100% OF EVENT’S PROCEEDS BENEFIT USO OF MISSOURI!

by the Grand Poobah, ARRG Announcer

This weekend, the Arch Rival Roller Girls and ARRG Jeerleaders host a special benefit in Soulard that will entertain, mystify, make you laugh – and most importantly – raise money for those that help support America’s troops and their families.

“Cheers to the Troops!” – an ARRG-sponsored music/variety event benefiting The USO of Missouri – takes place Saturday night at the South Broadway Athletic Club (2301 7^th Blvd.) in St. Louis’ Soulard Neighborhood. The benefit begins at 6pm and ends at midnight.

Tickets for the benefit – which includes dinner served from 6pm until 9pm – are $15 for adults, $10 for retired military and $5 for children 10-under. Tickets are free for active military!

100% of the proceeds from Saturday’s night benefit The USO of Missouri, Inc., a private, non-profit organization, whose mission is to support the troops by providing morale, welfare and recreation-type services to military personnel and their families. Since 1981, over 4 million travelling military and their families have benefitted from the services provided by USO of Missouri, Inc.

Along with silent actions and a 50/50 raffle, “Cheers to the Troops” features a dynamic line-up of musicians, comedians, dancers and artists.

Here’s the “roll call” for Saturday’s “Cheers to the Troops” event:

The Ragged Blade Band – This eight-piece St. Louis band bring an eclectic mix of jazz, blues, country, rock, show tunes, ragtime and even 20^th century pop. If there’s a musical genre, they pretty much cover it.  Members of Ragged Blade have toured Nashville, Chicago, Austin, Cincinnati, Oklahoma City and all points between. Expect the unexpected – yet expect a fun set – with this talented set of musicians. You can catch Ragged Blade live this Thursday on FOX2 News at 9am with Tim Ezell” this Thursday on KTVI-FOX 2. Find out more about them HERE!

St. Louis Strutters & Co. – Since 1985, this seniors group of dance professionals and instructors have defied age. Don’t let their years fool you -these talented performers log over 100 shows yearly (complete with six costume changes per show!) and were recently involved in the Chicago tryouts for NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” Yep, they’ve performed in front of Howie, Sharon and Piers! From Jazz to Broadway, this fast, tapping, high-kicking chorus line performs rhythm tap dance with style and glamor! For more check out their OFFICIAL WEBSITE!

The Improv Trick – Founded in 2004 by St. Louis comedian/actor Bill Chott (Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place, SNL, Dana Carvey Show), the Improv Trick features students who have mastered the art form of improvisation. This talented group can take any audience’s suggestions and turn it into belly laughs. For more, check out their OFFICIAL WEBSITE!

Jeez Loueez – “The Powerhouse of the Midwest” brings a lethal combination of drama, hilarity and killer kinetics that leaves audiences (and her) out of breath. This excitable performer’s dancing has taken her to sold-out shows in Minneapolis, Kansas City and Indiana. A Riverfront Times review says it all: “A Show Stopper!” For more, check out her OFFICIAL WEBSITE (note: some burlesque style photos are found here – viewer’s discretion!)

Hoop Connections – The St. Charles-based group of hoopers, poi spinners and flow artists bring an eclectic mix of athletics and artistry. An expansion group of the St. Louis Hoop Club, Hoop Connections incorporates lights and fire in their unique routines. For more, check out their OFFICIAL WEBSITE!

Dimitri the Mage – You’ll be amazed – and amused – with the slight of hand by one of St. Louis’ best magicians. Check out THIS YOU TUBE VIDEO FOR YOURSELF.

Rayna Skye – “The Mahogany Bombshell” is guaranteed to put a spell on you with her one-of-a-kind moves, which incorporates contemporary dance with historical burlesque.

That’s one heck of a line-up for $15! And keep in mind, your participation in the event goes a long way in supporting The USO of Missouri!

The “Cheers for the Troops” benefit is made possible with the gracious support of the following: Maplewood Scooter Company, Lockton, Q’Doba, Dove Chocolate, Ronnoco Coffee, Star Clipper Comics, Anlmagination, Anheuser-Busch, Mom’s Deli, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Hodak Restaurant & Bar, Llywelyn’s Pub, Bogart’ Smokehouse, Marvel Printing and Blues City Deli. We thank them for their support!

