The Cincinnati Rollergirls return to Schmidt Memorial Fieldhouse on Saturday, April 8 for Superhero Night and a battle against the Circle City Derby Girls of Indianapolis. Find out why this is a game you won’t want to miss in Tank’s preview.

I spent the first Sunday in April the same way I have spent it for the past two-plus decades: watching Wrestlemania. It’s essentially my Christmas, but instead of reindeer, elves, and turkey, it’s filled with dudes getting power-bombed and jumping off of ladders and barbecue wings.
I’ve had a lot of emotions over the years watching the biggest WWE event of the year, but for the first time ever, I felt an emotion I had never associated with the show: sadness. I was depressed because after watching The Undertaker perform for 27 years, I finally saw his last match. On Monday morning, I scrolled through my Facebook feed and came upon a cartoon of a young father and son watching The Undertaker walk to the ring in 1990 and the same father and son watching him leave the ring in 2017; the father now an old man and his son now in his 30s.
While it tugged at my heartstrings, it also made me smile, because it reminded of the first time I saw the Dead Man slowly march to the ring. From there, I started to think about the fact that there was a first time I heard my favorite band. There was a first time I watched Star Wars. There was a first time I played Super Mario Bros. And there was a first time I saw my favorite roller derby player skate. And you, Cincinnati Rollergirls fan, might mark that same moment this Saturday night.
In their second home game of 2017, the Cincinnati Rollergirls will be in action against the Circle City Derby Girls of Indianapolis, sandwiched between two Cincinnati Junior Rollergirls games. Circle City is 0-1 in sanctioned play this season, after falling to Battle Creek last month by just 2 points. Cincinnati has yet to play a sanctioned game this season, although the Black Sheep were bested by Fort Wayne in an unsanctioned game at CRG’s home opener last month.
Saturday’s CRG roster, technically the Violent Lambs, is a mix of newcomers and vets who have done time on both the Sheep and Lambs. Two of the players making their CRG debut in this game are Ada Burnlace and Mae Murder. Both Ada and Mae are former Cincinnati Junior Rollergirls and are excited to make their Cincinnati Rollergirls debut at home. I’m eager to see how they perform as they make the transition to the adult game. Both have earned MVP blocker honors in the past and both have four-plus years of experience already under their belts.
Another player making her CRG debut is Gnarly Manson, formerly of the Ohio Valley Rollergirls. Another recent transfer, Train N Pain, formerly of Burning River Roller Derby, made her CRG debut last month (pictured, jamming) and will be in action Saturday. Look for Mae, Gnarly and Train to all take turns wearing the jammer star. This game will also see the return of Cincy Psych-O, who retired in 2015 but has decided to dust off her skates and return to the track.
The rest of the roster is a familiar list of skaters who have gelled together over the past three to four seasons. I am interested in seeing what Jillian Dollaz does in this game, as she now has multiple years of experience under her belt, which combined with her stature and athleticism should prove to be a lethal combination. ¡I, Caramba! Is definitely a player to watch in this game as she works well with her teammates on the track to form walls and tripods.
Finally, keep an eye on REdrUM. I can’t remember the last time I have seen a skater that is so willing to throw her body into other human beings and worry about the physical consequences later. She’s like a bull, and in her eyes, every opposing jammer is wearing red.
Circle City’s roster will be anchored by experienced skaters Lady Miss Bier, Pele’s Melee and Callie Need, all in their ninth or 10th seasons, while Pound Cake and Lay Em Out Lydia are making their Socialites debuts. It’s been two years since the Socialites and the Lambs faced off, but if that game is any indication — the Socialites lost to the Lambs by 35 points — Saturday should be another good matchup.
Saturday night is also Superhero Night, so feel free to don your favorite spandex or cape for the costume contest at halftime of the CRG game. And maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll see a player that becomes one of your favorites, and years later you can point to her on the track and say to your children, “I remember the first time I saw her play.”
-Tank
Click here for more information about Superhero Night and to buy tickets.

Cincinnati Violent Lambs vs. Circle City Socialites (6 p.m.)

Violent Lambs: 0 Cherry Choke // 15 Mae Murder // 18 Scrappy Sue // 21 Ada Burnlace // 22 Cincy Psych-O // 23 ¡I, Caramba! // 26 Mama Crass // 27 Poppy Chulo // 29 REdrUM // 34 Jillian Dollaz // 41 Karli Hustle // 42 Ragdoll Ruby // 49 Gnarly Manson // 79 Train N Pain
Socialites: 16 Pound Cake // 1215 Pure Polly // 34 Deadly Dimples // 301 Lay Em Out Lydia // 317 Kimbo Slice Her // 44 Elizabeth Smackwell // 515 Bellflower // 60 Callie Need // 707 Bontonomo Bay // 789 Goldie Brawn // 8 Lady Miss Bier // 83 The Killer Purple // 808 Pele’s Melee