VOTE NOW IN THIS HOTLY CONTESTED BALLOT!

by the Grand Poobah

An open letter to ARRG Nation:

Anyone who is friends with me personally knows that I cannot stand politics.

It’s not because I don’t believe in democracy, it’s because I’m not a fan of what the modern era’s “political campaigns” consist of….a whole lot of “vote for me because my opposition is a scumbag” methodology.

Perhaps that’s a little excessive…or is it?

That being said, I recently voted in an open election to select “ARRG’s Fan Favorite,” a contest that for a limited time you - a member of the derby lovin’ public - can vote on here at archrivalrollergirls.com.

It seemed like a contest that I had personal interest in - and a contest that featured no mudslinging by any of the candidates.

And it turned out to be one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make.

I thought long and hard about what was at stake, which to all the ARRG athletes is quite a lot. This is the only vote that the public engages in for the annual ARRG awards - it truly is the “power of the people” that pushes a performer to the pinnacle of popularity.

And who in this election of 50+ candidates stands out? I think of all the sweat equity involved on and off the track for the sport and I can’t single out one, two or even a dozen skaters. Truth be told, I wish I could vote for every one of them - they are all well-deserving.

But since “all of them” was not a viable option for this category, I had to select one.

You too will be faced with the same thought-provoking decision when you vote.

Keep a few things in mind when making that well-informed selection…

1 - Think about a skater’s performance throughout the year. There have some epic performances at individual local bouts this season. But think of consistency in this category. Who has been a steady performer regardless of the final score? Even in a team’s losing effort, an effort by a skater that consistently surpasses expectations with every bout should not go unnoticed.

2 - Although scoring is impressive, don’t forget about the front line. Blockers and pivots are just as imperative to the success of a team as a jammer is. Keep in mind that some jammers pull “double duty” and fulfill a multitude of responsibilities. This front line also logs large amounts of track time.

3 - That being said, there have been a few unexpected surprises at the jammer position this season. In some cases, young jammers were called into action due to injuries and retirement. Their breakthroughs should not go unnoticed as well.

4 - Think about how the ARRG athlete deals with you personally on bout nights, whether she is competing or not. Perhaps that skater signed an autograph that lit up the eyes of a young derby fan after the bout. Perhaps that skater took care of you or your group as a part of the responsibilities of a “host team” that didn’t skate that night. It’s qualities like these that fans should truly appreciate.

5 - Think about what an ARRG athlete does “off the track.” A majority of the ARRG athletes participate in community outreach efforts that benefit area non-profits. They also make public appearances to spread the word of flat-track roller derby to the masses. The time contributed off the track should also be considered.

Have I made a challenging decision even more difficult? Probably so.

After all the votes have been tabulated, the winner will be announced at the 2010 ARRG Awards Ceremony on October 17th.

As I said earlier, I’ve already submitted my vote. And truth be told, I was happy that I did it.

Who did I vote for? Mmmmm, let’s just say it was a female athlete who skates on eight wheels.

And it had nothing to do with on-track performance.

You too can be a part of the election process by voting on the main page of archrivalrollergirls.com.

It’ll probably be the most challenging - and rewarding - vote you’ll make this election cycle.

SUPER SUNDAY FOR ST. LOUIS SKATERS!

LUNACHIX & GATEKEEPERS SCORE BIG WINS!

Sunday proved to be a winning day for local derby as two St. Louis teams picked up victories on the road.

The St. Lunachix - ARRG’s developmental squad - posted a 163-132 win over the Springfield Rollergirls in Greene County, MO Sunday.

The Chix were trailing 82-71 at intermission but outscored Springfield 92-50 in the second half to pick up the victory.

The St. Lunachix improved their record to 3-3 in 2010 with the win.

Meanwhile, the STLGatekeepers - the local men’s flat track roller derby franchise - bested the Magic City Misfits 170-143 in Fayetteville, Arkansas later in the evening.

Both franchises will be back in action on Saturday, October 23 in Marion, IL at the Williamson County Pavilion in a twin-bill of derby action. The St. Lunachix face the Southern Illinois Rollergirls in the headliner while the STLGatekeepers will have another intraleague match-up featuring the Dark Side battling the Force.

Tickets for the event are $8 in advance online through Brown Paper Tickets or $10 at the door.

The Grand Poobah and Hells LaBelle are bout announcers for the Arch Rival Roller Girls. Check back in this section every Monday for the latest in ARRG news, information and stumping!