The ARRG Jeeleaders guarantee that this will be a hot night of entertainment that will sizzle, one that will support the hard working men and women of The USO of Missouri!

It’ll be a fun night! We’ll see you Saturday night at the South Broadway Athletic Club!

NEXT WEEK IN THE ARRG NEWSCENTER: The ARRG All-Stars find out if they are post-season bound in the WFTDA North Central region tournament. Do they make the cut and go on to “the big dance?” We’ll see with the WFTDA says.

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

137-59 WIN POTENTIALLY SOLIDIFIES PLAYOFF SPOT!

by the Grand Poobah, ARRG Announcer – Photos by Mr. McWheely

(ST. LOUIS, MO) On Saturday in the “Show Me State,” the Gateway City’s best on quads made their closing argument for inclusion in the WFTDA North Central tournament come October.

A stubborn blocking schematic helped NC #10 Arch Rival All-Stars thump NC #14 Grand Raggidy 137-59 at Midwest Sport Hockey in front of 700.

With the win, Arch Rival (7-2) erased memories felt one week ago in a 60-point road loss to NC #9 Chicago Outfit. And for a team that has straddled the playoff perimeter in 2011, a solid turnaround was necessary against a lower-ranked region rival.

“After losing to the Outfit last weekend, we wanted to win this,” said Arch Rival jammer Mighty Mighty Boston, who led all scorers with 65 points. “That loss was a rough one for us.  It hurt a little. So, we really wanted to win this one and move forward.”

It did not take long for Arch Rival to move forward on that missive. Following Downtown Dallis’ 15-point opening strike, St. Louis built a 26-0 advantage ten minutes in. Boston’s non-lead dozen one jam later boosted the score to 38-1.

“We knew that we just had to go super hard for the first ten minutes,” said ARRG blocker Chewblocka of the sprint. “After what happened last week (in Chicago), anything less would have been unacceptable.”

The visitors chipped away at the deficit in first half’s final fifteen. Thanks to Mira MaHeiney‘s 18 first-half points, Grand Raggidy whittled the Arch Rival lead to 51-30 at intermission.

Not content with seeing a once large margin slip away, St. Louis made modifications at the break and went on a 42-0 run within the second half’s first five jams. Utilizing open holes created by the front line, Boston scored 17 on a power jam, South City Shiner followed with nine and Boston returned for an extra 14 to give Arch Rival a 93-30 lead with 20:30 remaining.

“We went back, regrouped and decided that we wanted to play our game,” said ARRG blocker Mayor Francis Slayer of the winning rally. “We switched up our strategy and I think that really picked up our momentum.”

That momentum held Grand Raggidy scoring to only five points for two-thirds of the second half. In the process, Arch Rival’s stingy defense helped extend the lead to 125-35 with 7:30 left.

ARRG outscored GRRG 86-29 in the second half en route to its sixth North Central victory of the season.

“At halftime, we felt that we weren’t making the connections we needed to make,” said retiring Arch Rival blocker The Bevo Kill, who finished her four-year career with the league following the 78-point win. “We felt that we were letting them beat us, so we went back in the second half with a rejuvenated sense of urgency, knowing that we could pull away with the game.”

Kill also found her way into the scoring column, donning the star on the bout’s final jam and putting an exclamation point on her ARRG career with a three-pointer.

“That feeling was insane,” said Kill of the swan song. “The Arch Rival Roller Girls have been my family for four years. I’ve never been so happy.”

ARRG now awaits the release of the North Central second quarter rankings to see if their region activity continues with a playoff trip to Indianapolis.

Dallis contributed 30 points while Shiner added 26 for Arch Rival, who travels cross-state to battle Kansas City (SC #1) in mid-August.

Grand Raggidy (5-4) was paced by MaHeiney’s 38 points. GRRG concludes its travel season with an August road trip to Ohio to face NEO Roller Derby.

