The Cincinnati Rollergirls are ending their 10th anniversary season in a big way this Saturday, June 11 at the Cincinnati Gardens with the fifth annual Crosstown Knockdown against the Black-n-Bluegrass Rollergirls and the team’s first-ever Harry Potter-themed game, featuring Team Gryffindor vs. Team Slytherin. Check out our preview of these two epic rivalries.

It is a bittersweet like butterbeer week to be a Cincinnati Rollergirls fan. Last weekend, the Cincinnati Rollergirls’ Black Sheep competed at the seventh annual BrewHaHa in Milwaukee. While the team went into the weekend with high hopes and expectations, they ultimately left Brew City with two close losses as they were defeated by both Calgary and their old North Central rival, Grand Raggidy.
While a higher number of penalties were expected in these games as referees tend to call tighter games at multi-day, multi-league events, I don’t think anyone was expecting the Black Sheep to rack up 12 jammer penalties in the second half of the Grand Raggidy game. Even with this Hagrid-size number of penalties, the defense held up well, and CRG still had a chance to win the game going into the last jam. A star pass ultimately dashed those hopes as the seasoned veteran Lucy Morals had a double-digit jam to secure the lead and the win. Now the Sheep have to wait until July 16 to take the track again when they travel to Raleigh to take on the Carolina Rollergirls.
It’s OK, though — this bout preview isn’t all dark clouds and (S)he-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, as Saturday night is one of the biggest bouts of the year for Cincinnati. CRG will lock horns with their Northern Kentucky rivals, the Black-n-Bluegrass Rollergirls, in the fifth annual Crosstown Knockdown. Currently Cincinnati is 4-0 in the series, but going 5-0 isn’t a guarantee. The 4-3 Violent Lambs (B Team) will take on BBRG’s Blackouts (A Team) who are 1-1 this season. The Lambs have been a consistently dominant B Team for years but recently lost a number of players to the Black Sheep. While this gives many of the Lambs’ young players more track time, it also means this squad is still continuing to gel. On the flipside, the Blackouts are a team with a number of multi-year veterans who have played together for a long time.
There are a number of interesting players to talk about in this game. After a long layoff, Hot Slice (aka Boxcutter) is back! Slice is a great addition to this team as she is a fearless player who has ice water for blood. Chainsaw has been a stand out blocker in every Lambs game she has played in this year, and I am expecting to see big things out of her in this rivalry game. Speaking of big things, the-next-big-thing Royal T will be jamming for the Lambs in this game. Her educated feet have spelled trouble for defenses all season, and BBRG is going to need to step their game up to stop her. Mama Crass will be sure to be fired up for this one as she takes on her former league mates. Finally, the rumor going around the water cooler at the CRG front office is that this will be the last game for Annie Tomical, whom I will miss seeing on the track.
As I said earlier in this preview, the Black-n-Bluegrass Rollergirls have a number of veterans on their team. Neva Shakeababy and Petal to the Metal are two extremely quick jammers who can cause a lot of damage to the scoreboard if they are able to get up to speed. Hot T Molly (Tank), Heavy Chevy and Mellkat are just a handful of BBRG pack players with multiple seasons under their belt. We’ll also get to see former CRG player Obie Haive square off against her old team, as well as former Cincinnati-turned-Black-n-Bluegrass junior skater, Krumple Killsten, who is playing her second year of adult derby with BBRG.
This is by far the most evenly matched these two leagues have looked on paper before a Crosstown Knockdown bout. BBRG definitely has the size and strength advantage in the pack whereas CRG has a much faster and technically skilled squad of skaters. This game is going to be a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to see who rolls away with a year’s worth of bragging rights at the end of this one.
But that’s not all. Cincinnati will have their first-ever Harry Potter bout to close out the night. The teams were chosen out of a sorting hat, and you’ll get to see a co-ed mix of Cincinnati Rollergirls and the Battering Rams (men’s) team as they play as Team Gryffindor vs. Team Slytherin. You can see the teams listed below.
But that’s not all: The Harry Potter bout will also feature fans casting spells on the game! These spells can reverse the scoreboard, give players penalty immunity, switch players to different teams and more. So bust out your best wand, make sure your best robe is clean and tell the boy that lives under the stairs to get tickets now, because this is going to be a spectacle that you can’t afford to miss.
-Tank
More Information
The first 300 kids in the door Saturday get a magical gift. Choose wisely! (Doors open at 5 p.m.) And come dressed as your favorite Harry Potter character for our costume contest during halftime of the second game. One adult winner and one child winner, judged by audience applause, will receive prizes awarded by a representative of CRG’s Department of Magical Games and Sports, including gift cards from Joseph-Beth Booksellers!
Click here for tickets and more information about the home season finale.

Cincinnati Violent Lambs vs. Black-n-Bluegrass (6 p.m.)

Violent Lambs: Annie Tomical – 91 // Chainsaw – 80 // Cherry Choke – 0 // Coco – 48 // Hot Slice – 71 // Jillian Dollaz – 34 // Karli Hustle – 41 // Mama Crass – 26 // Poppy Chulo – 27 // Ragdoll Ruby – 42 // Redrum – 29 // Royal T – 533 // Scrappy Sue – 18 // Tru D. Vicious – 19
Black-n-Bluegrass: Hot T Molly (Tank) // Heavy Chevy // Billie Bitchslap // Mickey Mouth // Proud Mary // Lefty Lou // Pretty n Pink // Mellkat // Willy Wonkher // Pinup Pussycat // Obie Haive // Petal to the Metal // Neva Shakeababy // Krumple Killsten // Alt 1: Briggs n Smackem // Alt 2: Ruby Ridge

Team Gryffindor vs. Team Slytherin (approx 7:30 p.m.)

Team Gryffindor: Bubba Thump – 31 // Creeper – 975 // Hot Slice – 71 // ¡I, Caramba – 23 // Jas Hubbard – 135 // Jerry Rigg – 77 // Jillian Dollaz – 34 // Macrum – 93 // Poppy Chulo – 27 // Quad Almighty – 7 // R.E.D. – 50 // Redrum – 29 // Royal T – 533 // Sailor Scary – 92 // Scrappy Sue – 18 // The Iceman – 33
Team Slytherin: Anne Bones – 77 // Annie Tomical – 91 // Chainsaw – 80 // Cherry Choke – 0 // Ellie Stab’er – 631 // Karli Hustle – 41 // Kitten Kicker – 30 // Knuckles – 3D // Mama Crass – 26 // Notorious B.O.B – 13 // Pete Rolls – 14 // Rosenbeck – 17 // Schnack Attack – 83 // Spyder – 81 // Tru D. Vicious – 19 // Wheezy – 43