NEWEST TEAM BRINGS EXPERIENCE, NEWFOUND ATTITUDE

by The Grand Poobah

And now there are four…

The upcoming season of the Arch Rival Roller Girls will see the launch of a new franchise at the All-American Sports Mall - a cooperative of counter-clockwise skating competitors that looks to impress St. Louis’ derby faithful.

Rebel Skate Alliance - ARRG’s expansion team of derby veterans and rookies - will compete in its inaugural bout on Saturday, November 13 as it battles 2010 league runner-up The Smashinistas.

One of the co-captains of RSA is eager to show the masses the magnitude her team can bring to the table in less than two months’ time.

“I was apprehensive (at first) about our ability to make an immediate splash in the upcoming ARRG season, however I have been pleasantly surprised with the way the team has gelled in our initial scrimmages,” said RSA co-captain Chewblocka, one of the squad’s primary blockers. “I look forward to being continuously surprised in this way throughout the season.”

RSA's Chewblocka

For the five-year derby vet from Ohio, a three-time “Blocker of the Year” who in mid-season 2010 joined the Stunt Devils as well as ARRG’s All-Star roster, the challenge of building a team from scratch is exciting.

“Being a recent addition to ARRG, I felt that it would be an easy transition to make,” said the co-captain, who prior to her Buckeye tenure was fixture of ARRG’s inception in 2005. “I never got the pleasure of building a team from the ground up. I hope my experience is an asset to the enterprise.”

The origin of RSA was launched in early summer when the league as a whole decided that it should expand to four intraleague teams due in part to the ever growing number of athletes participating in ARRG.

To summarize, all skaters from the 2010 ARRG rosters were offered the opportunity to volunteer for the expansion team. Once all volunteers were counted, members for the expansion team were chosen by the ARRG Board of Directors and its coaching committee based on skill set and experience while maintaining parity amongst the three other ARRG intraleague squads. The remainder of the expansion franchise was supplemented by a draft in July.

When the nebula of RSA was revealed, it contained ten derby veterans, six of which were members of the 2010 ARRG All-Star travel team roster.

The team name, its colors, logo and co-captains, were solidified in August.

And when one looks at the sum of all its parts…what a coalition it is!  

Starry Starry Fight

At the forefront of RSA’s offense is 2010 league scoring champion Starry Starry Fight, who returns to the Gateway City after a brief sabbatical. The rejuvenated jammer - and perennial All-Star - brings instant impact to the scoring ledger.

“Her point production last season speaks for itself,” said Chewblocka, referring to the jammer’s 151 points scored in only three ARRG bouts last season. “She gets the job done with the star on her helmet. She also brings experience, depth and an incredible spirit to our roster.”

The common-found spirit for RSA is personified in the form of Smarty McFly, ARRG’s 2009 Rookie of the Year. Although the talented skater was beset by injuries in 2010, a rested body for the upcoming season results in a huge upswing for both the jammer/blocker - who will serve as the squad’s other co-captain - as well as her team.

“She is posed for a comeback,” notes Chewblocka. “She is a multi-positional threat and wise in the ways of derby. She will be making her impact known all season long.” 

The Bevo Kill

Not only did the change in scenery change the colors for several veteran’s uniforms, but in one noticeable instance, it resulted in a total metamorphosis. Former M-80’s co-captain Nikki Vixxen rechristened herself as The Bevo Kill.

But don’t think for one moment that the new moniker will result in a different methodology for the All-Star jammer/blocker.

 ”I pretty much dreaded ever having to play against her (in the past), and now I don’t have to,” said the co-captain of her new teammate. “She is simply a stunning player. Smart as heck and has the skills to execute. Her enviable blocking ability will be put to good use on our roster, but don’t be surprised if she dons a star as well.”

RSA acquired plenty of experience to assemble a hard-hitting battalion of blockers, most noticeably wily derby vets Domme E. Nation and SueShe, members of the ARRG All-Stars and the St. Lunachix respectively.

“Everyone has witnessed Domme destroy jammers,” said Chewblocka. “And Sue She is a hell cat! She possesses the tenacity, endurance and experience necessary to be an impact blocker. The league is on notice!” 

Party Foul

Another strong acquisition to RSA was jammer/blocker Party Foul, a two-year vet from Bloomington, Indiana’s Bleeding Heartland, who joined ARRG’s All-Star squad at the recent North Central Regional.

