Lead changes and consistent defense seemed to dominate the pace of the first half, as scoring was scare in the first few jams. The Fury opened with a 3-0 lead but were held to those points for three more periods.

Unicoroner bagged the Belles’ first point lead of the night, putting the Belles up 5-3 with a swift stride during Jam 3 against The Fury’s Ska Face. Kola Loka jammed for The Fury eight times in the first half; Ska wore the jammer cap six times while Jackie Daniels and Yvette YourMaker filled in the rest.

Still, Kola was forced to fight for points all evening, often held at bay by the Belles’ captain and defender Deb Autry. Deb blocked well with support from Belles defenders Tay Q. Down, Mya Ssault and Pominatrix, who flanked their jammer in the 1st half to provide heavy traffic against Fury scorers.

The Fury’s speedy star, Kola Loka, returned in Jam 4 to make it 13-7, taking the lead, before the Belles flipped it to a 19-13 lead of their own after a strong capture by Unicoroner.

The Fury clashed back, taking lead jammer for the next four jams and adding 23 points. By Jam 11, The Fury had gone up 36-19 after Jackie Daniels called off a short 4-point gain with 1:20 left.

Thereafter, the two teams steadily piled on points for the next eight minutes. Phoebe Fi Fo Fum helped the Belles to regain a 43-36 lead, shaking off Fury blockers while Kola Loka and Daniels both were sent off to serve one-minute penalties.

But The Fury regained as Ska Face picked up an opportunistic 17 points, capitalizing on Belles own penalties and a five-on-three woman advantage in the 16th jam of the first half. Right after, Kola and Daniels each added another two, placing The Fury’s lead at 64-47.

Just before halftime The Fury skipped away, adding more points to extend a reasonable lead. Jackie Daniels, who spent much of the 1st half in the pivot position, added three points to settle the half at 67-47, Fury advantage.

Early on in the latter half of the bout the Belles penalty trouble played a part. The Belles started the first jam in the 2nd half with both blockers Brawla Poundstone and Yameet Ur Doom in the box, gifting The Fury some wide open space and a five-point gain. It seemed as if carryover penalties and a slow start was going to prevent the Belles from clawing their way back.

But by Jam 3 of the 2nd half, Unicoroner managed the first of three consecutive lead jams for the Belles. Zombea Arthur followed with a 10-point jam as Uni returned the favor with three points, putting the Belles within striking distance at 81-64 by the end of the 5th.

Yet The Fury scrapped back and mostly contained the Hell’s Belles, extending their lead to 107-64 by Jam 9, thanks to a nine-point scrap from Kola, then three from Ska just before Kola heaped another 14 on the board.

Likewise, the Belles scrapped back. Zombea squeezed out points a second time with a 15-point power jam to follow, rounding out the score at the end of Jam 10 to 107-83, with The Fury still leading.

Kola Loka took lead jammer in her every appearance in the second half, except once, in Jam 10, when she was sent immediately to the penalty box for a false start violation. In total, however, Kola picked 67 points for The Fury in the 2nd half and an even 100 points on the night.

The last 15 minutes of the game were a slug fest. Kola Loka jammed for 20 points in the 11th as her rival jammer, Phoebe Fi Fo Fum, got sent to the box. Kola’s twenty put the score at 127-83, only to see Zombea battle back immediately with 15 points. Back in, Phoebe picked up another five on her lead jam in the 13th, ending a 20-point swing that saw it 132-103 with the Belles still trailing.

Thereafter, The Fury began to pad their lead, banking 23 points in the next four jams, thanks to Kola Loka who put on 19 and Yvette YourMaker’s four-point gain in between.

The Belles’ Phoebe Fi Fo Fum again grabbed the lead spot and five points in Jam 18, despite being bullied by T.S. Helliot and other Fury defenders. Phoebe put the score at 155-113 as the Belles headed into the final spar.

Zombea Arthur faced the gargantuan task in the final jam of knocking down a 42-point deficit. And she threatened to do it, picking up the lead jam as her offensive opponent, Take-Out Box, got booked for a major penalty after the first lap.

