ARRG & OTHERS SHAKE UP COMPLEXION OF REGION TOP 10

By Muckety Muck, Derby News Network Contributing Writer – Photos by Bob Dunnell

“Even though a lot of people look at the North Central as not being competitive on a national level, I feel that within the region, the competition is just sick,” Arch Rival Roller Girls’ All-Star blocker Chewblocka, March 3, 2012.

Exhaustingly spoken while perched atop a rolling sports bag full of sweat-laden gear, that quote originated after ARRG’s hard-fought, ten-point win over current WFTDA North Central #10 Madison following a grueling battle at Midwest Sport Hockey nearly four months ago.

I’ll always remember this quote for two distinct reasons. Number one, it was the first time in my three years of derby journalism that I ever conducted an interview on bended knee. The athlete was drained physically, so I respected her right to “chill out” after battle.

And at my age, I don’t bend as well as I used to. It’s a lot easier to cut myself in half height-wise by planting a patella rather than attempting to fold a beer gut.

More importantly, Chewie’s reflections perfectly stated the status of the North Central during a time that addressed the perpetual – and potential – activity that was to be found within the region.

I like re-visiting that statement some seventeen weeks later. Little did we know at the time that her words would still ring true as of this writing.

It crystallizes the fact that 2012 has indeed been quite a sick year of derby for the nationally-chartered leagues – which include your pink-and-black clad locals – who are jostling for position within the North Central region’s top ten rankings, especially the last two months.

The primary example would be the recent controversial battle between the region’s two top leagues, current number one Windy City and second-ranked Minnesota, held at a raucous Roy Wilkes Auditorium in St. Paul, MN on June 16.

When the final whistle had blown in a topsy-turvy bout, the hard-charging rollers from the Gopher State had apparently posted a 160-155 come-from-behind upset win over the legacy league from Chicago.

At the moment, the Minnesota victory was monumental in scope. Windy City, the perennial champion of the North Central, had never lost a regulation bout within said region. Following the Minnesota win, the 24-0 Windy City record that spanned over four-plus years against region rivals had been snapped.

And the outcome of the clash between regional teams ranked first and second culminated in a potential flip-flop of positions when the next set of North Central quarterly rankings are to be released in July.

What’s important about the July set of rankings is that it sets the post-season bracket of the North Central playoffs, set for September in Niagara Falls, NY.

In short, when all was presumably said and done after sixty-minutes of breath-taking action in St. Paul two weekends ago, Minnesota had slain the Midwestern derby dragon.

Or had they?

Immediately following the bout, the officials on-site reviewed the tracking of points which revealed a scoring discrepancy. As a result, the outcome of the bout was unofficially recorded as a 155-155 tie, pending further review.

As of press time, the bout – and its scoring – was being reviewed by the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, who will render its inevitable finality.

With so much riding on the line, the wait for a decision is enough to make one sick…and not in a good way.

Regardless of its outcome – even if deemed by the governing body as a stalemate – there will have to be a designated number one and number two, for there has to be some sort of hierarchy established for post-season play.

Leagues within the WFTDA vote on the rankings within their respective regions. In the case of the WFTDA North Central, that’s 35 individual leagues that have a say in the matter.

The Windy City/Minnesota deadlock – as well as the results of numerous bouts played in recent months by the ARRG All-Stars as well as other North Central teams – has resulted in potential shifts of order when the July region rankings are released.

And even though the top ten only matter when it comes to post-season play, I can only imagine that a handful of the 35 individual rankings that are submitted will look exactly the same.

It’s just been that sick of a year.

And the locals are as much to blame – personally, positively so – for the disarray currently experienced within the North Central region’s top ten.

Since their March 11 loss to current WFTDA North Central #7 Ohio, the eighth-ranked ARRG All Stars have amassed a 3-0 record in the North Central, which includes an upset win over the region’s fourth-ranked team.

Perhaps the March loss to the Buckeyes, which was considered itself a sick upset at the time, was the wake-up call that the local rollers needed prior to a very crucial Spring stretch of North Central games played. It resulted in a “hungry and surly” attitude that has propelled this squad as the calendar progressed.

