, Lorenz 1/1 = 6 for 6 minutes

Injuries:
Warriors-- Kelly( by Woodbury 4th & by Woodbury 6th), Trotter (by Woodbury 6th), Scott (by Kazmerski 5th)
Hawks -- Lorenz (fell into bench 6th)

Players of the Game:
Warriors-- Lydia Clay & Jim Trotter
Hawks -- Ann Calvello & Bob Del Gebbio

Next game scheduled --
Cincinnati Royals(2-1) @ Brooklyn Red Devils(2-1)

[JonInMiddleGA]

With extra days off before hosting Cincinnati, the Brooklyn Red Devils
hosted an exhibition against "The Liberators" (wearing the old Latin Liberators uniforms).

Although only 3 players from the first exhibition played in this one, the result wasn't much better. Brooklyn dominates 47-19

For the Red Devils, reserves like Blackard (10 pack points) & Nelson (10 jam points) had a rare chance to shine.

For the Liberators, not much in the way of scoring, Denise Dadras (4) and Louis Taylor (6) led the way. Also standing out from the crowd were Rosalie Bardwell (8 pack points), Sue Fregulia (7 pack points/2 jam points) and Mike Marino (4 jam points/6 pack points).

Still, after a couple of exhibitions, it's clear that teams looking to improve may have to do so by dealing with other NRDL teams instead of finding unsigned diamonds in the rough.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 18
Cincinnati Royals(2-1) @ Brooklyn Red Devils(2-1)

Royals starting lineup:
W- Green,Moreland,Lynch,Peterson,Carr
M- Jackson,West,Hesson,Gammon,Littles

Red Devils starting lineup:
W- Jensen,Earp,Vallow,McGuire,Jones
M- Scopas,Dancel,Monte,Vasquez,Krebs

A pair of 2-1 teams both looking to break away from the pack a bit

--McGuire closes out the period with a brilliant 8 point jam, giving Brooklyn an 11-5 lead at the end of the 1st
-- Monte starts the period with 4, Krebs follows with 3, before the Royals manage 3 from Gammon. It's 18-8 Brooklyn after 2
-- Slower paced 3rd period, only seven total points scored, Red Devils extend their lead to 22-11
-- Royals battle back with 8 points on two jams by Gammon, it's 25-19 Brooklyn at the half
-- Cincinnati continues to mount a comeback, with an 8-4 period that makes it 29-27 Brooklyn after five
-- 4 jams produce only 3 points, all on a McPherson jam early in the 6th period. It's enough to give the Royals a 30-29 lead
-- Urged on by an enthusiastic home crowd, the Red Devils get 5 from Vallow and 5 from McGuire en route to an 11-0 period. Suddenly it's 40-30 Brooklyn in control
-- Red Devils clamp down on defense, as Dancel & Monte keep the Royals offense largely in check. An anti-climactic 8th period ends with the Red Devils winning the game 42-33.

Score-by-periods
Royals------ 5-3-3-8-8-3- 0-3=33
Red Devils--11-7-4-3-4-0-11-2=42

Royals scorers:
Carr 6, Peterson 5, Lynch 5
Gammon 13, McPherson 3, Hesson 1

Red Devils scorers:
McGuire 21, Vallow 6, Jones 3
Monte 4, Krebs 4, Vasquez 2, Nelson 2

Penalties/Minutes:
Royals -- Green 1/1, Brown 1/1, Jackson 1/1, Hesson 1/1 = 4 for 4 mins
Red Devils--McGuire 1/1,Vella 1/1,Scopas 1/1,Krebs 1/1 = 4 for 4 mins

Injuries:
Royals -- Miller (by Monte 3rd), Lynch (twisted knee 5th)
Red Devils -- None

Players of the Game:
Royals -- Terri Lynch & Mike Gammon
Red Devils -- Judi McGuire & Ken Monte

[JonInMiddleGA]

NRDL Standings (after 4 of 24 games)
(with W-L, GB, +/- pts)

Western Division
LA T-Birds 3-1, --, -9
Bay Bombers 2-2, 1, +27
Texas Outlaws 1-3, 2, -27

Central
St. Louis Pioneers 2-2, --, +23
Cincinnati Royals 2-2, --, +0
Chicago Hawks 1-3, 1, -12

Central
Philadelphia Warriors 4-0, --, +11
Brooklyn Red Devils 3-1, 1, +26
New York Chiefs 0-4, 4, -39

[JonInMiddleGA]

NRDL Scoring Leaders (after 4 of 24 games)

Women
---------------
Francine Cochu (Bay) - 16.3 ppg
Judi McGuire (Bkln) - 16.3 ppg
Lydia Clay (Phl) - 11.3 ppg
Stephanie Garcia (Tex) - 10.5 ppg
Bobbie Mateer (StL) - 8.5 ppg

Men
---------------
Ronnie Robinson (StL) - 12.3 ppg
Tony Roman (Bay) - 11.5 ppg
Larry Smith (Bay) - 10.8 ppg
Jim Terrigno (Phl) - 10.3 ppg
Sam Washington (LA) - 10.0 ppg

NRDL Penalty Leaders (after 4 of 24 games)
Women
-------------
Joanie Weston (StL) - 4/5 mins
Cathy Dunn (NY) - 3/5 mins
Ruberta Mitchell (Phl) - 3/4 mins
Margie Laszlo (Chi) - 3/4 mins
Judi McGuire (Bkln) - 3/3 mins
Corky Green (Cin) - 3/3 mins

Men
-------------
Larry Lewis (Cin) - 3/5 mins
Jim Jackson (Cin) - 3/5 mins
Rick West (Cin) - 3/5 mins
Ed Hesson (Cin) - 4/4 mins
Otis Williams (StL) - 3/4 mins
E.G Miller (Tex) - 3/4 mins
Ronnie Rains (LA) - 3/4 mins

[JonInMiddleGA]

Around the NRDL (after 4 of 24 games)

A quick check of notes from around the league ...

NRDL -- Overall, the league has to be happy about the beginning of the season, especially with attendance nearly 25% higher than expected ... All is not perfect however, with discipline issues high on the agenda. Players have been hard on referees, which some believe have led to referees looking for reasons to eject players. The league insists that suspensions and all other actions will be considered on a case-by-case basis, but sources in the league office say you're likely to see fewer suspensions and more in-game penalties as the season continues.