“Expect her to make an immediate splash,” said the co-captain. “She possesses incredible explosiveness and agility, and the versatility to be a multi-role player.”

A trio with blocking experience joins the intergalactic schematic. Bertha Venus, Ginny Beastley and Rock Steady all possess the skills to bring depth to RSA’s organization of obstruction.

“Bertha has been dealing with an injury in the off-season, but has spent the time asking smart questions and devouring the answers,” said Chewblocka. “Once she is back on skates full-time, she will put all that knowledge to immediate use.

“Ginny is a blocker hungry to make a name for herself - expect magic. And Rock is eager to earn her stones. She makes small improvements from one practice to the next and those improvements are adding up to huge dividends.”

Rounding out the line-up is a pair of roller recruits. Both Kalestorm and Badonka Bam look to impress in their rookie seasons.

“With a few games under their belts, they will become solid additions to our pack,” said the co-captain.

As a whole, it’s a team that destined to obliterate the negative connotation that is often associated with the phrase “expansion” when correlated with other professional sports. To RSA, the term “expansion” does not equal “pushover.”

To its credit, even with the amount of track time logged collectively, the team is humble. As jokingly self-defined by the RSA braintrust, it’s a squad that is a mixture of “nerds and a few obliging non-nerds.”

Yet, this amalgamation of athletes has a common goal this season - to be in title contention next spring.

“We don’t have the benefit of team history to build upon that the other three teams do,” said Chewblocka. “We hope that our general team nerdiness will translate into derby smarts, so that we can pick apart the competition with our brains as well as our booties.”

In summation, how will the other three teams of ARRG react to this new-found faction of the flat track?

More importantly, how will they respond?

ARRG Nation will found out more on Saturday, November 13.

COMO STYMIES ST. LUNACHIX FOR 7TH STRAIGHT WIN

ST. CHUX CHICK SCORES 110 IN DOUBLEHEADER’S OPENER

(ST. PETERS, MO) Saturday night at the Omni Sportsplex, ARRG’s developmental squad - The St. Lunachix - were bested by the CoMo Derby Dames 143-116 in the headliner of a dual-bout showdown of three Eastern Missouri-based leagues.

The doubleheader - hosted by the St. Chux Derby Chix - resulted in the largest gate ever for flat track derby in St. Charles County.

The Chix were quick out of the gate and posted a 45-8 lead midway in the first half thanks in part to quick scoring punches by EnYa Nightmare and Siege. Despite a late-half CoMo rally, The Chix maintained a 62-49 advantage at intermission.

Early In the second half, CoMo went on a roll…literally. The Derby Dames produced a 48-0 run after the second half’s second jam. The Dames’ Slamrock, Adderoller and Faerie Lethal contributed to the momentum shift, which saw CoMo notch a 101-77 lead with 15:00 remaining.

To its credit, the St. Lunachix would not give up - drawing to within a baker’s dozen points deep into the bout. Unfortunately, late penalties stopped a Chix comeback.

CoMo went on a 14-0 run to seal the win - its seventh consecutive victory - to improve to 7-1 on the season.

The St. Lunachix (2-3) next play this Sunday against the Springfield (MO) Roller Girls.

In the doubleheader’s opener, the St. Chux Derby Chix “womanhandled” the CoMo Reckoning Crew 213-44.

St. Chux jammer P. Diamond had a career night, notching 110 points in the bout, thanks to numerous 20-point-plus power jams.

St. Chux exploded to an 82-30 lead at intermission and continued the onslaught in the second half, outscoring CoMo’s developmental squad 131-14.

Jammer G.I. Jamie contributed 60 points to the St. Chux win while Grey Goose O’Flyen added 28.

The St. Chux Derby Chix (2-2) are next in action on Saturday, October 30.

ARRG APPEARS AT GROVEFEST THIS SATURDAY

The Arch Rival Roller Girls will be appearing at the 2010 Grovefest, held Saturday, September 25 in the Grove neighborhood of St. Louis (on Manchester from Sarah to Boyle).

Grovefest, celebrating its fifth year, features local music, dancing, art, cuisine (and derby!) within one of St. Louis’ most celebrated cultural scenes.

Grovefest runs from 4 - 11 pm, with revelry continuing well throughout the evening/morning at numerous local establishments.

ARRG members will make appearances at the event. Stop on by and say hello.