It began with a 115-point thumping of steadily-improving #12 Bleeding Heartland in May.

Arch Rival then surprised North Central eyes with a pair of solid wins at Midwest Brewhaha in early June. An upset win over #4 Detroit netted the franchise’s first win historically over Motown’s finest. The 127-point shakedown over #9 Cincinnati the next day continued the momentum.

And although it doesn’t necessarily count for “within region” status, an upset win over South Central #4 Houston on June 9 certainly added ammunition against anyone who might have questioned ARRG’s recent activity.

In short, it’s been a really good couple of months regionally for the ladies of St. Louis, now 7-2 overall.  And their wins – supplemented by the setbacks of higher-ranked squads – have added to the North Central kerfuffle.

Regardless of the WFTDA’s final decision of the June 16 bout at Roy Wilkes, Windy City and Minnesota are going to grab the region’s top two spots – once again, as voted upon by the North Central leagues – rather easily. They are the proverbial cream of the crop.

How the voting leagues rank the pair is another matter altogether, depending on each respective voting league’s point of view. The two leagues have a common opponent this year within the region, third-ranked Naptown (Indianapolis). Windy City posted an 118-point win over the Indiana rollers in March. Minnesota bested the Circle City by 35 in May.

One could make the claim outright that Windy City should get the top seed, based on triangulation. You know, the ‘ol “if A beats C more than B beats C, then A must be better than B” line of logic.

But one does have to play devil’s advocate. Should overall strength of schedule within a region play a factor…especially if B had a tougher schedule than A overall?

To clarify, Windy City has only had one additional bout against another a North Central league in 2012 – a 378-point win over a fast-plummeting #13 North Star on June 17.

Meanwhile, Minnesota has posted three dominant wins against North Central top tens in the past two months. The victories over current #4 Detroit, current # 6 Brew City and current #9 Cincinnati should be weighted accordingly.

Where does sickness begin to become benign for a current second-ranked squad hoping to grab a top seed while awaiting a decision from the WFTDA that may well be recorded officially as a tie?

And don’t think that it’s just relegated to the top two. Following losses to the two top-ranked teams, current #3 Naptown hasn’t bouted against North Central squads at all as 2012 has progressed. Their current record is 8-2 overall, but they still remain 0-2 in the region. In fact, their one lone North Central regular season bout prior to the playoffs will be an August 4 battle with the ARRG All-Stars.

But by the time that bout at Midwest Sport Hockey is played, the rankings – and proverbial post-season seedings – will have already been set. Basically, Naptown is going to be winless in the North Central when the July ballots are tabulated.

This leads us to the two teams that are gunning for the fourth-seeded slot for the Niagara Falls’ trek, ARRG and current #7 Ohio, who have amassed  an eye-opening 17-1 record overall, which includes a 14-0 mark within the North Central.

But once again, one does have to put strength of schedule into play in this sick dilemma. Sure, Ohio has 14 wins against North Central squads overall, but only three of them are against teams currently in the top ten. Does the abundance of victories over weaker teams that have no chance of making the post-season push at all raise a red flag?

Let me clarify one thing before anyone makes any assumptions…I’m not a Buckeye basher. Don’t think for one moment that I’m against Ohio getting the number four seed. They have beaten ARRG head-to-head, their talent is absolutely amazing and their work ethic this season is nothing short of heroic.

After all, eighteen bouts played by the Buckeyes in the span of four months are nothing short of just plain sick.

It only seems apropos that these two teams will more than likely face each other in the first round of the North Central playoffs in a #4 vs. #5 match-up, regardless of who gets the numerical designation. I have a lot of confidence that they have both respectively played good enough derby overall the last two months to grab those two positions.

Logical voting by the other 33 North Central leagues should put the newfound rivals in those spots as well.

And if one thought the conundrums of figuring out a top five wasn’t difficult enough, wait until one attempts to project the lower half of the top ten.

Current North Central #4 Detroit was perhaps the victim of its own scheduling. The grind of a local season pushed its official first interleague bout to the weekend of June 2 at Midwest Brewhaha.