-- Philadelphia (4-0, 1st in the Eastern Div) -- The Warriors stand as the only unbeaten team in the NRDL, surprising some observers with their 4-0 mark ... Balanced play has been the key, with scoring equally split between the women & the men, and over half the roster scoring points in the first 4 games.

-- Brooklyn Red Devils (3-1, 2nd in the East) -- The Red Devils may not be the nicest team in the NRDL, but they're playing as well as anybody ... Leading the league in scoring defense (just 34.3 ppg), the Devils have been whistled for only 13 penalties all season, also the best in the league ... Having Judi McGuire score 16+ ppg isn't hurting anything either.

-- LA T-Birds (3-1, 1st in the Western Division) -- It might seem hard to be disappointed with a 3-1 start but things are anything but happy in La-La land ... With the men carrying nearly 70% of the scoring load while the women post a league worst +/- (-55) means the T-Birds are vulnerable every time out ... Look for changes sooner rather than later, as the team tries to correct the imbalance.

-- Bay Bombers (2-2, 2nd in the West) -- The blow-out win over Texas not withstanding, the legendary Bombers simply haven't played very well so far ... Among the biggest problems is the team's inability to control play in the pack, forcing scorers like Francine Cochu & Tony Roman to have to create a lot of their own openings ... If Cochu (16.3 ppg) cools off, it's not clear whether there's another scorer on the women's unit who will step up and fill the void ... Carol Meyer has struggled early, the Bombers hope she'll get hot sooner rather than later.

-- St.Louis Pioneers (2-2, Tied 1st in the Central Division) -- Will the real Pioneers please stand up? ... Which team is this, the one who beat the Bombers or the one who lost to the Outlaws? Unfortunately, nobody seems to know the answer to that question ... Ronnie Robinson & Bobbie Mateer have had some spectacular games but have also disappeared at times ... The women have created plenty of scoring opportunities but aren't doing enough with them ... The scorers simply need more help than they're getting on a consistent basis.

-- Cincinnati Royals (2-2, Tied 1st in the Central Division) -- 8th in scoring offense but 3rd in scoring defense, the Royals have a 0 +/- for the year ... In spite of the loss to Brooklyn, the team is encouraged by their win over LA and looks to rely on defense to get their wins ... Considering they were the last team to join the NRDL and got a late start putting together their roster, .500 would be an accomplishment to be proud of in Cincinnati.

-- Chicago Hawks (1-3, 3rd in the Central) -- Is there a more frustrated team than the Hawks? Spend a little time around the team & the answer is clearly "No". ... Losing to both LA & Philly by 2 points disappointed a team that really doesn't handle disappointment very well ... The most physical team in the leage (18 injuries caused) may only get rougher if the wins don't start coming soon ... The women are doing their part(+23), now it's time for the men to step up (-35 +/-).

-- Texas Outlaws (1-3, 3rd in the West) -- Good numbers from Sims, Hardman, Gonzales & Miller only tell part of the story in Texas. The rest of the story is told by the other numbers, like the team getting only 3 ppg from the bench ... Depth is a problem, with no one really stepping in to provide a lift to the starters when fatigue sets in ...
The Outlaws need to add more bullets to their holster, the question is whether they can find any

-- New York Chiefs (0-4, 3rd in the East) -- 9th in points scored, 8th in points allowed; that's not a good combination ... If it can go wrong, it does; ill-timed penalties, blown & failed jams, missed opportunities have all added up to the disappointing start in the Big Apple ... Like Texas, the Chiefs simply don't look to have enough depth to contend right now ... Still, Buddy Atkinson, Jr. isn't known for taking losing well, don't be surprised if there is more than one change, maybe even a full-blown re-tooling if things continue.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Once the dominoes started to fall, it took a while for them to stop, as several teams around the league tried to address their roster concerns.

The T-Birds started the ball rolling, trading Miki Tsunoda & Yoko Sasaki to New York for Candi Mitchell. The Chiefs released Tony Smith to clear room on their roster for the two newcomers.

LA wasn't finished, signing veteran Debbie McCorkell as a free agent, then dealing Peggy Fowler to Cincinnati for reserve pivot Dave Miller in a move to fill a vacant spot on the T-Bird men's roster.

The Chiefs weren't finished either, dealing Juan Melano to Texas for Johnny Wrice.

In turn, Texas & Cincinnati made perhaps the biggest move of the whole flurry, with the Outlaws giving up Lester Quarles to get versatile veteran Carolyn Moreland. In order to balance their roster, the Outlaws then released Lana Kusanovich and signed the recently waived Tony Smith.

Reaction from the players varied, with New York expressing high hopes for the former T-Birds who made the cross-country move. The T-Birds meanwhile said they hope the additions would allow them more versatility in their lineups, with the addition of McCorkell expected to free "Skinny Minny" Gwen Miller from her pivot duties & allow her more opportunities as a jammer.

Cincinnati's involvement in the trade activity came as a bit of a surprise considering their better than expected start.

And in Texas, Quarles was reportedly shocked at the deal, while the women wondered what the acquisition of Moreland would mean to their playing time.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 19
New York Chiefs (0-4) at Philadelphia Warriors (4-0)

Chiefs starting lineup:
W-Dunn,O'Brien,Read,Forbes,Sasaki
M-Atkinson,Jr, Skull, Hemminger,Robertson,Tsunoda

Warriors starting lineup:
W-Scott,Mitchell,Sowinski,Arnold,Clay
M-Miller,Mitchell,Trotter,Terrigno,Brown

The top & bottom of the league meet with a revamped New York lineup at the center of attention.

-- A very slow start with Clay scoring the only points of the period on the 2nd of just 3 jams to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead.
-- Trailing 3-0 midway through the period, New York gets 2 from Tsunoda and 5 from Hill just before time expires to grab a 7-3 lead.
-- If the 1st period was slow, then the 3rd was a crawl with just two jams. Philadelphia agains scores the only points to pull to within 7-6.
-- Morgan comes off the bench to spark the Warriors, scoring 7 of their 9 points as Philly takes a 15-12 halftime lead.
-- Both women's squads awake from their first half slumber, combining for 18 points in the 5th period. On the strength of Forbes 8 point jam, the Chiefs retake a surprising 23-22 lead.
-- Tsunoda scores 5 to start the period and then the men seem to suffer the same sleeping sickness that plagued the ladies earlier, as the rest of the period is scoreless. It's 28-22 Chiefs through 6.
-- New York gets two on the first jam to extend their lead to eight but struggles as Philadelphia reels off 10 unanswered points to move back in front 32-30.
-- Terrigno grabs 5 on the opening jam and the division leaders never looked back after that, claiming a harder than expected 43-33 win over New York.

