After jumping nine spots to No. 48 worldwide in the June 30 Women’s Flat Track Derby Association rankings, the Cincinnati Rollergirls have secured an invitation to the D2 International WFTDA Playoffs from Aug. 26-28 in Lansing, MI.
This marks Cincinnati’s first trip to the playoffs since 2013, when the team’s Black Sheep squad finished eighth at the WFTDA playoffs in Fort Wayne, IN.
After the departure of several veteran skaters and subsequent rebuilding, the Black Sheep finished the 2016 season 5-2 in sanctioned play, climbing 22 ranking spots from the beginning of the season.
As the No. 4 seed in the Lansing playoffs, Cincinnati’s first game of the tournament will be against the No. 5 seed, Calgary Roller Derby Association. Cincinnati enters the tournament as the higher seed despite falling to Calgary 212-161 in June at the BrewHaHa Tournament in Milwaukee. Click here for more information on WFTDA’s rankings algorithm.
WFTDA’s Division 1 Playoffs include the top 40 teams in the WFTDA that met minimum game play requirements, and the Division 2 Playoffs include the next 20 teams in the rankings. Teams were split among the six Playoffs brackets using “S-curve” seeding.
The top three finishers from each of the four D1 Playoffs and the top two teams from each of the two D2 Playoffs will advance to the 2016 International WFTDA Championships, which will be held Nov. 4-6 in Portland, OR.
According to the WFTDA, “The 2016 International WFTDA Playoffs and Championships tournament series showcases the sport’s top athletes and teams, pushing the limits of the sport to new heights with revolutionary game play.” Read more about the tournaments here.
For the full bracket and more information on the D2 International WFTDA Playoffs at the Summit Sports and Ice Complex in Lansing, click here.
The Cincinnati Rollergirls continue to search for a new practice space and a new venue with the pending sale and demolition of their home venue for the past decade, the Cincinnati Gardens. Click here for more information on the team’s search.