UNOFFICIAL SCORING

ARRG ALL STARS: Mighty Mighty Boston 63, Downtown Dallis 30, South City Shiner 26, The Educator 11, The Bevo Kill 3, Artemischief 2

GRAND RAGGIDY: Mira MaHeiney 38, Lucy Morals 12, Rosie Root Canal 9

SAINT LUNACHIX SOAR OVER SO. ILLINOIS BY 156!

Utilizing an effective mix of rookies and veterans, the Saint Lunachix – ARRG’s developmental team – thrashed Southern Illinois 205-49 in the opener to improve to 9-1.

“We had a lot of rookies playing in this game who hadn’t played before,” said Lunachix captain PolkaDot Yr. Eyeout, who scored a personal best of 44 points in the win. “They worked really hard and we all worked really hard on our strategies. I thought it was a good game.”

Regardless of experience, the modified Chix utilized its season-long successful formula of strong blocking and multi-jammer scoring to build a large halftime lead.

Ten minutes in – and with only a 16-15 lead – the Lunachix exploded for 28 unanswered points. In the process, Chix jammer Boom Boom Pow pounded out a 20-pointer at the 13:20 mark to extend the lead to 44-15.

Then after SIRG’s Krush Groove scored six on the next jam, the Chix would go on a 66-8 run, beginning with EnYa Nightmare‘s 14-pointer with 10:00 left in the first frame. Eyeout followed with an 18-pointer and Nightmare returned for 22 deep in the half.

When the dust had settled, a one-point bout ten minutes in had blossomed into a 110-24 Lunachix lead at intermission.

“SIRG’s a newer league, but there was definitely an adjustment period for us in the first half,” said Lunachix blocker Grave Danger of the first 30:00. “We had a sizable lead but we didn’t feel like we were meshing well. In the second half, we decided to take deep breath, cool down, go back out and hit hard in the second half.”

And that’s exactly what happened. Nightmare utilized the open holes up front provided by the blockers to notch jams of 22 and 24 points in the second half, which saw the Lunachix up 174-49 with ten minutes remaining.

Collectively, the Lunachix would shut down SIRG altogether down the stretch, and the comfortable margin allowed the Chix bench to insert Danger – a blocker by trade – onto the jammer line. The vet gained lead jammer status and netted 11 points to conclude the bout.

“It was awesome,” said Eyeout of the final jam. “We’ve been teasing her that she was going to have to jam before the game was over. She had no choice. I made her do it…and I think she loved it.”

“I felt like I was skating with the wind,” jokingly added Danger. “But I can’t wait to watch the footage and say, ‘Could I skate any slower?’”

Nightmare paced the locals with 91 points. Pow added 31 for the Lunachix, who next play the St. Chux Derby Chix at Midwest Sport Hockey September 10.

UNOFFICIAL SCORING

SAINT LUNACHIX: EnYa Nightmare 91, PolkaDot Yr. Eyeout 44, Boom Boom Pow 31, Munchausen By Foxy 28, Grave Danger 11

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: Jack E. RIPHer 27, Krush Groove 15, Tess LaCoil 6, Arcane Sugar 1

NEXT WEEK IN THE ARRG NEWSCENTER: The ARRG Jeerleaders are gearing up for special event on July 30 that benefits the USO of Missouri. We’ll bring you all the details of a fun event that takes place in Historic Soulard.

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.

60-POINT SETBACK HALTS LOCALS’ WIN STREAK AT SIX!

by the Grand Poobah, ARRG Announcer

(CHICAGO, IL) Both the ARRG All-Stars and the Chicago Outfit Syndicate remembered the date well…Saturday, May 21, 2011. That evening within the muggy confines of the Milwaukee Sports Complex, St. Louis’ best on quads dismantled the #9 team in WFTDA North Central region at Midwest Brewhaha. ARRG, ranked one spot behind, went for the jugular early and wound up winning by 57 points.

It was a pivotal bout for both squads. For ARRG, it began a stretch of three consecutive wins over North Central rivals, two with higher rankings. Conversely for the Outfit, skeptics wondered if the lopsided loss was an anomaly or if the Northern Illinoisan franchise – which had only joined the WFTDA some ten months earlier – deserved a lower ranking.