The end result? Motown stumbled with a 1-2 record, which included the aforementioned loss to ARRG and a 160-point thumping by Minnesota. They did notch a 37-point win to current #6 Brewcity (Milwaukee) to save face, but was it enough stifle a fall of potentially two ranking positions?

Most likely not, considering the ARRG and Ohio surge, combined with the fact that Detroit has no more North Central bouts scheduled prior to the rankings period. A sixth spot is more than likely, thanks to its one lone North Central win overall against Brewcity.

In 2012 for the Chicago Outfit – the current North Central fifth-ranked team – the season has given them plenty of sour belches. Last year’s darlings of the post-season have encountered the pitfalls when two top-notch skaters transfer. Not to say that 2011 North Central playoff MVP Sweet Mary Pain and top-notch blocker Gaygan were ONLY the Outfit…but their absences this season hurt nonetheless. It resulted in an upset loss to #9 Cincinnati at Midwest Brewhaha.

However, a 93-82 win over #6 Brewcity this past Saturday kept them in an active status…and continued the parity found in the North Central.

The Chicago Outfit Syndicate may have a chance to grab the seventh seed, although it cannot be guaranteed due to the Brewhaha loss to #9 Cincinnati.

Speaking of the aforementioned keggers from Milwaukee, current #6 Brewcity have their own demons to battle. They have a 2-4 region record, which includes losses to Minnesota, Detroit, Chicago Outfit and Ohio. They do have a win over current #12 Bleeding Heartland, a bout that might have coincidentally had – according to rumor – a discrepancy in points that potentially netted the lower-ranked team a win.

However, the activity of Arch Rival and Ohio, combined with their losses to both Chicago Outfit and Detroit, might have pushed Brewcity back in the rankings as well, and a seed of eighth is probable for Milwaukee’s derby best.

But could it be ninth? Current #9 Cincinnati netted the upset win over the Outfit. To make matters more complex, Cincy and Brewcity did not play each other in 2012. So again, what holds more weight, Cincinnati’s 20-point win over the Outfit or Brewcity’s 11-point loss to the Outfit?

If the former scenario holds, then could Cincinnati, aided by their upset over the Outfit, jump to seventh, while Outfit and Brewcity trail at eighth and ninth?

And who’s to say that the current North Central number 10 couldn’t send them all down the slide?

The Mad Rollin’ Dolls, mentioned some 1,600 words earlier, have played inspired derby in 2012 that belies their double-digit status. Only losing by ten points to ARRG in March, Madison fell to Ohio by 26 points in June. They also thumped #13 North Star by 138 points last weekend.

Even if they are the designated tenth for the playoffs, they will be a very dangerous #10, considering that they held close this year to Houston, Atlanta and Tampa Bay, the teams currently ranked fourth, fifth and sixth in the WFTDA South Central.

Fair warning should be served to the league that potentially draws them in the first round of the Niagara Falls’ playoff…you may just get ran over by the milk truck.

So in essence, what we have potentially in the lower half of the North Central top ten is…well…”pentangulation.”

The word nets you 16 points on a Scrabble board, sans bonuses…and a Ph.D at Princeton.

In this scenario, I’ll use Detroit as “A,” Chicago Outfit as “B,” Brewcity as “C,” Cincinnati as “D” and Madison as “E.”

So, to put this running equation into play….if “A defeated C and B defeated C, but B lost to D, and A didn’t play B, D and E, but E played higher-ranked squads better than A and D did…then…

then….then…well, then….”

Then, this is too much dag-gummed mathematics for a guy who was on “academic probation” in his freshman year of college to comprehend!

I think I’m gonna be sick.

I only focus on the aforementioned top ten teams because – even though the rankings ballots have yet to be cast – I think those ten leagues are undoubtedly a lock for post-season play. Those squads on the bubble –such as #11 Grand Raggidy and #12 Bleeding Heartland, didn’t do enough to push themselves into the top ten fracas outright.

