Stakes Are High As Mayhem Tries to Secure Title Game Berth Against Hungry Queens Squad
/By Thomas Gerbasi
It’s that time again. As Gotham Girls Roller Derby league fans know, there’s only a three-game season for every home team, so when June rolls around, the title picture starts to take shape. In some cases, it’s already 95% set by the time the league heads to Coney Island for the annual July doubleheader, and that will be the goal for the Manhattan Mayhem when they face the Queens of Pain at John Jay College in NYC this Saturday.
PHOTO DAVID DYTE
At 1-0, Mayhem already sent Brooklyn down to defeat in April, and a similar positive result against Queens this weekend will put them in a first-place tie with the 2-0 defending champions from the Bronx.
So if you’re keeping score at home, the matchups in Coney Island will look like this on July 13:
Queens (0-2) vs Brooklyn (0-2)
Manhattan (2-0) vs Bronx (2-0)
In other words, we’ll get a championship game before the championship game between Mayhem and the Gridlock. Not bad when it comes to bang for your buck.
PHOTO DAVID DYTE
But Queens, one of the league’s perennial powerhouses, is not about to settle for such an outcome to their season. The skaters in black went to war with the Gridlock in the March rematch of last year’s title bout before penalty issues cost them in the second half, and they can never be counted out of any bout.
Of course, Manhattan is eager to win their first title since 2016, and a win this weekend will earn them a date with the Gridlock. But let’s switch up the numbers and look at what happens in Coney Island should Queens emerge victorious on Saturday:
Queens (1-1) vs Brooklyn (0-2)
Manhattan (1-1) vs Bronx (2-0)
Oh boy, things look a lot different, eh? Now each bout on the boardwalk holds championship implications, and that’s really some bang for the buck.
PHOTO DAVID DYTE
Either way, it’s going to be some summer kickoff in Coney Island next month. But in the meantime, June will be making its own statement this weekend, and if you’re a derby fan, there’s no better place to be than John Jay College, as Queens and Manhattan try to cement their own summer plans, with visions of the Golden Skate Trophy dancing in their heads.