To find out more about Grovefest, visit the neighborhood association’s website HERE.

The Grand Poobah and Hells LaBelle are bout announcers for the Arch Rival Roller Girls. Check in this section on Mondays for the latest in ARRG news, information, synonym usage and hijinx.

PART OF THREE LEAGUE DOUBLEHEADER IN ST. CHUCK

by the Grand Poobah

Think the season is over for flat track roller derby in St. Louis? Think again!

There’s still plenty of action to be found this month as The St. Lunachix - ARRG’s developmental franchise - square off against the CoMo Derby Dames of Columbia, MO this Saturday in St. Charles County.

The Chix/Dames battle is part of a two-bout derby tilt that also features the St. Chux Derby Chix facing the CoMo Derby Dames’ B-Squad.

The bouts take place on Saturday, September 18 at the Omni Sports Complex (4160 Industrial Drive, St. Peters, MO) Doors open at 5 pm. Bouts begin 6 pm.

Tickets at the door are $15. Children 10 and under get in free. SPECIAL DERBY DEAL! SAVE $5 when purchasing your tickets in advance online at Brown Paper Tickets! CLICK HERE TO ORDER!

The St. Lunachix (2-2) return back to action since a 137-78 setback to Demolition City (Evansville, IN) on June 5. In that bout, the Siege posted 30 points while Joanie Rollmoan added 24.

Both will be back in the line-up this Saturday, as well as the additions of jammers EnYa Nightmare and May Require Stitches, who impressed many at the ARRG Rookie Rivals bout against St. Chux earlier this summer.

The St. Lunachix last faced CoMo in April 2009, where they posted a 104-82 victory.

The developmental franchise of ARRG is about to begin its busiest stretch of play this season with three bouts in the next six weekends. Following the COMO bout, the Chix travel to Greene County, MO to face the Springfield Roller Girls on Sept. 26 followed by a trip to Marion, IL to face the Southern Illinois Roller Girls on October 23.

As of press time, here is the St. Lunachix roster vs. COMO: Deathica Steele, Joanie Rollmoan, EnYa Nightmare, Whip Scream, Rock Steady, The Siege, BareKnuckle Smack, Cookies N. Cream, Jezabelle, Shimmy Hoffa, Sue She, Munchausen by Foxy, Ginny Beastley and May Require Stitches. Other ARRG alternates are also expected to be part of the line-up.

CoMo's Adderoller

Meanwhile, this has been a monumental season for the CoMo Derby Dames (6-1), who were accepted into the apprentice program of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association in July. After completion of the apprentice program, CoMo is eligible to become a full-time member of the WFTDA.

More importantly, the growth of the Dames in the record column has been impressive against similar-sized squads. Following a season-opening loss to Northwest Arkansas, CoMo reeled off six straight dominating wins, including a two-game sweep at the Midwest Brewhaha in Milwaukee in May.

The Derby Dames were last in action on August 14, posting a 145-90 win over the Oklahoma City Victory Dolls.

Adderoller, a CoMo derby vet, is the one offensively to watch for. She brings a high-octane scoring punch to the Dames.

Overall, this is a much improved CoMo line-up since the April 2009 bout. The St. Lunachix will have to ready for a squad that is brimming with momentum.

In the evening’s opener, the St. Chux Derby Chix (1-2) return to action against the CoMo Derby Dames B-Squad. The scrappy St. Charles squad on quads look to rebound after a 111-88 loss to the Twin City Derby Girls of Champaign/Urbana on August 21.

Look for plenty from Chux jammer P. Diamond, who notched 51 points against Twin City, with help from Lady Lucifer (22) and Grey Goose O’ Flyen (10).

As a whole, expect to see the largest attended bout in St. Charles derby history - all three franchises have sizable followings.

It’s billed as a “triple threat of Eastern Missouri roller derby.” I know that it won’t fail to deliver. We’ll see you there!

NEXT WEEK IN THE NEWSCENTER: The fourth ARRG intraleague franchise unveils a team name and colors. We’ll preview the newest addition to the league, which looks to make an impact immediately!

The Grand Poobah and Hells LaBelle are bout announcers for the Arch Rival Roller Girls. Check back in this section on Mondays for the latest in ARRG news and information.