Score-by-periods
Chiefs----0-7-0-5-11-5- 2- 3=33
Warriors--2-1-3-9- 7-0-10-11=43

Chiefs scorers:
Forbes 10, Sasaki 3
Tsunoda 7, Mallory 5, Hill 5, Robertson 3

Warriors scorers:
Vega 11, Clay 7, Arnold 2, Leary 2
Morgan 10, Terrigno 7, Brown 4

Penalties/Minutes:
Chiefs -- Read 1/1, Forbes 1/1, Sasaki 1/1, Atkinson Jr 1/1, Skull 1/1 = 5 for 5 mins
Warriors -- Sowinski 2/3, Clay 1/1, C.Mitchell 1/1 = 4 for 5 mins

Injuries:
Chiefs -- none
Warriors -- none

Players of the Game:
Chiefs -- Darlene Forbes & Miki Tsunoda
Warriors -- Suzanne Vega & Richard Brown

Next game: Brooklyn Red Devils (3-1) at New York Chiefs (0-5)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 20
Brooklyn Red Devils(3-1) at New York Chiefs(0-5)

Red Devils starting lineup:
W-Jensen,Earp,Vallow,McGuire,Jones
M-Dancel,Scopas,Monte,Krebs,Nelson

Chiefs starting lineup:
W-Dunn,O'Brien,Read,Forbes,Sasaki
M-Atkinson,Jr, Skull, Hemminger,Tsunoda,Robertson

The Chiefs host their crosstown rivals, still looking for their first win.

-- McGuire scores all the Brooklyn points and the Red Devils take a 4-2 lead after one period
-- Tsunoda starts the period with four points, Hemminger follows with a pair but Krebs sneaks past for three at the buzzer, it's 8-7 Chiefs through two periods
-- After McGuire scored a pair on the opening jam to put Brooklyn back in front, it was all Chiefs from there. New York scores 8 unanswered points on three jams and leads 16-9 at the end of 3 periods.
-- Back come the Red Devils, thanks to a late 5 point jam from Krebs.
At the half, the Chiefs lead 17-14
-- A defensive battle in the fifth period, with four jams producing a total of only three points, Brooklyn narrows the gap to 18-16
-- Another physical, defensive battle, this time the Chiefs score only twice but shutout Brooklyn to extend the lead to 20-16
-- McGuire & Jones post back to back 5 point power jams to send Brooklyn out in front 27-20 but New York answers back with three from O'Brien & one from Sasaki to pull back to within 27-24 after seven.
-- Final period begins with a scoreless jam ... Robertson muscles his way through for three points, we're tied at 27 ... Mallory explodes for five to give the Chiefs the lead 32-27 ... Inspired, Robertson comes up with four big points & it's 36-27 ... Krebs gets three but is cut off by Skull, sealing the Chiefs upset victory 36-30.

Score-by-periods
Red Devils--4-3-2-5-2-0-11- 3=30
Chiefs------2-6-8-1-1-2- 4-12=36

Red Devils scorers:
McGuire 12, Jones 7
Krebs 11

Chiefs scorers:
Read 5,Sasaki 5, O'Brien 4, Forbes 1
Robertson 7, Mallory 7, Tsunoda 4, Hemminger 2, Hill 1

Penalties/Minutes:
Red Devils: Jensen 1/1,Scopas 2/2,Monte 2/2,Dancel 1/1 = 5 for 5 mins
Chiefs:Hemminger 2/3, Skull 1/1, Tsunoda 1/1 = 4 for 5 mins

Injuries:
Red Devils -- None
Chiefs -- O'Brien (fall in 1st)

Players of the Game:
Red Devils -- Annis Jensen & Eddie Krebs
Chiefs -- Maureen O'Brien & Greg Robertson

Next game: Philadelphia Warriors(5-0) at Brooklyn Red Devils (3-2)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 21
Philadelphia Warriors(5-0) at Brooklyn Red Devils (3-2)

Warriors starting lineup:
W-Arnold,Mitchell,Sowinski,Clay,Vega
M-Brown,Miller,Trotter,Terrigno,Morgan

Red Devils starting lineup:
W-Jensen,Earp,Vallow,McGuire,Jones
M-Dancel,Scopas,Monte,Krebs,Nelson

The Warriors shoot for 6-0 while the Devils try to regroup after losing to New York.

-- Brooklyn finishes the period strong, with a five point jam by Jones, to take a 6-2 lead at the end of the 1st
-- Back come the Warriors, on 3 point jams by Terrigno & Morgan, to cut the lead to 10-8 Red Devils after two.
-- 4 points by McGuire & 3 by Pulliam help Brooklyn extend their lead to 17-13 at the end of three periods
-- Red Devils push the lead to 10 points but Trotter grabs a helmet from Morgan and racks up six big points on the final jam of the half to pull the Warriors to within four, at 23-19.
-- Vega gets two to cut the lead in half, Sowinski follows with 5 points and gives Philly the lead ... Pulliam gets a 3, Jones a single point, and Pulliam another single to put Brooklyn back in front 28-26
-- A brutal period with 3 different penalty stoppages, Warriors take the lead 29-28 but Krebs gets a single point to draw the Red Devils even at the end of six periods
-- Pulliam scores one to put Brooklyn in front .... McGuire gets 4 ... Pulliam gets 3 ... McGuire gets 3 more ... and the Red Devils erupt for a 12-0 period and a 41-29 lead through 7.
-- Krebs starts the period with a comeback three-pointer, running the lead to 44-29 ... from there, both teams substitute freely and the Warriors can only watch time run out on their winning streak ... Brooklyn wins before an excited home crowd 44-35.