Zombea soldiered on, rounding The Fury’s defenders to pick up 18 points in a final stretch. But it wasn’t enough to regain the lead as the Fury held on, 155-131 to win.

The handy KonichiWOW won the bout’s MVP honors with her efforts in both The Fury’s offense and defense. With the Sunday win, The Fury face the Manic Attackers on June 2nd in the Ivy King Cup Championship.

The Manics jumped out of the blocks with Mo Vengeance sprinting to a 7-0 lead to start. Rose Feratu tacked on three more points in Jam 3, to extend to a 10-0 lead. In between, Cruel Whip was able to pick the first lead jammer status for the Double Crossers in Jam 2, but failed to score.

The Manics held their defensive form with good inside work from blockers AliSin Chains and Wreck N Shrew early on.

The XX got aggressive in the 4th as Indycent, who recently came back to the jammer lineup, won two points, making it 11-2. But the Crossers couldn’t manage another gain for seven more jams.

In the meantime, the Manics leapt ahead with Rose Feratu and Mo Vengeance alternating the jammer cap, putting the Manics ahead by 34 points, 36-2 by the end of the 7th.

During Jam 7, the XX introduced All-Star Varla Vendetta in the jammer slot, but the Manics gave Vendetta a rude awakening and denied her the chance to pick up points. The Manics hit Varla three times within the first lap, while Manic defender Ada Hatelace fought off Varla throughout the period. This effort held the XX scoreless even with the Team USA star.

Ying O’Fire added another four points to make it 40-2 at the end of the 8th. Then Bork Bork Bork, the Manics’ co-captain known mainly as a defensive force, added nine more points. Bork kicked the lead up to 49-2 despite immediately losing two blockers, AliSin Chains and Funkadelic, to the penalty box.

Vengeance followed Bork up with a 13-point jam giving the Manics and 62-2 advantage by the end of Jam 11. And it wouldn’t be until the next one until the Crossers could venture further with four more points against the ruthless Manics.

Still, Ying, Vengeance, Rose Feratu and Tamikaze continued to pile on points, with the help of their blockers and pivots, who somehow kept Double Crossers’ Cruel Whip and All-Star veteran Hoosier Mama under wraps.

The Double Crossers were held to a total of only three lead jams in the 1st half, which ended with a score of 102-11.

By the 2nd half, the Manics started to showcase their flair and versatility, maximizing their roster and giving 14 different players their turn to score points in the jammer position.

After the initial jam of the 2nd half, the Crossers took lead jam three times and picked up nine points. Along the way, Beth Amphetamine got her chance to wear the jammer cap, but contributed in a big way to the Manic Attackers’ defense instead, pickpocketing the Double Crossers’ attempts to score points along with enforcement from Bork and Rose Feratu.

Ice Berg, Julia Rosenwinkel and Karmageddon fought valiantly to try to pick up points for the Double Crossers, though penalties curtailed their team’s effect.

Along with Cruel Whip’s drives, the XX inched up some from a 137-35 score in the 11th jam to 148-49 by Jam 16. But twice in the stretch, the Manics’ Ruth Enasia limited the Crossers’ lead jammer with some defensive jamming against her counterpart.

Funkadelic closed out the game with four points in Jam 19, as the Manic Attackers locked down a 157-53 win. The Manics head to their third straight Ivy King Cup Championship appearance against The Fury on Sunday, June 2nd.

Rose Feratu, who jammed seven times for 23 points and also added great blocking for the Manics, bagged the bout’s MVP award.

Joanie Utah, Double Crossers Captain

How has your team grown since the beginning of the season? Even though our team has had a lot of setbacks with injuries, this team has learned to be stronger and step up our game in order to put our hearts and souls into every bout. We have all grown more resilient and are fighting for each other--skating for those who can't and being a solid support system for those who still are.

Who is beginning to stand out on your team? I would say Cruel Whip. She's been getting stronger and smoother in her skating and is starting to show her leadership skills on the track. Better watch out for her during her Second Wind season!

What's been your favorite captaining moment thus far? Witnessing Berg get player of the game and hearing her say it was all about "the feet." (We've been telling her to move her feet all year, and have turned yelling "FEET!" into a strange habit.)