If I were the ruler of the derby world and had to place my North Central rankings accordingly, I’d go with this. And to point out, I’m going to rank these teams under the assumption that the WFTDA officially renders the Windy City/Minnesota match-up as a 155-155 tie.

1  Windy City – 2 Minnesota – 3 Naptown – 4 Ohio – 5 Arch Rival – 6 Detroit – 7 Cincinnati – 8 Chicago Outfit – 9 Brewcity – 10 Madison.

Don’t think that I didn’t struggle with this order. I have revised my projected top ten at least a half-dozen times in the last 48 hours. And if I hadn’t post this article immediately, I was inclined to change it again.

Once again, the real decision of who ends up where will be left up to the voting leagues of the WFTDA North Central.

And how those individual leagues will vote is anyone’s guess. It will undoubtedly be a tough decision for all involved.

Perhaps Chewblocka was right, afterall. The WFTDA North Central is sick in 2012.

And as a derby fan, I’m glad that there isn’t any cure.

NEXT WEEK IN THE ARRG NEWSCENTER: It’s travel time again. Both the ARRG All-Stars and the Saint Lunachix gear up for an important trip to the Volunteer State. The All-Stars look to post another upset against another South Central powerhouse – currently ranked third in its respective region – while the Chix look for its second straight win. Next Monday, we’ll preview ARRG’s road trip battle against the teams of the Nashville Rollergirls.

Check back in this section on Mondays for the latest in ARRG news and information.

Continuing a long-standing tradition, the Arch Rival Roller Girls will participate in the PrideFest St. Louis 2012 Parade, set for this Sunday at noon.

Billed as the second largest parade in the City of St. Louis, the parade begins on the corner of Grand Avenue and Utah heads north past Arsenal to the entrance of Tower Grove Park.

Skaters from ARRG as well as the STL Gatekeepers men’s derby franchise will be there to entertain the crowd along the parade route.

The signature event is part of the two day celebration – held Saturday & Sunday, June 23 & 24 from 11am- 8pm at St. Louis’ Tower Grove Park.

Celebrating its thirty-third year, the theme of this year’s PrideFest St. Louis weekend is “BE YOU!”

There’s a full schedule of events set for the weekend. Headlining the musical entertainment on Saturday night is multi-platinum country artist Shelby Lynne, who won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2001. Earlier in the afternoon, national touring comedienne and television star Margaret Cho will perform.

For full details of this weekend’s PrideFest St. Louis 2012 line-up, visit this LINK RIGHT HERE!

Come share ARRG’s support of the local LGBT community this weekend. We’ll see you at the parade this Sunday!

PLUS, ALL-STARS UPSET SOUTH CENTRAL #4 HOUSTON

by Muckety Muck, Derby News Network Contributing Writer

(BALLWIN, MO) Following a weekend that saw them drop their first bouts of 2012, the Saint Lunachix – ARRG’s b-team – returned to form Saturday night with a 183-113 victory over the Brewcity Battlestars in front of 350 at Midwest Sport Hockey.

The 70-point win improved the Lunachix record to 5-2 and netted the rollers their fourth straight home victory in 2012. More importantly, the victory erased memories of an 0-2 output at last weekend’s Midwest Brewhaha in Milwaukee.

“We all had to keep in mind that we know how to play this game,” said Lunachix captain Boom Boom Pow after Saturday night’s win.  “We reminded ourselves that we know what we’re doing and that this is our game.”

A full line-up certainly doesn’t hurt as well. Back in the fold fulltime was Chix jammer EnYa Nightmare, who only played half the Brewhaha bouts and nursed an injury when she competed.

“It’s always a bonus to have her,” said Pow of the Chix veteran. “Plus we had Brickyard, who wasn’t in the last couple of bouts, and she is a game-changer for us. It was awesome to have both of them in the line-up.”

The pair of aforementioned jammers helped the locals build an early lead. After Nightmare’s bout-opening power jam collected 23 points, Brickyard followed with four to give the Lunachix a 27-0 advantage three minutes in.