Score-by-periods
Warriors----2-6-5-6-7-3- 0-6=35
Red Devils--6-4-7-6-5-1-12-3=44

Warriors scorers:
Arnold 6, Sowinski 6, Vega 2
Terrigno 8, Morgan 7, Trotter 6

Red Devils scorers:
McGuire 12, Pulliam 12, Jones 6
Monte 8, Krebs 4, Vasquez 2


Penalties/Minutes:
Warriors: Arnold 2/3, Mitchell 1/1, Vega 1/1, Scott 1/1, Terrigno 2/3,
Brown 1/1, Trotter 1/1, Kelley 1/1 = 10 for 12 mins
Red Devils: Vallow 2/3, Jones 1/1, Vella 1/1, Nelson 1/2, Vasquez 1/1,
Tiapula 1/1 = 7 for 9 mins

Injuries:
Warriors -- Kelley (by Monte 8th)
Red Devils -- Dancel (by Trotter 4th)

Players of the Game:
Warriors -- Judy Sowinski & Jim "King" Trotter
Red Devils -- Judi McGuire & Ken Monte

Next game: St Louis Pioneers (2-2) at Chicago Hawks (1-3)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 22
St.Louis Pioneers (2-2) at Chicago Hawks (1-3)

Pioneers starting lineup:
W- D.Young,Marshall,Weston,Mateer, Hernandez
M- Williams, Stephens,Butler,Robinson, Vega

Hawks starting lineup:
W- Laszlo,Kazmerski,Calvello,Garcia,Bowers
M- H.Jackson,Rupert,Woodbury,Drew,Del Gebbio

The Hawks come home looking to tighten up the race in the Central.

-- After a slow start with two scoreless jams, each team manages a scoring jam & Chicago leads 5-3 after 1 period.
-- Hawks extended their lead to 8-4 before St.Louis got 4 pts from Vega to tie & 2 from Robinson to take a 10-8 after 2 periods.
-- See-saw period with four scoring jams, D.Young gets two pts as time expires to put St.Louis in front 16-15.
-- Action packed period with 4 jams, a dozen total points, 2 injuries & 1 ejection. At the half, Pioneers cling to a 22-21 lead.
-- A defensive struggle, with Bowers getting 1 pt to tie the game & Mateer scoring 3 to extend the St.Louis lead to 25-22 after 5 periods.
-- Quickly, 4 points by Saunders, 5 points by Burnette Jackson & another 5 by Saunders to close the period. It's a 14-0 sweep for Chicago to give the Hawks a 36-25 lead after 6.
-- St.Louis rallies early, with a single point followed by an 8 point jam by Hernandez, cutting the gap to 2. Garcia & Laszlo respond with jams & when the buzzer sounds, it's 44-36 Chicago.
-- Chicago decided to close this one out quickly, with a 5 point jam by Drew to extend the lead to 13. Pioneers get some of it back down the stretch but never really threaten as the Hawks win at home 49-41.

Score-by-periods
Pioneers--3-7-6-6-3- 0-11-5=41
Hawks-----5-3-7-6-1-14-8-5=49

Pioneers scorers:
Hernandez 14, Weston 4,Mateer 3, D.Young 2
Robinson 7, Vega 7, Williams 3, Butler 1

Hawks scorers:
Garcia 10, Bowers 6, Laszlo 3, Kazmerski 1, Stafford 1
Saunders 9, Drew 7, B.Jackson 5, DelGebbio 4, Woodbury 3

Penalties/Minutes:
Pioneers: D.Young 1/1, Weston 1/1,Erich 1/1, Vega 1/1, Butler 1/2 =
5 for 6 mins.
Hawks: Laszlo 1/1, Decker 1/1, Del Gebbio 1/2 (ejected for misconduct) = 3 for 4 mins.

Injuries:
Pioneers -- Robinson (by Rupert in 4th), Hein (by Woodbury in 4th), Butler (by Rupert in 6th), Stephens (injured self in 8th)
Hawks -- None

Players of the Game:
Pioneers -- Liz Hernandez & Ronnie Robinson
Hawks -- Stephanie Garcia & Kenny Saunders

Next game: Cincinnati Royals (2-2) at St Louis Pioneers (2-3)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 23
Cincinnati Royals (2-2) at St Louis Pioneers (2-3)

Royals starting lineup:
W- Green, Brown, Lynch, Peterson, Carr
M- Jackson, West, Quarles, Gammon, Littles

Pioneers starting lineup:
W- D.Young,Marshall,Weston,Mateer, Hernandez
M- Williams, Stephens,Hein,Robinson, Vega

Another match from the very competitive Central Division.

-- 5 by Mateer & 1 by Hernandez give St.Louis a quick 6-0 lead after one period.
-- Royals answer back with 2 by Gammon & 5 by Lewis, Pioneers get 1 from Robinson to tie the game at 7-7 after 2 periods.
-- A defensive struggle with only 2 by Carr for the visitors & 3 by Mateer for St.Louis, giving the Pioneers a narrow 10-9 lead thru 3.
-- Offense returns with the ment, as both teams score twice, Robinson getting a pair of 3's for St.Louis to send us to halftime tied at 16.
-- An amazing period that saw the Pioneers lifted time & again by a raucous home crowd who really got into the close game (and perhaps also the 3-for-1 beer special at halftime). It's a 10-0 whitewash & St.Louis races out to a 26-16 lead after five periods.
-- Back come the Royals, scoring on 3/4 jams to cut the lead to 26-22 thru 6 periods.
-- A hard-hitting defensive battle that score only a pair of single point jams by Cincinnati, still the Pioneers cling to a 26-24 lead with a period to go.
-- First jam produces nothing ... Mike Gammon gets 4 points to put
the Royals back in front 28-26 ... Final jam was quickly called off
by Cincy & they steal a win on the road. St.Louis was held scoreless for the final three periods, and managed only 1 point in the final 13 jams.

Score-by-periods
Royals----0-7-2-7- 0-6-2-4=28
Pioneers--6-1-3-6-10-0-0-0=26

Royals scorers:
Carr 3, Peterson 1
Gammon 11, Lewis 9, Littles 4

Pioneers scorers:
Mateer 14, Hernandez 5
Robinson 7

Penalties/Minutes:
Royals: Lynch 1/1,Carr 1/1,West 1/1, Gammon 1/1, McPherson 1/1 =
5 for 5 minutes
Pioneers:R.Williams 1/1, Stephens 1/1, Hein 1/1, Willis 1/1 =
4 for 4 minutes

Injuries:
Royals -- None
Pioneers -- None

Players of the Game:
Royals -- Terri Lynch & Mike Gammon
Pioneers -- Bobbie Mateer & Ronnie Robinson

Next game: Chicago Hawks (2-3) at Cincinnati Royals (3-2)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 24
Chicago Hawks (2-3) at Cincinnati Royals (3-2)

Hawks starting lineup:
W- Laszlo, Garcia, Calvello, Bowers, Stafford
M- Jackson, Rupert, Woodbury, Drew, Saunders

Royals starting lineup:
W- Brown, Green, Lynch, Peterson, Carr
M- Jackson, West, Quarles, Gammon, Lewis

The Royals try to open up a lead in the division, the Hawks try to tighten things up.