 This team is amazing and has shown such dedication this year. I can't wait to see what we are capable of next season!

Deb Autry, Hell’s Belles Captain

How has your team grown since the beginning of the season? We've really started playing as a TEAM.  We have a lot of players that found their stride this season and are starting to feel comfortable in their own game.  Now we're seeing how that all fits together.

Who is beginning to stand out on your team? Last bout we put Minerva Damage in to jam to give some of our regular jammers a break.  She had been looking stronger at practice so we gave her a chance.  Well, she blew us out of the water.  She was so composed and fit right in to the jammer rotation.  It was one of those times where you give someone an opportunity to prove themselves and they take full advantage of it.

What's been your favorite captaining moment thus far? Any time a skater develops, or has that "aha!" moment, I get all warm and fuzzy inside.  I think back to who I looked up to when I was starting out, and the advice I was given back then still sticks with me today.  Knowing I'm part of someone falling in love with this game is pretty special.

Any thoughts on next season? What's next? I'm REALLY excited to have an experienced team of leaders next year.  We were the new kids on the block a couple seasons ago, and all that hard work we put in from day one is starting to come together.  Skaters who were once "brand new" are now seasoned vets full of confidence who have their own voice.

Bork Bork Bork, Manic Attackers Captain

How has your team grown since the beginning of the season? Home teams are a part of the Windy City Rollers, and the league is well-served in having highly competitive, skilled home team skaters.  Mo and I, from day one of practice for the 2012 season in September 2011, committed to stressing the importance of developing individual skills.  We outlined individual goals which fed into team goals in order to benchmark our progress throughout the year, and I'm so excited to say that our girls have developed a strong base of stops, lateral agility, and a wide range of blocking styles.  I'm really proud in being able to say that every single Manic can do a hockey stop--which was one of our goals!  By focusing on skills, agility, and strength in pre-season, we knew that our team would have an easier time getting the #1 spot.

Our main, team goal was to compete in the Ivy King Cup Championship, and with that challenge quickly approaching, we're working harder than ever to make our teamwork tighter and our transitions quicker and more definitive.

Who is beginning to stand out on your team? Bellatrix is really starting to hit her stride as a player.  She's gotten stronger and her awareness continues to improve.  Her intensity and drive is fueling her to that next level!  Thievin' Tyler has become a key player this year.  Her jamming style is uniquely sporadic which makes her hard to contain--a trait we love to have on our side!

In a word, what was this 2012 regular home season to you? UNRELENTING

2012 Manics have been focused on team, and our biggest strength is our cohesion. Every person currently on the Manics understands that showing up to practice and being present, even if they can't skate, is crucial to developing trust.  Our travel team skaters have skipped breaks in order to show up and support the team. Our rookies have committed to attending many practices per week including speed and boot-camps in order to pull their weight at Manic practices.  Every Manic works hard to improve their skills and uphold their commitments because it is good for the team.   This focus and commitment is what makes the 2012 Manics outstanding and our #1 seed right now is a direct result.

Poppy Spock, The Fury Captain

How has your team grown since the beginning of the season? How haven't we grown? I was lucky enough to be drafted onto the Fury championship team captained by Ol' Drrrty Go-Go and Tori Adore, but I think I have been even luckier to captain the Fury next generation team. It's been a great mix of veterans passing on what they know, midbench players stepping up to be leaders on the track, and rookies learning how to play roller derby pretty much from scratch.

Who is beginning to stand out on your team? There was a moment when I watching Beaux Dozer in a fresh meat scrimmage and I said to Kola afterward, Beaux's got it now. She just gets the game, and I love her fast feet. And Brooke Fly, she hits so HARD for such a nice Southern gal.

Talk about your new draftees. We really could not believe our luck when we got both KonichiWOW and Terror Byte in the January draft, two experienced transfer skaters. And we couldn't be more excited about our newest draftees Billie Mean King and Flo Rider who both have tons of potential and fit right in with the team.

What's been your favorite captaining moment thus far? There's something great every day about captaining this team, so my favorite moment is usually something that happened yesterday. So yesterday it was Tackle Box inventing a paceline on the spot to get us all to brace our core muscles for harder hits, which meant whacking each other in the stomach before hitting each other, and I'll tell you it only took one time through that paceline and everybody's hits were twenty percent harder after that.