The lead was eventually extended to 51-12 after Sly Davinita scored ten points with 16:25 left in the half. An 8-2 Chix run on the next two rotations pushed the lead to 59-14.

The Battlestars literally battled their way back into the bout as the half progressed and posted a 23-0 run off of two jams. Brewcity’s Scooter scored 18 points off of a power jam with 10:50 left and Claptrap added five on the next rotation to whittle the Chix lead down to 59-37.

Following a 4-3 Battlestar jam to narrow the gap to twenty-one points, another Brewcity uncontested scoring sprint made the margin closer. Scooter posted a ten-pointer at 5:47 to slice the lead to 62-51 and a power jam netted Irish Vixen seven.

What was once a 45-point Saint Lunachix lead midway through the half had now been erased to a four-point affair, 62-58 with 4:30 remaining.

However, the possibility of a Battlestar lead change was upended as the Lunachix collected a power jam on the next rotation. In the process, the Chix scored a 19-4 whammy propelled by Nightmare to stretch the lead to 81-62 with 1:17 left.

Both teams collected five points separately off of the half’s final two jams, resulting in an 86-67 Saint Lunachix advantage at intermission.

The methodology utilized by the locals in the first half – hit hard and score early - was in the game plan as the second period began.

A 23-5 Lunachix run in the first eight minutes of the frame pushed the lead to 109-72. Brewcity’s Claptrap scored eight to narrow the gap to 109-80 with 20:10 left.

Looking to avoid another Battlestar surge, the Lunachix shut down the visitors with a pair of bout shifting jams that resulted in a 24-0 rally. Brickyard’s five-pointer was followed by Nightmare’s 19-point power jam that extended the lead to 133-80 with 16:14 left.

The Lunachix blocking schematic – paced by Pow, Rhino-Might, Deathica Steele, The Forecloser, Ginny Beastly, The Oregon Betrayal, Shell Shoxx and a host of others – held Brewcity at bay as the period progressed.

“We stayed out of the box and we remembered that our walls do our job for us,” said Pow of the Lunachix effort that yielded only five points in ten minutes’ worth of clock time.

The locals cruised to victory after Nightmare notched 19 points scored with 7:00 left and Might followed with a baker’s dozen on the next rotation to push the lead to 175-96.

The Lunachix outscored Brewcity 97-46 in the second half to pick up the 183-113 victory.

Nightmare paced Lunachix scoring unofficially with 103 points followed by Brickyard’s 31. Nightmare was selected by Brewcity as MVP jammer while Might was selected MVP blocker.

ARRG’s b-team now prepares for the Chicago Outfit Shade Brigade, who visits Midwest Sport Hockey on Saturday, July 14.

“We played them last year and beat them,” said Pow of the 156-112 victory over the Shade Brigade last July. “It’s going to be a tough game. I’m sure they’re going to come out guns a blazing.”

“It’s going to be another game where we, as a team, have to be together.”

A trio of Battlestars collected over thirty points individually. Scooter topped the ledger for Brewcity – now 4-5 – with 36 points, while Wipeout Scout and Claptrap scored 34 and 31, respectively.

UNOFFICIAL SCORING

SAINT LUNACHIX: EnYa Nightmare 103, Brickyard 31, Rhino-Might 25, Sly Davinita 17, Munchausen by Foxy 7

BREWCITY BATTLESTARS: Scooter 36, Wipeout Scout 34, Claptrap 31, Irish Vixen 10, Whitness Protection 2

In the opener featuring men’s derby, the B-Keepers – the b-squad of the STL Gatekeepers – muscled their way to a 366-69 victory over the Carolina Wreckingballs.

The triple attack of jammers The Saint, Jagged Little Will and Hand Rail alongside the B-Keeper blocking schematic built a 152-43 lead at intermission. The B-Keepers outscored 214-26 in the second half to pick up the win and remain undefeated as a franchise.

ARRG ALL STARS NET UPSET IN LONE STAR STATE SPLIT

(AUSTIN/HOUSTON, TX) The Arch Rival All-Stars – ranked eighth in the WFTDA North Central region – made its inaugural trek to Texas this past weekend and split a pair of bouts.

