Cincinnati Rollergirls announcer Caesar previews this Saturday’s double-header between the Cincinnati Rollergirls and the Chicago Outfit. First up are Cincinnati’s Silent Lambs and the Outfit’s Shade Brigade in a 40-minute battle between development teams. The main event is a 60-minute regulation game between Cincinnati’s Black Sheep and the Outfit’s Syndicate.
The Cincinnati Rollergirls proudly welcome Girl and Boy Scouts from across the Tri-state for their first-ever Scout Night during this double-header of women’s roller derby at the Cincinnati Gardens.
CINCINNATI BLACK SHEEP (5-1) vs. CHICAGO SYNDICATE (1-1)
While the Black Sheep’s opponent for Saturday, The Chicago Outfit Syndicate, is not ranked and is not a full member of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, in some ways it will be the toughest test of the season for the home team. That’s because the Sheep are playing without their top two scorers, K Lethal and Hannah Ouchocinco. While derby is a team sport, with only five or fewer players on that track at once, the absence of one key player like Lethal or Ouchocinco can have a huge impact on a team’s performance. The rest of the Black Sheep will have to step it up big time and play a motivated, smart bout if they hope to extend their five-game win streak to six and hold on to their top 25 ranking.
Much like Chicago’s historic Five Families, the Syndicate is an organization built upon fear. They went undefeated in 2009, earning an impressive 10-0 record. That record came mostly at the expensive of newer and younger teams, but it gave them enough confidence to set up a much more ambitious 2010 schedule that features several ranked WFTDA teams. So far that 2010 schedule has proven slightly more difficult, as the Outfit were beaten by Lincoln (NE) in March to open their season. After that, they defeated Paper Valley (WI) to bring their record to its current 1-1. The Black Sheep are perhaps the toughest team the Syndicate has ever faced. As a new WFTDA apprentice league, the Syndicate will surely be doing everything they can to secure an upset and prove that they belong with the best teams in the world.
Rather than dwell on the offensive weakness the Sheep face this game, the Cincinnati coaches decided to play up to their biggest strength: Defense. Moving up from the Lambs to the Sheep for this game is MIRDERHER, who should add to the brutal blocking seen this season from the rest of the pack. This should give the Sheep a pack rotation that is very deep and very talented. Expect to continue seeing Sadistic Sadie, Dr. McDerby and Nuk’em switching out from jamming to blocking, and we’re likely to see blocker Trauma jamming too. With effective blocking, that should be enough for another home win.
The Syndicate hasn’t seen much national media attention, so they have the luxury of being fairly unknown to the Cincinnati players and coaches. They do have their share of experienced and talented derby skaters who have been playing for a number of years. Gaygan is known as being a tenacious game-changing player. Sweet Mary Pain and Lola Blow are capable of putting up double-digit jams, and Queefer Sutherland is another high-scoring jammer to watch out for.
Expect this game to be defense-heavy and low-scoring on both sides. This could be one of those games where 60 points is all it takes to win. If the Sheep make any mistakes and present their opponents with any opportunity, the Syndicate will seize it with both hands and make the most of it. The Sheep will probably try and keep the pack slower, giving blockers an advantage, and big, jarring checks should be plentiful. Those sitting trackside are likely to have their laps full all game. On the other hand, if the Syndicate can keep the pace fast and can break up the Cincinnati pack, preventing them from working together, they may stand a chance at pulling off what would be a huge upset.
CINCINNATI BLACK SHEEP: 333 Buckhead Betty // 6 ft. Under Celia Graves // 15 Dr. McDerby // 21 June with a Cleaver // 83 Jungle Lacy // 3 Karma Krash // 4 Killian Destroy // 44revolver MIRDERHER // 86 Nuk’em // 76 Sadistic Sadie // 66.5 Sista Sacralicious // 69 Sk8 Crime // 11 Sk8r-Kinney // 5 Trauma
CHICAGO SYNDICATE: 00 Kim Mortal // 5ft Graves // 7 Jennie Lee Von Slaughter // 14 The Joan Ranger // -32° Pain Gwen // 110% Smashley “The Spaniard” Destruco // 24 Queefer Sutherland // AK47 Lady K // M80 Sweet Mary Pain // 86 Helsa Wayton // 138 Lola Blow // 422 Gaygan // 666 Suzie Rot // 1031 Maul E. Hatchet
CINCINNATI SILENT LAMBS (3-1) vs. CHICAGO SHADE BRIGADE (0-1)
The Shade Brigade recently lost to Paper Valley’s (WI) Flyin’ Squirrels, so they are looking for redemption in their match up against the Silent Lambs, who are coming off a recent big win against Grand Rapid’s G-Rap Attack. There’s not much information out there on this team otherwise, but given that the Outfit are a smaller league in a market with a lot of other derby teams, this Shade Brigade looks to be mostly made up of very inexperienced players.
In comparison, the Silent Lambs appear to have much more experience as well as the home track advantage. The Lambs will be without two of their fiercest blockers in this game (see above) and also are down a jammer, as Miss Print is unavailable. The upside is that this allows two players to suit up in their first game of the season, Captain Painway and GiGi GoGlitter, as Hop Devil and Poppy Chulo look to add some game experience to their repertoire. If these newcomers get into trouble, they can look to veterans Bex Pistol, The Librarian and Cherry Choke to lead them to victory.
The Silent Lambs appear to have an edge in experience, so it should be a relatively easy outing for the home team, and a chance for newer players to test their skill and get quality playing time. But the Shade Brigade knows that you can get farther with a kind word and a hip-check than you can with a kind word alone, so don’t expect anything less than an exiting opening game full of trash-talking, fast skates and more hits than a mob war.
CINCINNATI SILENT LAMBS: 45 Bex Pistol // 1-2-3 Bombtrack // 79 Captain Painway // 0 Cherry Choke // 88 Diamond Kut-Her // 20 Geez Louise // 99 GiGi GoGlitter // 22 GlamourAzz // 6.7% Hop Devil // M30W Kitten Kicker // 13 Maime // 94 Nik Jagger // M16 Penni Pusha // 38 Pistol Whippin’ Wendy // 63 Polly Rocket // 27 Poppy Chulo // 43 Wheezy // 739.27T213E The Librarian
CHICAGO SHADE BRIGADE: 08 Erin Watershow // 3E Yama // 15 Lexistential Crisis // 16 Mari Cone // 26 Smother Earth // 30 Acey D. Cee // 67 Valerie of the Dolls // 99 Ottermatic Weapon // #120MM J1 “Jabs” Abrams // 409 SheBiscuit // 496 Uma Bomber // 1300 Harley Dangerson // 1980 DeFreshe Mode // AK47 Lady K
Scout Night Ticket Package Pricing
Tickets for this event are $10 for scouts and $7 for adult chaperones. The ticket price for scouts includes a private meet-and-greet with the skaters for pictures and autographs and a special commemorative patch. This event is open to all Scouting and Scouting-like organizations. Order tickets for your scouts and their chaperones using the Scout Night Ticket Form. Download and fax the completed form to 513-631-2666 ATTN: Carol or mail to the address provided. Other group sales or regular general admission tickets are not eligible for this promotion.
General Admission and Track-Side Ticket Prices
Single-game tickets for adults are $10 for general admission seating and $15 for trackside seating. Tickets for kids 7-12 are just $5 and kids 6 and under are FREE. General admission season ticket packages are $40 for adults and just $20 for kids 7-12. Family and VIP ticket packages are also available. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or at the Cincinnati Gardens box office, 2250 Seymour Ave., Cincinnati, OH, 45212. To bring a group to the bout, click here.