Both teams knew the July 9 rematch could potentially validate success or, conversely, erase doubt.

At the end of sixty minutes on the flat-track Saturday night, the teams side-by-side in the North Central region rankings provided a bout with a similar margin of victory. Unfortunately for ARRG, the result was completely the polar opposite compared to May 21.

Paced by jammer Lola Blow’s 73 points, #9 Chicago Outfit Syndicate “whacked” the tenth-ranked ARRG All-Stars 164-104 Saturday night at Windy City Fieldhouse in front of 900.

“We needed this win really bad,” said Blow of the win. “We had just lost to (South Central #3) Nashville and we lost earlier to Arch Rival, so this was really important. We knew we had good chance to win tonight, but we won by a little bit more than we had anticipated. We did our absolute best and it definitely showed.”

Indeed, this was a Chicago team that didn’t resemble the one that stumbled at Brewhaha. With the win, the Outfit (7-3) netted their fourth win in five bouts and halted ARRG’s six-bout winning streak.

Conversely, the same could be said of ARRG (6-2), who got into trouble early and was never able to get within thirty points throughout the bout.

ARRG drew first blood two minutes in off jammer South City Shiner‘s two-point tally. Unfortunately, that was ARRG’s only lead for the bout.

The Syndicate went on a 26-0 run in the span of four jams. Blow’s three-pointer gave the host squad a 3-2 edge at 26:20. Two jams later, the Outfit’s Sweet Mary Pain posted 10 to extend the lead to 13-2. Blow followed with a baker’s dozen added to the rally, which gave the Outfit a 26-2 lead with 21:04 left in the first half.

Points came few and far between for ARRG in the bout’s first twenty minutes. The Educator broke the ARRG dry spell by scoring eight non-lead points to cut the gap to 33-10 with 20:00 left in the first half.

The Outift silenced the “pink and black attack” with another rally that netted five consecutive lead jams, resulting in a 37-0 run.  Pain and Blow netted back-to-back five-pointers to give the Outfit a 43-10 edge. Blow returned to the stripe on the next jam and delivered a dominating 17-point strike to extend the lead to 57-10. A nine-point tally by Queefer Sutherland and a contributing four-pointer by Valerie of the Dolls concluded the Syndicate rally, resulting in a 70-10 lead with 10:00 left in the first half.

Down, but not necessarily out, ARRG launched a rally of their own in the latter stages of the first half. Behind 76-14 with 6:55 left, ARRG jammer Mighty Mighty Boston capitalized on a power jam and netted 10 to cut the gap to 76-24.

Downtown Dallis followed with a 17-point strike on the next jam, whittling the Outfit lead to 76-47. Boston collected two on the first half’s final jam. Altogether, the 29-0 late-half rally put ARRG within striking distance. Once down by sixty, ARRG narrowed the Outfit lead to 76-43 at intermission.

Consider it a moral victory – one that was short-lived as the second half began.

The Outfit scored 18 unanswered points to start second half. Sutherland scored six for the Syndicate, Blow followed with three and Valerie of the Dolls concluded with seven to finish an 18-0 run which put the Outfit back into a comfortable lead – a 94-43 advantage with 25:00 remaining.

ARRG answered with a 20-2 run in the next four jams. The Educator scored five off a non-lead at the 23:00 mark, Dallis followed with seven, and Shiner and Boston posted back-to-back four-pointers, pulling St. Louis to 96-63 with 18:00 remaining.

On the next jam, Pain utilized a Syndicate power jam to score ten, extending the Outfit lead to 106-63. Dallis countered by scoring 14 on the next jam for ARRG, cutting the gap to 106-77 with 15:30 left.

Then the Outfit decided it was time for ARRG to figuratively “sleep with the fishes.”

With 15:00 left, a trio of pink jerseys was simultaneously sent to the sin bin, resulting in a power jam for the Syndicate’s Blow. Helpless, the lone two ARRG blockers couldn’t contain the full pack mafia from Chicago, which resulted in an easy 30-point monster jam for Blow, extending the Outfit lead to 136-77 with 13:00 left.