But in the process, the locals notched its second straight upset of a region’s fourth ranked team in as many weeks.

ARRG upended South Central #4 Houston 159-138 Saturday night at the Bayou Music Center to improve to 7-2 overall. Arch Rival downed North Central #4 Detroit one week prior at Midwest Brewhaha 2012.

Earlier in the morning, the All-Stars faced South Central #1 Texas at a closed bout in Austin, falling 210-106.

The All-Stars return to action Saturday, July 7 to face South Central #3 Nashville in Music City. The locals’ next home bout at Midwest Sport Hockey takes place on Saturday, July 14 against current North Central #5 Chicago Outfit.

Check in this section on Mondays for the latest in ARRG news and information.

PLUS, ALL-STARS SPLIT TEXAS TRIP, UPEND SC #4 HOUSTON

(BALLWIN, MO) Utilizing a 27-0 sprint out of the gates, ARRG’s Saint Lunachix posted a 183-113 victory over the Brewcity Battlestars Saturday night at Midwest Sport Hockey.

With the win, the Chix kept their undefeated home record intact (4-0) in 2012.

EnYa Nightmare’s 23-point bout opening power jam set the tone. The Chix stretched the lead to 51-12 midway through the period after Sly Davinita’s 10-point strike.

The Battlestars literally battled back, slicing the Chix’s lead to 86-67 at intermission.

The Chix took back control of the bout by capitalizing on power jams. Nightmare’s 19-pointer scored at 16:14 pushed the Chix lead to 133-80.

The Lunachix outscored Brewcity in the second half 97-46 to pick up the 70-point win.

Nightmare finished unofficially with 103 points, followed by Brickyard’s 31.

A full recap of Saturday’s bout will be featured in Monday’s column at archrivalrollergirls.com.

In the evening’s opener, the St. Louis B-Keepers overwhelmed the Carolina Wreckingballs 366-69 to remain undefeated as a franchise.

Also on Saturday, the ARRG All-Stars split a pair of bouts against Texan teams, scoring a major upset in the process.

The All-Stars – ranked eighth in the WFTDA North Central region – notched a 159-138 upset win over South Central #4 Houston on Saturday night. Earlier in the day, ARRG was upended by South Central #1 Texas 210-106 in a closed bout held in Austin.

The Texan split pushed the All-Stars’ record to 7-2 overall.

LUNACHIX DROP PAIR, HOST BREWCITY THIS SATURDAY

by Muckety Muck, Derby News Network Contributing Writer – Photos by Bob Dunnell

(MILWAUKEE, WI) The two primary travel squads of the Arch Rival Roller Girls – the ARRG All-Stars and the Saint Lunachix – participated this weekend at the 2012 Midwest Brewhaha at US Cellular Arena.

One squad experienced incredible highs with eye-popping victories, while the other suffered a pair of setbacks with head-scratching missteps.

The ARRG All-Stars – ranked eighth in the WFTDA North Central region – upset #4 Detroit 186-130 and thumped #9 Cincinnati 229-102 to sweep their Brewhaha bouts and put the midpack of the region’s top ten into a whirlwind.

The Saint Lunachix -ARRG’s b-team – suffered its first losses of 2012 with decisions dropped to Ohio Gang Green 152-110 and Naptown’s Warning Belles 150-93.

Overall, Brewhaha was everything as advertised for the 25 teams that participated. Some lower-ranked teams excelled and went beyond expectations, while some higher-ranked teams struggled and disappointed.

It arguably was the most surprising Brewhaha yet. And ARRG found itself in the thick of it throughout.

BREWHAHA SATURDAY

#8 ARRG ALL-STARS 186 #4 DETROIT DERBY GIRLS 130

It had been noted in last week’s column that a quick sprint out of the gates by ARRG over a higher-ranked team skating its first travel bout in eight months was imperative if the locals wished to score a Brewhaha upset.

And that’s exactly what happened as Arch Rival sported a 29-5 lead after the first two jams.

After the rolling start, Detroit’s Racer McChaseHer capitalized on a power jam on the next rotation, which netted 23 points, and whittled the lead to 30-28.