ST. LOUIS FINISHES WEEKEND WITH 10TH PLACE FINISH

UPDATED SUNDAY 1:40 PM

by The Grand Poobah

Seizing opportunity with a 56-point uncontested stretch, the Omaha Roller Girls defeated ARRG 169-112 in the ninth place bout at the WFTDA North Central Regional in Green Bay Sunday afternoon.

ARRG sprinted out to a 30-5 lead thanks to a pair of double-digit grand slams by jammer South City Shiner.

ARRG would maintain the lead with Educator’s 11-point jam with 11:00 left in the first half to make the score 54-31.

But then Omaha would resurge and keep ARRG scoreless for the remainder of the half. Anna Maniac would score a 24-point power jam at 6:10 to give Omaha a 63-54 lead.

The late-half 56-0 Omaha run would give the Nebraskans an 87-54 lead at intermission.

Omaha outscored ARRG 82-58 in the second half en route to picking up its lone victory at the tourney.

ARRG, 0-3 on the weekend, finishes the WFTDA North Central Regional with a tenth place finish.

ARRG FALLS TO NORTH STAR IN CONSOLATION BRACKET - PLAYS FOR 9TH PLACE VS. OMAHA SUNDAY AT NOON

UPDATED SATURDAY 1:30 PM

by The Grand Poobah

Capitalizing on a 40-point uncontested run from the bout’s onset, the North Star Supernovas defeated the ARRG All-Stars 147-118 in the consolation bracket of the WFTDA North Central Regionals Saturday morning in Green Bay, WI.

With the loss, ARRG competes in the ninth-place game against the Omaha Rollergirls Sunday at 12 Noon.

North Star posted a 40-0 lead before Artemischief scored for ARRG at the 21:00 mark. The Supernovas would stretch the lead to 95-38 at halftime.

ARRG would make the bout close in the second half. St. Louis would outscore the Supernovas 68-25 in the first 15:00 of the second half thanks in part to a 29-point tally by ARRG jammer South City Shiner.

ARRG closed the gap to 120-106 late in the bout but North Star would chew up the clock and outscore ARRG down the stretch 27-12 to secure the victory.

Omaha, the North Central’s tenth seed, plays in the ninth place bout after losses to Minnesota and Brew City.

Check back in this section for updates throughout the weekend.

NAPTOWN BEATS ARRG 119-71 IN ROUND ONE - FACES NORTH STAR IN CONSOLATION ROUND AT 10 AM SATURDAY

UPDATED FRIDAY 10 PM

by The Grand Poobah

Capitalizing on 56-point halftime lead, the Naptown Tornado Sirens of Indianapolis defeated the ARRG All-Stars 119-71 in the opening round of the WFTDA North Central Regional Friday morning in Green Bay, WI.

Eighth-seeded ARRG now plays in the consolation bracket against sixth-seeded North Star Saturday morning at 10 AM.

Naptown sprinted out to a 34-8 lead eight minutes into the bout off of an 18-point score by Naptown jammer Maiden America.

ARRG fell into a scoreless funk in the latter stages of the first half, failing to score a point in the first frame’s final twelve minutes.

The Tornado Sirens used the momentum to build a 71-15 lead at intermission.

ARRG would outscore Naptown 55-48 in the second half, but the deficit was too much to overcome.Naptown went on to advance in the winner’s bracket before falling to top-seeded Windy City 177-85 Friday evening.

In other bouts at the tournament, seventh-seeded Minnesota pulled off two huge wins on Friday, besting #10 Omaha 144-41 and then upsetting #2 Detroit 118-99.

North Star, the #6 seed, was sent to the consolation bracket to face ARRG following a 162-73 loss to the third-seeded Mad Rollin’ Dolls.

In Friday’s premiere match-up, #4 Cincinnati reached the semifinals with a 145-138 win over #5 Brew City of Milwaukee.

For Saturday’s ARRG/North Star bout, the winner will face Milwaukee at 7 pm Saturday night.

On Saturday in the winner’s bracket, Cincinnati will face Windy City while the Mad Rollin’ Dolls face the “Cinderella squad” from Minnesota.

Check for updates the entire weekend at the ARRG Newscenter.

DATE WITH DESTINY BEGINS WITH #9 NAPTOWN!

by the Grand Poobah

(PART TWO OF TWO) See Part One HERE!

It was 51 weeks ago that the Arch Rival Roller Girls first set into motion its quest to take a journey…a journey to unprecedented heights.