“That was the coolest thing ever,” said Blow of the flat-track rarity. “I had a huge smile on my face and all I could say was ‘Thank you, blockers! Thank you, blockers!’”

ARRG tried to save face down the stretch as Boston scored 14 with eight minutes left to cut the gap to 149-104, but the Outfit finished the bout with a 15-0 run to win by sixty points, even the regular season series at one win apiece and erase the memories of a lopsided ARRG win two months ago.

“Our focus lately has been to keep our cool, which was something we had problems with earlier this year,” said Blow afterwards. “We’ve been working on staying calm during halftime, communicating with each other and maintaining our mental awareness. It’s really changed our game.”

Keeping cool has changed the Outfit’s overall outlook – a team that a few weeks ago ran the risk of falling out of the playoff picture has now rebounded into a unit that should realistically make its inaugural trip to the North Central region playoffs come October.

Blow paced Outfit scoring with 73 points, Pain and Sutherland added 44 and 36, respectively, for the Syndicate (7-3).

Downtown Dallis led ARRG scoring with 51 points, followed by Boston’s 34.

And although the loss didn’t help Arch Rival’s chances of climbing the North Central ladder, the end result doesn’t necessarily keep knock them out of the top ten…..unless the unfortunate happens this Saturday as ARRG hosts North Central #14 Grand Raggidy at Midwest Sport Hockey.

A loss to the squad from Grand Rapids- according to some critics – puts ARRG behind the proverbial “8-ball” in their playoff quest.

And for a team that found remedies to make steady progression throughout the season, back-to-back losses in the span of eight calendar days would be an extremely bitter pill to swallow.

UNOFFICIAL SCORING

CHICAGO OUTFIT SYNDICATE: Lola Blow 73, Sweet Mary Pain 44, Queefer Sutherland 36, Valerie of the Dolls 11

ARRG ALL-STARS: Downtown Dallis 51, Mighty Might Boston 34, The Educator 13, South City Shiner 6

BOOM BOOM SAYS “KA-POW” – LUNACHIX WIN BY 44!

JAMMER’S DOUBLE SIXES EXTEND WIN STREAK!

(CHICAGO, IL) In Saturday’s doubleheader opener at the Windy City Fieldhouse, jammer Boom Boom Pow punched out a career high 66 points to help the Saint Lunachix – ARRG’s developmental squad – post a 156-112 win over the Chicago Outfit’s Shade Brigade.

The victory extended the Chix’s win streak to three bouts and improved their record to 8-1 in 2011.

The win wasn’t easy as the visitors found themselves in a deficit early. The Shade Brigade raced out to an early 20-8 lead thanks to Kim Mortal’s 15-point power jam seven minutes in.

The Chix whittled the lead down to 22-17 on the next jam as EnYa Nightmare posted a nine-pointer.

The Chix went on a 17-0 run during the bout’s next ten minutes. Rookie Rhino-Might’s seven-pointer, a pair of four-pointers by Nightmare and Munchausen by Foxy and a two-point tally by PolkaDot Yr. EyeOut collectively built a 34-22 lead for the Saint Lunachix with 11:00 left in the first half.

The Chix then capitalized on Outift penalties. After scoring six with the lead jam, the Brigade’s Ottermatic Weapon was sent to the penalty box which allowed Nightmare to score 14 non-lead points, extending the Lunachix lead to 48-28.

Both teams traded points down the stretch of the first half as the Chix maintained their 20-point cushion, 67-47, at intermission.

The Shade Brigade notched the first scoring strike three minutes into the second half as Mortal posted a 15-pointer to pull the locals to 67-62.

The Chix went on another scoring streak – a 28-0 run – with the next three jams. Pow scored 20 with her first jam of the night to extend the Lunachix lead to 87-62. Foxy followed with five and PolkaDot Yr EyeOut added three to build a 95-62 advantage with 20:00 left.

Undaunted, the Shade Brigade went on their own rally to make the bout a nail biter. Outfit jammer Valerie of the Dolls’s 20-pointer was followed by ten from Mortal. The 30-0 Brigade run with 16:00 left erased what was once a comfortable margin down to 95-92.

The Lunachix’s Pow then delivered the TKO on the ensuing jam – a full two-minute strike that netted 28 – which extended lead to 123-92. Pow added an 18-pointer down the stretch to give the visitors some breathing room.

The Lunachix outscored the Shade Brigade 89-65 in the second half to pick up their eighth win. Boom Boom Pow scored all 66 of her points in the second half to lead Chix scoring. Nightmare netted 48 while Foxy added 24.

The Lunachix look to extend their win streak to four as they host the Southern Illinois Roller Girls this Saturday at Midwest Sport Hockey in Ballwin.

Kim Mortal paced the Shade Bridge with 47 points while Valerie of the Dolls added 37.

UNOFFICIAL SCORING

ARRG SAINT LUNACHIX: Boom Boom Pow 66, Enya Nightmare 48, Munchausen By Foxy 24, PolkaDot Yr EyeOut 10, Rhino Might 8

CHICAGO OUTFIT SHADE BRIGADE: Kim Mortal 47, Valerie of the Dolls 37, Ottermatic Weapon 18, Lindianna Jones 9, Graves 3

ROOKIE RIVALS POST WIN OVER OUTFIT’S C-TEAM

(SUMMIT ARGO, IL) The ARRG Rookie Rivals posted over 100 second-half points en route to a 180-71 win over the Chicago Outfit Shakedown Sunday afternoon.

Racing out to a 79-36 lead, the Rookie Rivals outscored the Shakedown 101-35 to pick up their second victory in as many weeks.

ARRG HOSTS #14 GRAND RAGGIDY THIS SATURDAY NIGHT!

There’s little time for rest as the ARRG teams prepare for another donnybrook this weekend!

This Saturday night at Midwest Sport Hockey, another North Central region battle ensues as #10 Arch Rival (6-2) host #14 Grand Raggidy (5-3) from Grand Rapids, MI. Prior to that match-up, the Saint Lunachix square off against the Southern Illinois Roller Girls of Marion, IL.

Discounted tickets for the doubleheader – held at Queeny Park (570 Weidman Rd., Ballwin, MO) – are available at Brown Paper Tickets by going to THIS LINK RIGHT HERE. Bout time is at 7 pm. On bout night, tickets are $15. Children 10 and under get in free.

In the main event, a pair of North Central teams are making a late-summer push for a playoff berth.

The ARRG All-Stars are looking to keep their perfect home record intact Saturday. Last month at Midwest Sport Hockey, Arch Rival blasted #7 North Star 181-40 in a bout that brought national derby attention as the win shook up the foundation of the North Central region rankings.

If the bout proved anything, it was that St. Louis’ best on the flat track continued to effectively utilize the strategy that resulted in six solid victories – play smart derby and pounce when the other team makes a mistake.

Case in point: in the bout against North Star, ARRG committed half as many penalties as the Supernovas. The end result was numerous uncontested scoring streaks that amounted to the inevitable 141-point margin of victory.

The rollers from the Gateway City will have to perform at their best against a squad that has had a solid rebuilding season and, with a win, could potentially make a strong case for a post-season playoff bid.

The Grand Raggidy All-Stars come into Saturday’s bout convincing winners of two straight in the North Central region.  Grand Raggidy netted wins in May over #12 Ft. Wayne (124-73) and Killamazoo (192-57).

The rollers from Grand Rapids also have a pair of wins over #18 Paper Valley and #21 Fox City to complete their five wins for the season thus far.

Grand Raggidy were extremely competitive in an April loss against North Central #3 Detroit, but were blasted by #4 Naptown (Indianapolis) 193-41 in February.

Look for jammer Viva La Boom to lead the charge offensively. The four-year vet has won MVP jammer in the past and has been instrumental in Grand Raggidy’s resurgence in 2011.

Blocker Bette Mangler personifies the heart and soul of GRRG. A fixture of the league since 2005, Mangler has won just about every award on and off the track.

In the end, the winner of this bout will make a strong statement for playoff inclusion.

This Saturday’s opening bout with the Saint Lunachix and SIRG brings plenty of intrigue as well. In October 2010, the Saint Lunachix went down to Southern Illinois and roughed up the host team 200-34.