ARRG posted ten on the next jam to stretch the margin to a dozen points, but another power jam surrendered to Detroit yielded an identical twelve, tying the score 40-40 midway through the period.

A 19-9 Arch Rival run followed and pushed the locals’ lead to 59-49 with 6:55 left.

With 4:00 left in the half, and ARRG on a power jam, a star pass to pivot May Require Stitches netted 18 points, which extended St. Louis’ lead to 77-53.

Propelled by Mighty Mighty Boston’s power jam in the first half’s finale, ARRG stretched the margin to 101-65 at intermission. Boston added a nine-pointer on the second half’s opening jam to push the lead to 110-65.

Detroit would chip away at the lead as the half continued and post a 24-2 run. Detroit’s Cookie Rumble scored 12 power jam points with 22:30 left to tighten ARRG’s lead to 112-89.

Both squads continued to trade blows, with Detroit slowly but surely inching back. With 14:00 left, Motown had whittled St. Louis’ lead down to 127-111.

But then Arch Rival turned on the jets and capitalized on Detroit penalties on the next two jams, resulting in a 28-0 bout-shifting run. Thanks to the walls provided by ARRG blockers Chewblocka, Eli Wallop, Grave Danger, Science Friction, Party Foul, Mayor Francis Slayer and a host of others, jammers South City Shiner and Boston scored back-to-back 14-pointers that extended St. Louis’ lead to 155-111 with 10:30 left.

After that, it was all about maintaining the cushion. ARRG outscored Detroit 31-19 in the final ten to pick up the 56-point win and open eyes in the national derby scene.

The victory was ARRG’s first over Detroit in league history.

OHIO GANG GREEN 152 ARRG SAINT LUNACHIX 110

In their b-team Brewhaha opener, the Saint Lunachix knew that it had its work cut out for them against the hard-working squad from Columbus.

The task would even be more challenging without the services of top-scoring jammer EnYa Nightmare, whose injury would keep her out of the bout.

But even with the prolific scorer on the sidelines, and despite an early deficit, the Chix valiantly battled against Gang Green and for one brief moment possessed a lead.

Falling behind early 24-5, the Lunachix chipped away at the margin and made the score 46-40 Ohio with 8:00 left in the period. ARRG’s Eveready scored eight on the next jam to give the Chix its first lead of the bout 48-46.

The lead was short-lived as Ohio went on a 14-1 late-period run, which resulted in a 60-49 lead for Gang Green at intermission.

Ohio maintained pressure throughout the second half and outscored the Lunachix 92-61 in the second half to pick up the victory.

The setback resulted in the Lunachix’s first loss of 2012.

BREWHAHA SUNDAY

#8 ARRG ALL STARS 229  #9 CINCINNATI BLACK SHEEP 102

The re-match gave Cincinnati a chance to avenge a 40-point March setback, and to potentially push them back to the mid-pack of the top ten following an upset win over #5 Chicago Outfit on Saturday.

Arch Rival would not let either happen with a dominant performance.

Cincinnati’s K. Lethal gave the Black Sheep a 9-2 lead following the opening jam. Arch Rival would chip away at the lead with multiple three and four-pointers scored in succession and grab a 14-9 lead ten minutes in.

ARRG would then play Bo Peep…and lose the Sheep. South City Shiner began with a 10-pointer at 17:30 to extend the advantage to 24-10. Following a five-pointer by Cincinnati’s Lethal to close the gap to nine, ARRG jammer Downtown Dallis scored 25 and extended the lead to 49-15.

Then following a 4-4 stalemate, ARRG went on the power jam with 11:00 left. Mighty Mighty Boston scampered out 25 points and pushed St. Louis’ lead to 78-19.

ARRG continued to post points and kept Cincinnati in check on the scoreboard. Top-notch work by the blocking schematic of May Require Stitches, Party Foul, Science Friction, The Educator, Shimmy Hoffa and a host of others sheered the sheep offensively. With 1:30 left, ARRG possessed a 93-30 lead.

The first half’s final jam saw ARRG’s Black Market Baby (and subsequent “star-pass” to pivot Mayor Francis Slayer) net 18 points and give St. Louis a 111-30 lead at the half.

If Cincy had a game plan to start the second half…it would be “survive.” Yet, an ARRG second-half opening power jam resulted in a baker’s dozen points for Boston and padded the Rivals’ lead to 124-30.

Points continued to roll for Arch Rival, who extended its lead to triple digits with the scoreboard reading 163-61 with 18:00 left to play.

St. Louis would shut the door and widen the margin down the stretch. Boston scored 19 on a power jam to make the score 189-74 with 11:00 left. Shiner added another 15 two jams later, extending Arch Rivals’ lead to 208-86.

ARRG outscored Cincinnati 118-72 in the second half to pick up the 127-point win, sweep both bouts at Brewhaha, net its fourth straight win, boost its North Central region play to 5-1 and improve its overall record to 6-1.

I’d call that a successful weekend, wouldn’t you?

NAPTOWN WARNING BELLES 150  ARRG SAINT LUNACHIX 93

First, the good news for the Lunachix in the battle with NRG. Nightmare would suit up for ARRG after her one bout absence, which would provide a bit of a scoring punch.

Unfortunately for the Saint Lunachix, Naptown would counter with a couple of extra additions from their “A” squad, resulting in a more experienced squad.

Despite the Belle additions, the Chix managed to hold tight early and midway through the first period possess a lead.

Due to tight defense, both teams rarely scored points in the first period’s first half. As a result, Naptown held a 9-8 lead with 17:20 left.

Saint Lunachix jammer Rhino-Might scored a 14-pointer on the next rotation, resulting in a 22-9 lead change.

The Warning Belles went on a 33-0 run as the period progressed. Propelled by scoring from Naptown’s G-Rocket, the Belles built a 42-22 lead with 9:30 left. Naptown maintained the cushion and held a 61-33 edge at intermission.

Following a Naptown second-half opening seven-pointer by Rocket, Chix jammer Morgan LeFaetal notched three to cut the lead to 68-36.

A large Lunachix scoring drought followed as the Belles capitalized with a 53-0 run over the span of fourteen minutes. When the dust had settled, Naptown possessed a 121-36 advantage with 13:45 left.

The Lunachix showed signs of life as the period continued. Nightmare scored powerjams of 14, 10 and 24 points to make the bout respectable, but the large deficit was too much overcome.

The Warning Belles outscored the Lunachix 89-60 in the second half to pick up the 57-point win.

The Lunachix, who finished Brewhaha 0-2, host the Brewcity Battlestars this Saturday. A bout preview will be featured later in the column.

YER YAPPER’S PREDICTIONS FROM BREWHAHA: Last week, for the first time, I made predictions on some of the “A-squad” bouts at Brewhaha. Overall, my winning percentage was above .500 (5-4), but I was way off on some outcomes and differentials. But hey, considering all that occurred at Brewhaha, I think going 5-4 was extremely fortunate.

BREWHAHA SATURDAY:

East #3 Charm City vs. NC #2 Minnesota. Prediction: Minnesota 162, Charm City 112. Actual result: Charm City 174, Minnesota 168 (MISS). This actually turned out to be one exciting bout. For the good of derby, I’m glad I misfired on this one.

NC #11 Grand Raggidy vs. NC #7 Ohio. Prediction: Ohio 128, Grand Raggidy 113. Actual result: Ohio 245, Grand Raggidy 60 (HIT). Whoa…got the winner but waaaaayyyy off on the point spread. This bout was all Buckeyes and an eye-opener for naysayers of Ohio.

NC #5 Chicago Outfit vs. NC #9 Cincinnati. Prediction: Cincinnati 145, Chicago Outfit 90. Actual result: Cincinnati 136, Outfit 119 (HIT). My upset special did work, but the bout was tighter. Cincy will at least rise one in the next set of rankings.

NC #6 Brewcity vs. NC #4 Detroit. Prediction: Detroit 178, Brewcity 107. