Cincinnati Rollergirls announcer Caesar takes a look at Saturday’s season opener and gives a detailed breakdown of the matchups.

Cincinnati Silent Lambs vs. Circle City Socialites

The Silent Lambs open up the season for the Cincinnati Rollergirls at the Cincinnati Gardens at 7 p.m. this Saturday, March 27, against the Circle City Socialites of Indianapolis, IN. As is typically the case with a development team, the Lambs have had some turn over in their roster since they last played at home. A few players have been called up to the Black Sheep, a few others have retired, and vacancies have been filled with new rookies and skaters who have transferred in from other derby leagues.
Given how new this roster is, it is hard to assess the Lambs’ overall strengths and weaknesses. Celia Graves and Envy MiYoni have transferred over from Derby City (Louisville, KY), and they collectively bring about 5 years of derby experience over to the Lambs. Look for Graves to play in the pack and deliver brutal blocks, while Envy is likely to pivot quite a bit. The Lambs will be anchored by veterans including Bex Pistol, Nik Jagger, Miss Print and the Librarian, all of whom are constantly improving and bring tons of leadership and positivity to the bench for the Lambs. New CRG rookies that have looked impressive in practice and scrimmages are Penni Pusha, a tall and determined blocker, and Bombtrack, a speedy and athletic jammer. While not technically a rookie, Wheezy will be playing her first game with the Lambs, and has been practicing hard to make sure her debut is a personal and team success.
Circle City started as a recreational team in Indianapolis, but they recently have decided to play more games on the road and become more competitive. Despite this, we can’t say much about how they play or who their standout players are. We do know that amateur sports are huge in Indianapolis, and the city seems to breed great derby athletes and fans, so Circle City could very well send the Lambs out to pasture Saturday night. They are coming off a very close loss to the Fort Wayne Bomb Squad and a bigger loss to Michigan’s Skeetown Skirtz, so the Socialites will hope to make a statement in the Gardens.
» Visit Circle City Socialites for more information on the visiting team.
SILENT LAMBS: 45 Bex Pistol // 1-2-3 Bombtrack // 60 Shirley Temptya // 6 ft. Under Celia Graves // 88 Diamond Kut-Her // 23 Envy MiYoni // 20 Geez Louise // 22 GlamourAzz // M30W Kitten Kicker // M1A1 Maim E. Van Gore’n // 44 revolver MIRDERHER // 9.5 pt Miss Print // 94 Nik Jagger // M16 Penni Pusha // 38 Pistol Whippin’ Wendy // 27 Poppy Chulo // 37 RebelSk8r // 739.27T213E The Librarian // 43 Wheezy
Circle City Socialites: 4 Anya Booty // 5446 Bambi Lance // 777 Beattie Sedgwick // TEN7 Bona Contention // 16OZ Cruel Whip // 70s Faye Stunaway // B4U Fly // 1020 Ho CrackHer // -273C Ionic Bondage // 8 Lady Miss Bier // 6 Megan Enemies // 64LY Nova Blaze // 32 Polly Dent // 2D6 Roll-R-Damage // Salacious T // 138 Shock Hop // 74 Splatty Hearst // 2931 Spleana Rupture // 260 Trouble Helix // 42 Screama Donna

Cincinnati Black Sheep vs. San Diego Wildfires

The 2010 season opener for the Cincinnati Black Sheep will feature an opponent that is now somewhat familiar to the team. The Black Sheep traveled to San Diego back in October for a series of games on both the banked and flat tracks, a series that was split with SD taking the banked game and CRG dominating on the flat track (see Derby News Network for a more detailed review of that event). San Diego is not a WFTDA league so there are no direct rankings to compare, but the Derby News Network Power Rankings have the Black Sheep at # 15 and the Wildfires at # 21 in the nation. That’s about as close a matchup as you will see all year in the Gardens, so this first game is going to be exciting and intense.
CRG’s roster features a number of new faces, as several veterans are taking time off this year to pursue other activities, including Ruff’n the Passer, candyKICKass and Blu Bayou. Also out are Mae C. Stars and Panterrorize (who recently retired after a long competitive roller skating career). This allows some of the development players of last year to move up to the Black Sheep roster from the Silent Lambs; Dr. McDerby and Karma Krash are among those looking to fill the skates of the aforementioned CRG players. Returning are Sadistic Sadie, Hannah Ouchocinco (formerly Barbaric), and Nuk’em, arguably the three best roller derby players in the Buckeye State. Those three will see a lot of jamming duties, but jammers aren’t successful without great blockers and the Sheep have some of the best in the country. Sk8r-Kinney absolutely owns the front of the pack, and Trauma is a great all-around blocker. While the Sheep are missing a few great teammates, their depth might be better than ever with the experience of returning veterans like Sk8 Crime, Killian Destroy and Cherry Choke.
San Diego seems to be more comfortable skating on a banked track, based on a comparison of their records on each type of track surface. Their roster for this game is very experienced though, and the Black Sheep are arguably not as strong defensively as last year. Ivanna S. Pankin helped initiate the modern resurgence of women’s roller derby as a founding member of Arizona Roller Derby and the Sin City Rollergirls. Trish the Dish is one of the most intense and emotional players you’ll ever see. Dahmernatrix is also a powerful force and is going to have Black Sheep jammers bleating for mercy all game long. Steely Jan and Kung Pow Tina play for the national all-star Team Awesome (along with our own Sadistic Sadie and Sk8r-Kinney and a few other San Diego players), and will prove to be very difficult for the CRG pack to contain.
This game should start the 2010 season with fast, intense game play and a close score throughout. As in any close game, penalties will be a defining factor in the outcome. If CRG gets into foul trouble, the veteran Wildfires will definitely be aware enough to capitalize. We think the Black Sheep have the speed and smarts to start the season with a win, but we’ll need all of our fans’ support to overcome this fiery Southern California squad. Come early and BE LOUD!
» For more information on the visiting San Diego team, visit their website.
For a preview of the Cincinnati Rollergirls’ 2010 season, see our announcer the Tank’s blog.
BLACK SHEEP: 333 Buckhead Betty // 0 Cherry Choke // 85 Hannah Ouchocinco // 21 June with a Cleaver // 83 Jungle Lacy // 187 K Lethal // 3 Karma Krash // 4 Killian Destroy // 86 Nuk’em // 76 Sadistic Sadie // 66.5 Sista Sacralicious // 69 Sk8 Crime // 11 Sk8r-Kinney // 5 Trauma
San Diego Derby Dolls: 26 Bonnie D Stroir // 56 CheerBleedHer // 505 Dahmernatrix // 22 Ivanna S. Pankin // 88 Kiki DiAzz // 7&7 Kung Pow Tina // 80 Lemon Drop // 703 OB Noxious // 7 Slamurai // i SplintHer // 19 Steely Jan // 99 Trish the Dish