At the 2009 WFTDA North Central Regional in Minnesota, the ARRG All-Stars wrapped up its inaugural trek into national tournament play with a sixth-place showing.

Since then, the schematic was put into place to make a return trip in 2K10. A trip to join the other 39 nationally-ranked teams who would be considered “the fortunate ones” - the ones who were invited to run the gauntlet, each hoping that all the sweat equity invested in a physical sport would lead to a trip to the proverbial paywindow…which could potentially result in the hoisting of the WFTDA Hydra Trophy at tourney’s end.

But the goal of ARRG since September 2009 was modest - to first return to regionals…and to subsequently finish better.

And that time is now.

This Friday, the post-season arrives as the ARRG All-Stars face the Naptown Tornado Sirens of Indianapolis in the opening round of the WFTDA North Regional, held this weekend at the Brown County Arena in Green Bay, WI. The complete bracket can be found HERE.

Nationally, four separate regionals are held featuring the top ten teams selected and invited by the WFTDA. The top three finishers in each respective regional advance to November’s WFTDA National Championship Tournament in Chicago, IL.

Friday’s 10 AM opener at “Thunda on the Tundra” finds eighth-seeded ARRG (5-9) facing a squad that is experiencing its first-ever WFTDA post-season tournament.

Naptown (8-3) comes into the post-season as the North Central’s ninth seed - a major accomplishment for a squad whose franchise has travelled a similar path this season as ARRG did the prior year.

And perhaps that’s where the similarities end.

To the uneducated, Naptown’s greater winning percentage might lead some to believe that the Tornado Sirens could pull of the “lower-seed” upset in round one.

And although there is potentially the chance that THAT could happen in the ARRG/Naptown bout - there is a three-word phrase that somewhat throws that philosophy out the window - strength of schedule.

As noted last week, ARRG has faced this season 12 teams that have made the 2010 WFTDA National Tournament, whereas Naptown has only faced two.

That’s not meant to be a knock against Naptown’s schedule - you play a travel team whenever you can regardless of size - but the caliber of competition played this season falls to the favor of the Gateway City.

In short, tough losses against highly-seeded teams bring about experiences that are invaluable - not just for skaters individually, but for teams who make modifications for improvement as the season progresses.

Most will admit that although ARRG enters “Thunda on the Tundra” with a four-game losing streak, the squad played its most complete effort of the season against North Central sixth-seed North Star three weeks ago. ARRG battled North Star throughout - even posting a late lead - before falling 80-75.

Yet even in defeat there were plenty of positives to take away from that contest, and a boost in confidence is perhaps the best remedy heading into the post-season.  

Artemischief

ARRG jammer Artemischief has been a fixture of this two-part series…and with good reason. The focal point of the offense has scored 20 or more points ten times this season, including a 51-point tally against highly-ranked Jet City earlier this season. Needless to say, when Artemischief wears the star, good things happen.

Complimenting Artemischief are derby vets South City Shiner and Enya Nightmare, who have notched personal bests this season, as well as Black Market Baby, an All-Star call-up who has greatly impressed St. Louis’ derby fans in 2010. Morgan LaFeatal and Downtown Dallis can also don the star as well.

The blocking corps include All-Star vets Eli Wallop, Grave Danger, Davey Blockit, The Educator, Domme E. Nation, Punches Pileup and Chewblocka.

ARRG workhorse Mayor Francis Slayer - another perennial All-Star - leads the group at pivot.

As a whole, it’s a very experienced line-up for the locals - and one that has to be firing on all cylinders effectively against a team from the Hoosier State that brings a lot of miles logged to the dance as well.

Naptown started out 2010 in dominating fashion by handing out beatings to Derby City of Louisville (2225-18) and Memphis (151-35).

Following a February loss to North Central rival Grand Raggidy, the Sirens bested Sioux Falls and posted back-to-back wins over the Ohio Roller Girls to head into the annual Ft. Wayne Spring Roll Invitational with a record of 5-1.

At the Spring Roll, Naptown defeated host Ft. Wayne before falling to Detroit 150-94.

In June, the Sirens journeyed to the highly-competitive East Coast Derby Extravaganza, which resulted in a split with a four-point win over Maine and a 122-106 loss to the DC Rollergirls.

Naptown (Photo: Tom Klubens)

A five-point win on the road against the Chicago Outfit (94-89) rounded out the regular season for Naptown, who finished 8-3 which included a perfect 4-0 mark at home.