We are your 2012 home team captains. We are roller derby. 

1. Show Mom how much you love her with track-side tickets to the Ivy King Cup Playoffs this Sunday at 3 p.m. For only $35 for VIP and $20 for General seats, she’ll be proud of your sense of adventure and your smart financial decisions. Use the promo code WRECK12 to receive $5 off your tickets at Ticketmaster today.

2. Treat her to an after-bout dinner at Union Park, the official afterparty location of the Windy City Rollers. She’ll be surrounded by fierce, strong women, just like her. And since it’s just two blocks north of the UIC Pavilion, she won’t ruin her fancy shoes.

3. Pick up a WCR 2012 Season Commemorative Program! This will be the first time this season these beauts will be available, and we’ve printed only a limited number of them. Mom will delight in the glossy action shots and team photos of all of the 2012 Windy City Rollers members, and you’ll look like a hero for buying the ultimate in derby luxury! Who knows, that could be worth a lot of money one day!

4. Buy her a pack of WCR trading cards! After each bout, she can find her favorite skaters in the Fan Zone and have them personally autographed! You can help her découpage with them on next year’s Mother’s Day.

5. Ditch the flowers and make her a sign! You can broadcast your love of your favorite team and your mom simultaneously. Get creative with slogans such as “My Mom is Cooler than Fonzo McKuckles” and “My Mom Should Get the Ivy King Cup - Not the Manic Attackers!” Let her have it afterwards as a keepsake!

Give your mom what she really wants -- a fun-filled afternoon with you at the Ivy King Cup Playoffs. You can buy tickets at Ticketmaster or the box office, but hurry! These won’t last long. We’ll see you and your mom at 3 p.m. this Sunday at the UIC Pavilion!

National Anthem will be performed by the School of Rock. School of Rock teaches kids aged 7-18 guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, drums and combines weekly private music lessons and group band rehearsals to prepare students to take the stage in front of live audiences in an authentic concert setting.

Halftime entertainment will be highlights from Girls Night: The Musical. This touching and hilarious “tell-it-like-it-is” musical takes audiences on a journey into the lives of a group of female friends. And, audience members can’t help but laugh, cry and even find themselves singing and dancing in the aisles as some of the most popular hit songs of the 80s and 90s make this musical a fan favorite!

The charity partner for the evening is the Boys & Girls Club of Chicago. Their mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Boys & Girls Clubs provide young people with a safe place to spend time during non-school hours and the summer as an alternative to the streets or being home alone, with a chance to play, have fun, laugh and learn.

Tickets are available at Ticketmaster now! With general admission tickets at $20 and VIP tickets at $35, you can treat Mom to an afternoon of hard-hitting action and still have money left over! Use the promo code WRECK 12 to receive $5 off your tickets at Ticketmaster today.

Party with us at Union Park, just two blocks north of the UIC Pavilion, directly following the bout. Join your favorite home team skaters at 228 S. Racine Ave. for $5 turkey burgers, $20 Corona Buckets, $4 Bacardi Bombs and $4 Jameson shots.

You’ll be able to draft your own team, attend top-secret practices, and lend your roller derby know-how to create winning strategies. As if that wasn't enough, guest captains will receive 10 free tickets to distribute to their friends and family in order to watch you work your magic.  You will also be dazzled by some customized memorabilia so you can prove to all your friends that you really got to hang out on the track with the ladies of the WCR!

This terrific opportunity is being auctioned off right now, so place your bid before it’s too late! You can bid on either Team Black or Team White before the auction ends on May 13th.

All proceeds from the auction will be donated to Tequila Mockingbird.  Tequila, a veteran Chicago roller derby player for The Fury, fell and seriously injured her spinal cord during a bout in August 2008.  She has regained some movement in all of her limbs due to sheer perseverance and hard work.  She is positive about the direction of her recovery and thanks all who have helped her along the way. There is still work to be done and she still needs our help.  For more information on Tequila and her injury, visit helptequila.com.