You can bet that SIRG has not forgotten about that embarrassment. You can bet they will be looking for redemption Saturday night.

Southern Illinois, who became an apprentice league for the WFTDA in January, picked up a 121-99 win over Lafayette (IN) in June. They also have a win over Demolition City (109-94) in May. Look for jammer Tess LaCoil to lead SIRG offensively.

This should be a good test for both squads. As always, expect the unexpected.

There’s plenty of action off the track to be found as well at Midwest Sport Hockey Saturday. Stop by our charity raffle table and see what kind of prizes you can win! Tickets are $1 apiece or six for $5.

And after the bouts, stop by Iggy’s Mexican Cantina (13645 Big Bend Rd.) for our official post-bout after-party. There will be drink specials and live music for all to enjoy. Remember, there’s no cover to join us at the after-party!

Continue the summer sizzle by supporting the teams of ARRG this Saturday night at Midwest Sport Hockey!

NEXT MONDAY IN THE ARRG NEWSCENTER: We’ll have a full recap of both bouts from Saturday and we’ll see if the complexions of the post-season push changes.

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.

HOSTING ILLINOISANS LOOK FOR REVENGE IN REMATCH!

by the Grand Poobah, ARRG Announcer

“Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration, don’t fail me now!” Elwood Blues from the movie The Blues Brothers (1980).

It may seem unconventional to begin a bout preview with a line of dialogue from Dan Ackroyd’s character in a movie that was set in the Windy City some 30 years ago.

But keep in mind that this infamous film quote was uttered as the pair of bluesmen led the Chicago Police Department on a high speed chase along lower Whacker Drive.

It was a pair of renegade rollers being chased by some of Chicago’s finest.

Fast forward to this weekend’s action on the flat-track, the quote seems somewhat apropos for the Gateway City’s best on quads.

With skates a blazin’, the Arch Rival Roller Girls come into Chi-town full speed ahead this Saturday for a pair of important bouts.

In the main event, a pair of newfound North Central rivals looks to write a new chapter in their quest for a coveted playoff spot in the upcoming WFTDA playoffs. Meanwhile in the undercard, a pair of developmental squads meets in their inaugural battle to see who draws “first blood.”

The ARRG All-Stars (6-1) travel to the Windy City this Saturday night to face the Chicago Outfit Syndicate (6-3) while the Saint Lunachix – ARRG’s developmental squad – faces the Outfit’s Shade Brigade.

The action takes place at the Windy City Fieldhouse (2367 West Logan, Chicago, IL). Doors open at 6pm. Bouts begin at 7 pm. Tickets are $20 at the door, but one can save $5 off the ticket price when purchasing online in advance at THIS LINK RIGHT HERE!

The action should be quite memorable this Saturday, especially in the main event where playoff implications hang in the balance.

The ARRG All-Stars currently rank tenth in the most recent WFTDA North Central region rankings while the Syndicate is positioned one spot ahead. With only the top ten teams in the rankings eligible for post-season play come October, a win is imperative for both as there are numerous North Central teams “on the bubble” looking to break through to grab a playoff spot.

In short, a win more than likely gets you in, while a loss leaves you anxious while fate is being determined by the other voting leagues of the North Central region.

The ARRG All-Stars have momentum rolling their way with six straight wins, which includes a solid victory over the aforementioned Outfit back in May.

Arch Rival bested the Syndicate 129-72 at Midwest Brewhaha on May 21 in Franklin, WI. In that bout, ARRG was able to capitalize on Outfit penalties, build up a 45-point lead at the half and cruise to victory over an opponent that was projected by critics to easily win.

Jammer Downtown Dallis paced the locals with 45 points while Mighty Mighty Boston and South City Shiner added 39 and 23, respectively. The Educator also contributed with 22 points.

If anything, the victory over the Outfit in May proved that the 2011 edition of the ARRG All-Stars were “for real.” The power surge continued with dominating wins over North Central’s #15 Burning River, #11 Ohio and, most recently, #7 North Star.

The term often associated with ARRG in the six-bout win streak is “smart derby.” This has been a squad that has methodically racked up the wins by patiently awaiting an opponent’s miscue. When presented, the locals have pounced.

Expect that same methodology to be in place this weekend. While the aforementioned four have been productive in the scoring column, the blocking schematic up front for ARRG may be the squad’s true “MVP” in 2011.

Blockers Eli Wallop, Chewblocka, Mayor Francis Slayer, Smarty McFly and Artemischief have logged numerous minutes on the flat-track with bountiful success. Expect this quartet, along with May Require Stitches, Shimmy Hoffa, The Bevo Kill and Party Foul to contribute high minutes as well for a balanced attack.

In the last six bouts, one would almost call the play by ARRG flawless. It has to be that way again on Saturday night against a squad that has redemption on its mind.

The Chicago Outfit has gone 3-1 since its ARRG setback at Brewhaha. The Syndicate won over Ohio (147-68), Omaha (116-54) and No Coast (128-96) before falling to South Central #3 Nashville 115-89 on June 18.

A pair of Syndicate skaters looks to put “the concrete shoes” on the “pink-and-black attack” Saturday. Jammers Lola Blow and Queefer Sutherland posted 20+ point performances against ARRG in May and average well over 30 per bout this season. This duo, along with Sweet Mary Pain (a pesky jammer who ARRG was able to contain at Brewhaha) will “don the star” frequently for the host team.

Maul E. Hatchet, Bloody Elle, Gaygan and the wonderfully-named Smashley “The Spaniard” Destructo provide the bulk-load of the blocking duties for the Outfit. This quartet will attempt to send the ARRG contingent “to sleep with the fishes” with physical play upfront.

The Outfit – a franchise that joined the WFTDA a little over a year ago – has impressed the national derby scene in a short amount of time. Their ascent has been swift – a top ten ranking in under a calendar year’s time. They want to prove to the WFTDA that they are more than deserving of a first-ever post-season appearance.

Conversely for ARRG – a team outside of the top ten at season’s start – a win means a sweep over a higher ranked opponent and, more importantly, propels the juggernaut that looks to steamroll its way through the summer in its quest to get an invite to Indianapolis for the post-season tourney.

Expect post-Independence Day fireworks for this one…where one team’s wick could potentially become diffused in the North Central playoff picture.

On the undercard, a pair of developmental meets for their inaugural clash.

The Saint Lunachix (7-1) march into Chi-town after a pair of victories at Midwest Brewhaha. With dominating outputs over the Brewcity Battlestars (166-85) and Mad Rollin’ Dolls Team Unicorn (200-92), the Chix will look for their third consecutive win in the battle with the Shade Brigade (3-5).

In the win over Team Unicorn, six different Chix posted double-digit scoring. Look for jammers Morgan LeFaetal, Munchausen By Foxy and Black Market Baby to lead the charge offensively for St. Louis.

The Shade Brigade will look to break a four-game winless funk. A win at home is imperative to push their record closer to the .500 mark.

Overall, it should be a solid pair of bouts. And the local ladies of blessed acceleration are poised not to fail.

We’ll see you in Chicago Saturday night!

ROOKIE RIVALS WIN IN QUINCY!

The ARRG Rookie Rivals – a developmental squad of unrostered skaters from the league – utilized a first-half quad attack en route to a 177-59 win over Dark River Derby Coalition Saturday night in Quincy, IL.

The rookies, who raced out to a 92-23 halftime lead, outscored DRDC 85-36 in the second half to pick up the victory.

Quincy’s WGEM-TV reported on the inaugural bout of DRDC. See the story, which includes footage of the Rookie Rivals/Dark River bout, can be seen at THIS LINK RIGHT HERE!

The rookies play again this Sunday against the Chicago Outfit’s C-team in Summitt Argo, IL.

NEXT MONDAY IN THE ARRG NEWSCENTER: In short, a lot! We’ll recap the ARRG bouts in Chicago and we’ll preview the next home bout on Saturday, July 16 at Midwest Sport Hockey where the ARRG All-Stars face North Central #14 Grand Raggidy while the Saint Lunachix battle the Southern Illinois Roller Girls.

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.