-- An explosive start for Cincinnati, with 8 points from Peterson & 7 points from Lynch to race out in front 15-2 after one period.
-- The men maintained the momentum for Cincinnati, with a 7-0 whitewash and a 22-2 Royals lead. Dating back to the last game, it's the third straight period without allowing a point for the Cincy men.
-- Royals go to their bench for the 3rd period, a quiet affair with Chicago getting the only 3 points, cutting the lead to 22-5.
-- The Hawks men finally dent the scoreboard but it's just a single point by Del Gebbio while the Royals score a dozen more, led by an 8 point jam by Quarles. At the half it's 34-6 Cincinnati.
-- Chicago ladies again skunk Cincy but can only manage 4 points themselves. It's 34-10 Royals after five periods.
-- Hawks win the period 5-3, against a mixed bunch of starters and reserves. Cincinnati still in control 37-15, but Quarles did get shaken up on a big hit by Mr. Mean Harold Jackson.
-- The Chicago women acquitted themselves pretty well after an abysmal opening period, outscoring the Royals 5-0 in their final skate of the night, holding Cincy scoreless for the third straight period. Garcia gets 4 of those points and helps cut the lead to 37-20.
-- With the deficit so large, Chicago decides to take out some frustration, starting with Woodbury blindsiding Hesson & taking him out for the night, while Saunders scores 4 points to Littles single to make it 38-24. Next jam belongs to John Drew a five pointer that suddenly makes it 37-29. The next jam is also Drew's, notching 4 points thanks to a vicious cheap shot by Woodbury that left Quarles wondering what city he was in. 37-33 as the clock ticks away, one final jam which see Drew picking up 2 points ... but no more, allowing the Royals to hang on for a win that turned out much tougher than it first appeared.
Score-by-periods

Hawks----2-0-3-1-4-5-5-15=35
Royals---15-7-0-12-0-3-1=38

Hawks scorers:
Garcia 5, Bowers 5, Stafford 3, Decker 1
Drew 11, Sanders 7, Woodbury 2, Del Gebbio 1

Royals scorers:
Peterson 8, Lynch 7
Quarles 8, Garmon 8, Littles 4, Lewis 3

Penalties/Minutes:
Hawks: Kazmerski 1/1, Woodbury 2/2, Lorenz 1/1 = 4 for 4 minutes
Royals: Carr 1/1 = 1 for 1 minutes

Injuries:
Hawks -- None
Royals -- 6th Quarles (by Jackson), 8th Hesson (by Woodbury), 8th Quarles (by Woodbury)

Players of the Game:
Hawks -- Stephanie Garcia & John Drew
Royals -- B.J. Peterson & Mike Gammon

Next game: L.A. T-Birds (3-1) at Texas Outlaws (1-3)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 25
L.A. T-Birds (3-1) at Texas Outlaws (1-3)

T-Birds starting lineup:
W- Mitchell, Heldon, McCorkell, Miller, Murrell
M- Hall, Johnson, Reilly, Valladares, Washington

Outlaws starting lineup:
W- Syverson, Rossner, Hardman, Sims, Moreland
M- Cattell, Parker, Pound, Gonzalez, Miller

L.A. goes on the road looking to extend their lead in the conference

-- An active period with five jams, controlled by Texas who goes in front 10-4 thanks to a double-digit frame from Sonja Sims
-- Leroy Gonzalez scores five points and the Outlaws generally frustrate the visitors, Outlaws lead 15-4 after two periods
-- Sanchez & Vega provide a spark off the bench, L.A. cuts the lead to 19-14
-- Reilly takes a turn with the helmet and puts up four points as the half ends, Texas finds themselves clinging to a 23-20 lead at the half
-- T-Birds still haven't solved Sims, who adds six points in the period and extends their lead to 29-24
-- It's getting rough in Texas, Reilly takes out Cattell and Pound takes out Ralphie. T-Birds manage to stay focused and grab the lead 32-30 with an 8-1 edge in the period
-- Recent acquisition Carolyn Moreland makes her presence felt, five points in the period, helping put Texas back in front 36-34
-- Cattell exacts his revenge on Reilly almost immediately, forcing a limping Reilly to the infield for treatment. The T-Birds never really seem to regroup after that, scoring on only one jam in the period. Parker gets the final points of the night and secures the upset for Texas.
Score-by-periods

T-Birds----4-0-10-6-4-8-2-2 = 36
Outlaws---10-5-4-4-6-1-6-6 = 42

T-Birds scorers:
Miller 5, Mitchell 5, Sanchez 5, Vega 3, Heldon 2
Washington 8, Reilly 4, Valladeres 2, Robles 2

Outlaws scorers:
Sims 21, Moreland 5
Gonzalez 6, Melano 4, Miller 3, Parker 3

Penalties/Minutes:
T-Birds: Heldon 1/1, Hall 1/2, Reilly 1/1, Washington 1/1 = 4 for 5 minutes
Outlaws: Parker 1/2, Cattell 1/1, Cheedham 1/1 = 3 for 4 minutes

Injuries:
T-Birds: 6th Valladeres (by Pound), 8th Johnson (by Cattell), 8th Reilly (by Cattell)
Outlaws: 6th Cattell (by Reilly)

Players of the Game:
T-Birds -- Colleen Murrell & Sam Washington
Outlaws -- Sonja Sims & Jerry Cattell

Next game: Bay Bombers (2-2) at Texas Outlaws (2-3)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 26
Bay Bombers (3-1) at Texas Outlaws (2-3)

Bombers starting lineup:
W- Kadyra, Saunders, Tucker, Cochu, Meter
M- Cook, Donovan, O'Connell, Smith, Roman

Outlaws starting lineup:
W- Syverson, Rossner, Hardman, Sims, Moreland
M- Cattell, Parker, Pound, Gonzalez, Miller

Bombers visit Texas hoping to avoid an upset

-- Texas playing with confidence, get a big 7 point period from Moreland and lead 8-4 after one.
-- Back come the Bombers, a dominating 9-1 period puts them in front 13-9
-- Lady Outlaws get points from three different players, keep Bombers mostly in check, Texas evens the score at 16-16.
-- Outlaws get five points from Miller to pull ahead, but they'll play the second half without starter Pound, ejected for misconduct after basically blowing a gasket on the refs. It's 24-22 Texas at the half.
-- Trailing by three late in the period, Meter goes off for the Bombers, an eight point jam to give her team a 32-27 lead.
-- Hard-hitting even affair with 5 jams netting each team only four points. 36-31 Bombers after six.
-- Outlaws inch closer in a tight defensive period, a 4-2 edge draws them to within 38-5
-- Down by 5 after two quick jams, Miller draws the Outlaws level midway through the period. But from that point it's all Bombers, a 9-2 edge over the final three jams gives them a 51-44 win on the road.

Score-by-periods

Bombers----4-9-3-6-10-4-2-13 = 51
Outlaws----8-1-7-8- 3- 4-4- 9 = 44

Bombers scorers:
Meyer 12, Cochu 4, Baker 3
O'Connell 11, Smith 10, Roman 10, Macedo 1

Outlaws scorers:
Moreland 9, Hardman 5, Kadrmas 4, Rossner 2, Sims 2
Miller 12, Gonzalez 5, Cheedham 3, Melano 2

Penalties/Minutes:
Bombers: O'Connell 2/2, Donovan 1/1, Oroszco 1/1 = 4 for 5 minutes
Outlaws: Pound 1/2 (ejected), Sims 1/1, Steppe 1/1, Parker 1/1, Cheedham 1/1 = 5 for 6 minutes

Injuries:
Bombers:None
Outlaws: None

Players of the Game:
Bombers -- Carol Meter & Charley O'Connell
Outlaws -- Carolyn Moreland & E.G. Miller

Next game: Bay Bombers (3-2) at L.A. T-Birds (3-2)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Note for the readers: That's everything played in the initial experience with the game. Nine and half years passed and then I picked it back up, quite literally where I left off.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 27
Bay Bombers (3-2) at L.A. T-Birds (3-2)

Bombers starting lineup:
W- Tucker, Saunders, Blake, Meyer, Cochu
M- Donovan, Cook, O'Connell, Roman, Smith

T-Birds starting lineup:
W- Heldon, Mitchell, McCorkell, Miller, Murrell
M- Johnson, Hall, Reilly, Washington, Valladeres

Bombers & T-Birds battle for the conference lead

-- Miller scores on three jams, racking up nine points including five on a power play. Intense opening period, with Blake & McCorkell both penalized & warned after some rough stuff. T-Birds lead 9-6 as we go to the men.
-- Physical play by Reilly & Donovan provided most of the highlights in a low-scoring period that saw the Bombers narrow the gap to 10-9
-- Hectic period that saw the Bombers control much of the pack action only for L.A. to shut them down on the jams. Just three points scored, all by the T-Birds, for a 13-9 lead.
-- The rough & tumble play continued with Reilly & O'Connell matching each other almost blow for blow, sending players over the rail & into the infield at will. Roman scored five big points late in the period to pull the Bombers back to within 19-15 at the half.
-- Meyer takes advantage of a penalty to Mitchell, scores 5 big points and pushes the Bombers in front late in the period, 21-19 lead for the visitors
-- Rains put the T-Birds right back in front with 5 points, Macedo tied it on the next jam, Marshall played it safe & got a single point for an L.A. lead. Final minute of the period was a wild one as Macedo & Robles argued their way into a brawl, Robles was ejected for bowling over an official while trying to get another shot in. In the waning seconds of the period Cook was given a one minute penalty to be served at the start of the final period. 25-24 after six.
-- The period begins in shocking fashion as Tucker sends McCorkell sailing over the rail and into the crowd. Her injury appears to be serious enough that she'll miss much more than just the rest of the game (6 games, Highlight Reel B35) ... Cochu racks up three points against the shaken T-Birds & gives the Bombers the lead. Miller adds a single point late in the period to cut the gap to 27-26.
-- The power play jam to start the period comes to nothing, but with the home crowd roaring, Rains breaks away from the pack almost immediately on the next jam for 3 points and a T-Bird lead ... Donovan is sent to the penalty box on the restart, Valladares gets one point to make it 30-27 L.A. ... Tough work for the jammers to get through the pack as time ticks away, Roman finally gets some room to work & quickly calls off the jam to prevent Valladares from scoring as well ... the officials confer ... and it's NO POINTS ... Roman was convinced he'd passed two skaters to tie it, the refs disagree ... and time expires with L.A. rallying for a 29-27 win at home

Score-by-periods

Bombers---6-3-0-6-6-3-3-0=27
T-Birds----9-1-3-6-0-6-1-3=29

Bombers scorers:
Meyer 8, Cochu 7
Macedo 6, Roman 5, Smith 1

T-Birds scorers:
Miller 12, Vega 1
Rains 12, Washington 3, Marshall 1

Penalties/Minutes:
Bombers: Baker 3/4, Saunders 1/1, Macedo 1/2, Canaveri 1/2, Donovan 1/1, Cook 1/1 = 8 for 11 minutes
T-Birds: McCorkell 1/2, Mitchell 1/1, Murrell 1/1, Johnson 1/2, Reilly 1/1, Washington 1/1, Robles 1/2 (ejected) = 7 for 10 minutes

Injuries:
Bombers: 5th Kadyra (infield crash)
T-Birds: 7 McCorkell (by Tucker), 7th Heldon (by Saunders), 6th Valladares
(by O'Connell)

Players of the Game:
Bombers -- Carol Meyer & Charley O'Connell
T-Birds -- Gwen Miller & Ronnie Rains

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 28
New York (1-5) at Cincinnati (4-2)

Chiefs starting lineup:
W- Dunn, O'Brien, Read, Forbes, Sasaki
M- Atkinson Jr, Skull, Tsunoda, Robertson, Mallory

Royals starting lineup: (Quarles suspended 1 game)
W- Green, Brown, Lynch, Carr, Peterson
M- Jackson, McPherson, Hesson, Gammon, Lewis

Inter-conference play resumes

-- Mostly a feeling out process with NY subbing liberally, Peterson gets three points late in the period to give the Royals a 5-2 lead after one
-- Royals were complacent, Chiefs not able to take a major advantage of it, although 6-0 shutout in the period is enough to give them an 8-5 lead
-- A rare double penalty call against the Royals (Peterson illegal block & Fowler unsportsmanlike conduct for protesting) gives the Chiefs a double power play chance. That nets them 6 points, a 14-6 lead, and a suddenly complacent attitude ... big "747" Brown takes advantage by grabbing the jamming helmet and tallies nine points on the final two jams, pushing the Royals back in front 15-14
-- New York couldn't take advantage of a power play chance, so the Royals extend their lead thanks to a big seven point jam by Gammon. 22-14 Cincy at the break
-- An unattractive period with only two jams, and only a three point tally by Carr manages to avoid a double shutout. 25-14 Royals
-- Only two jams, much mayhem, as the Chiefs appear to have resigned themselves to another loss. Atkinson subbed himself out, Skull knocked Turbin loopy, penalties & injuries slowed the pace to a crawl. 27-14 Royals
-- Skating out the string when suddenly Read & Forbes combine for a 10 point double slam ... by the time the period ends, the Chiefs are back in it for real, down 31-26
-- Lewis picks up a penalty to start the period ... Atkinson grabs a helmet, only to cause the jam to be halted when the ref warns him for "aggressive play" ... Atkinson swaps for the helmet on the next jam, this time he gets three points and cuts the margin to 31-29 ... Maybe time for one more jam? Atkinson clears a path for Tsunoda, he's looking for an opening ... and the horn sounds. Cincinnati escapes with a two point victory.

Score-by-periods

Chiefs----2-6- 6-0-0-0-12-3 = 29
Royals--- 5-0-10-7-3-2- 4-0 = 31

Chiefs scorers:
Read 11, Forbes 6, Sasaki 2, DeShields 1
Mallory 5, Atkinson Jr 3, Robertson 1

Royals scorers:
Brown 9, Lynch 6, Carr 4, Peterson 3
Gammon 9

Penalties/Minutes:
Chiefs: Skull 1/2 = 1 for 2 minutes
Royals: McPherson 2/2, Fowler 1/2, Brown 1/1, Peterson 1/1, Jackson 1/1, Lewis 1/1, Littles 1/1 = 8 for 9 minutes

Injuries:
Chiefs:None
Royals: Peterson (by Dunn), Jackson (by Skull), Turbin (by Skull)

Players of the Game:
Chiefs: Cathy Read & Skull
Royals: Earlene Brown & Mike Gammon
Next game: St. Louis (2-4) at Philadelphia (5-1)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 29
St. Louis (2-4) at Philadelphia (5-1)

Pioneers starting lineup:
W- Young, Marshall, Weston, Mateer, Hernandez
M- Butler, Stephens, Hein, Robinson, Williams

Warriors starting lineup:
W- Scott, Mitchell, Arnold, Clay, Vega
M- Brown, Mitchell, Trotter, Terrigno, Miller

Inter-conference play continues

-- Mateer's five spot gives the visitor's the lead after one period. 5-2 St. Louis
-- Miller puts the hosts in front with an eight point period, taking advantage of two errors by Otis Williams. He fell down & blew one jam, then took a penalty and gave up a power play. The outcome is an 11-5 lead for Philly
-- Pioneers control play throughout the third period but come away with only one measly point from two power jams to show for it. 11-6 Philly
-- St. Louis coach gets ejected for arguing with the refs to start the period, ensuing power play results in one point for the short-handed team. Go figure. Pioneers get four points from three jams, Warriors get three points from Brown as time expires. 14-10 Philly at the half.
-- Philly wastes a power play chance when play is stopped after Clay gets tangled up with Mateer. St. Louis again scores (1 pt) short-handed on the next one. Time expires before another jam can occur. 14-11 Philly.
-- Robinson flies around for 4 while Brown gets only 1, it's all tied up after the first jam of the period. Brown gets 3 to put Philly back in front. Trotter then manhandles the pack, setting up Terrigno for three more & a 21-15 Philly lead
-- Marshall sparks St. Louis with her physical play, two jams worth 4 pts narrow the gap to just two ... Scott goads Marshall into a shoving match that escalates, sending both off for 2 minutes ... Sowinski submarines Weston, assisting Arnold to a point that break the Philly women's drought that lasted since the opening jam. 22-19 Warriors with one period to go
-- Williams breaks into the clear for St. Louis, but gets skunked ... Brown gets a couple to extend the lead for Philly ... Robinson bobs & weaves for 5 Pioneer points to tie the game ... Warriors coach is arguing with the refs, claiming a missed foul on the previous jam, the conversation heats up and he's GONE! Ejected (just like his counterpart earlier), an unsportsmanlike penalty gives St. Louis a power play in the waning minutes ... Robinson makes 'em pay, another 4 points for the visitors ... Trotter clears the way for Terrigno, he's got some room to work ... but time expires on a stunning loss for the Warriors

Score-by-periods

Pioneers--- 5-0-1-4-1-4-4-9 = 28
Warriors--- 2-9-0-3-0-7-1-2 = 24

Pioneers scorers:
Matter 9, Hernandez 2
Robinson 13, Vega 3, Quinn 1

Warriors scorers:
Arnold 3
Brown 10, Miller 8, Terrigno 3

Penalties/Minutes:
Pioneers: Marshall 2/3, Niebauer 1/2, Erich 1/1, Williams 1/1, Bench 1/2 = 6 for 9 minutes
Warriors: Scott 1/2, Clay 1/2, Arnold 1/1, Sowinski 1/1, Bench 1/2 = 5 for 8 minutes

Injuries:
Pioneers: None
Warriors: None

Players of the Game:
Pioneers: Bobbi Mateer & Ronnie Robinson
Warriors: Lydia Clay & Richard Brown
Next game: Chicago Hawks (2-4) at Bay Bombers (3-3)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 30
Chicago Hawks (2-4) at Bay Bombers (3-3)

Hawks starting lineup:
W- Laszlo, Kazmerski, Calvello, Garcia, Bowers
M- H.Jackson, Rupert, Woodbury, Drew, Saunders

Bombers starting lineup:
W- Tucker, Kadyra, Saunders, Cochu, Baker
M- Cook, Donovan, O'Connell, Roman, Smith