In eight victories, the Tornado Sirens outscored opponents 1080-478. As impressive of a tally that is, it is somewhat misleading as lopsided wins over inferior opponents pad the statistics.

The scouting report on Naptown shows that this is an excellent defensive team, meaning that when the opposition obtains lead jammer status, the Sirens excel at controlling the pace of the pack.  This inevitably leads to few points scored per jam by the opposition.

At the forefront of the blocking scheme is Siren vet Cereal Killer, who made the transition from rugby to derby flawlessly a few years back. Proficient at both blocker and pivot, Killer provides the spark that ignites this squad. She also holds the distinction of being the “team mouthpiece,” and isn’t afraid to yap at opponents to throw them off their game.

Offensively, the Sirens tend to go with “jammer by committee.” Yet, they are experienced with the likes of jammers Racer Xtacy, Maiden America, Amooze Booche, Noxious Donna and Olive Spankins donning the star.

There is one prerogative for Naptown this weekend - to prove that its invite to the tourney is no fluke.

In this battle for ARRG, a winning outcome will rely on two P’s: patience and penalties - a lot for the former, minimal for the latter.

As the Naptown squad is known for throwing opposition off by playing “mind games,” the locals will have to keep tempers in check, as skaters in the penalty box usually leads to vulnerable scoring opportunities against them. And THAT can’t happen at this level.

Regardless of the outcome, the winner will face a tough journey throughout “Thunda on the Tundra,” as the other eight teams competing in Green Bay bring solid - and experienced - squads to the dance.

Now for a look at the remainder of the top ten seeds at the North Central Regional…

(1) Windy City Rollers (3-3) Last year’s North Central regional winner receives its first round bye via wins over North Star and Madison…and arguably its legacy. However, there could be some cracks in the armor of one of the most dominant franchises in the Midwest. Some critics say that this is still THE team to beat.

(2) Detroit (9-2) But conversely, one would find enough ammo to give this dominant squad a shot at the regional title. The second seed from the Motor City also received a bye in round one. ARRG Nation knows firsthand how good this squad is with its 130-point win over the locals last month.

(3) Mad Rollin’ Dolls (1-7) A misleading record perhaps. A lopsided win over Houston and a close bout against Boston helped its cause. The Dolls have faced excellent competition this season, including 2009 National Champ Oly. Pummeled by Denver a few weeks ago. Faces North Star in round one.

(4) Cincinnati (9-3) Another familiar team to the locals - they beat ARRG by 66 in April. Two late season losses against solid squads (Kansas City and Bay Area) doesn’t hurt the chances of this dangerous team.

(5) Brew City (7-3) A sleeper pick. Impressive wins over North Star and ARRG netted them a good seed. The #4 vs. #5 match-up with Cincinnati is about as even as it gets. Winner makes the semifinals automatically.

(6) North Star (5-3) Tough draw against the Mad Rollin’ Dolls in round one. Almost upended by ARRG three weeks ago. Winner of the North Star/Madison match-up also makes it immediately into the final four.

(7) Minnesota (4-1) Minneapolis’ other derby franchise almost lost two close bouts against lower-ranked teams in 2010, a 2-point nailbiter over Tampa Bay and a 5-point donnybrook over Providence at the East Coast Derby Extravaganza in July. Yet, mid-season skater acquisitions from other powerhouses (Jet City and Dairyland) make this team a very dangerous #7.

(10) Omaha (5-1) Key wins over North Central rivals Ohio and Grand Raggidy at the Midwest Brewhaha in May give the Nebraskans its first post-season berth. Faces Minnesota in opening round.

It’s a very talented selection of teams - each of them contains impressive resumes.

But once again, it’s the post-season - everyone enters the tourney with a record of 0-0.

An opening victory against Naptown pushes ARRG in the right direction in the post-season…and continues a journey that every athlete who laces up a pair of quads wants to travel.

As a columnist, I strive to be impartial…but in this case, I’m an ARRG fan.

Kick a** in Green Bay this weekend, ladies.

FOLLOW ARRG’S JOURNEY TO GREEN BAY WITH LIVE VIDEOCAST COVERAGE FROM DERBY NEWS NETWORK. See the complete three-day tournament HERE!

The Grand Poobah and Hells LaBelle are bout announcers for the Arch Rival Roller Girls. Check back in this section on Mondays for the latest in ARRG news, information and unabashed homerism.