Inter-conference play continues with two teams both needing a win

-- Tensions in the infield led to Mr. Mean Harold Jackson dumping a water cooler on the Bombers coach. That was the highlight of a period slowed by penalties & warnings, just a 2-1 lead for Chicago after one.
-- Again it's H. Jackson in the middle of controversy, this time he tries to blindside O'Connell but gets caught, drawing a penalty & a warning ... later, a fight breaks out in the infield between Donovan & Woodbury, both are warned & given two minute penalties ... B.Jackson ends up with the helmet on the final jam & delivers 6 points to push the Hawks back in front 9-7.
-- Fast paced period that saw the Bombers stars ringing up big points for a 19-11 lead for the hosts
-- Bay Bombers coach working the refs, one thing leads to another and he's ejected ... B.Jackson & Cook tangle, it's Jackson who is warned & heads to the sin bin ... Saunders scores four late points for Chicago to draw them back to within 25-15 at the half
-- Bombers came out of the break looking sluggish and Chicago took advantage with a pair of big jams, leading to an 11-0 period for the Hawks and a sudden 26-25 lead for the visitors
-- Woodbury takes a penalty in the opening minute ... he's jawing with Canaveri in the infield ... and there they go, a real pier sixer. When order is restored, Woodbury is ejected, Canaveri is boxed ... After the smoke clears, it's all Bombers with Smith (8 pts) leading the way to a 12-3 period and a 37-29 lead.
-- Bowers & Graves sail over the rail & come up fighting, 2 mins in the box for both ... What followed was even wilder, as Chicago grabs an 18-6 edge in the period, highlighted by a double jam of 6 pts each for Garcia & Bowers. With one period to go, it's 47-41 Hawks.
-- 2 points for O'Connell, then 4 for Smith on the next jam, we're all tied at 47-47. Then Drew breaks out as the only jammer but is shutout ... Roman breaks out as the only jammer, he gets shutout too ... time expires before another jam is possible, we're heading to overtime
-- Half period for the women, half period for the men, in the first ever NRDL overtime contest ... Cochu triggers the first jam, gets skunked but calls it off early before Bowers could get anything for Chicago ... stoppage, the call is a penalty against Baker who got caught retaliating against Calvello ... the Chicago star immediately starts clearing a path, but there's another stoppage, this time a penalty on Kazmerski ... Garcia clears the field twice, gets credit for 5 Chicago points ... Time winding down, Meyer manages to score two for the Bombers. It's 52-49 Hawks as we turn things over to the men ...
-- Slow going for the jammers to start the final overtime, then a whistle, it's a penalty on Roman, making things even tougher for the Bombers ... B.Jackson takes another jam, gets shutout on the power play. Time ticking away for the Bombers now, Cook scatters half the Hawks and frees Roman, the jam is on ... but he's held to a single point as the clock expires & Chicago wins in OT 52-50

Score-by-periods

Hawks---- 2-7- 2-4-11-3-18-0-5-0 = 52
Bombers-- 1-6-12-6- 0-12-4-6-2-1 = 50

Hawks scorers:
Garcia 22, Bowers 14, Stafford 2
B.Jackson 9, Saunders 4, Drew 1

Bombers scorers:
Cochu 8, Meyer 7, Graves 3, Saunders 1
Smith 18, Roman 8, O'Connell 5

Penalties/Minutes:
Hawks: Kazmerski 2/2, Bowers 1/2, Garcia 1/1, H.Jackson 1/2, Woodbury 3/5 (ejected), B. Jackson 1/2 = 6 for 14 minutes
Bombers: Baker 2/2, Graves 1/2, Cochu 1/1, Richards 1/1, Macedo 2/2, Donovan 1/2, Canaveri 1/2 = 9 for 12 minutes

Injuries:
Hawks: None
Bombers: None

Players of the Game:
Hawks: Stephanie Garcia & Harold Jackson
Bombers: Francine Cochu & Larry Smith
Next game: Brooklyn (4-2) at L.A. T-Birds (4-2)

[JonInMiddleGA]

Game 31
Brooklyn (4-2) at L.A. T-Birds (4-2)

Red Devils starting lineup:
W- Jensen, Earp, Vallow, McGuire, Jones
M- Scopas, Dancel, Monte, Krebs, Vasquez

T-Birds starting lineup:
W- Heldon, Whitman, Mitchell, Miller, Murrell
M- Hall, Johnson, Reilly, Washington, Valladares

Inter-conference play continues with L.A. trying to increase their lead

-- All Brooklyn to open the game, led by McGuire (7 pts) it's 10-1 Devils
-- All L.A. for the men, led by Rains (7 pts) it's now 15-10 T-Birds
-- A better period for the T-Bird ladies, Devils still chip away at the lead, down to 18-14 L.A.
-- 8 pts from Valladares in a penalty plagued period helps L.A. to a 29-19 halftime lead
-- Devils shut out L.A. and cut the T-Birds lead to four, 29-25--
-- Another 5 points for Rains keep L.A. in front 34-29
-- Brooklyn scores 7 unanswered to take the lead but L.A. rallies back for a 39-38 edge on Sanchez' three points. Mitchell takes the helmet from Murrell on the final jam & comes up with four big points to even the period & push the lead back to five.
-- Krebs scores five for the Devils but they can make up no ground. L.A. holds on for a 48-42 win at home

Score-by-periods

Devils----10-0-4- 5-5-4-9-5 = 42
T-Birds-- 1-14-3-11-0-5-9-5 = 48

Devils scorers:
McGuire 22, Jones 5, Jensen 2
Krebs 10, Vasquez 4

T-Birds scorers:
Mitchell 4, Miller 3, Sanchez 3, Vega 2, Murrell 1
Rains 15, Valladares 10, Robles 5, Marshall 4, Washington 1

Penalties/Minutes:
Devils: Scopas 1/1 = 1 for 1 minutes
T-Birds: Miller 1/1, Hall 1/1, Washington 1/1 = 3 for 3 minutes

Injuries:
Devils: 8th Scopas (infield)
T-Birds: 1st Sanchez (by Chavarin), 3rd Whitman (by Blackard)

Players of the Game:
Devils: Judi McGuire & Eddie Krebs
T-Birds: Candi Mitchell & Ronnie Rains
Next game: New York (1-6) at L.A. T-Birds (5-2)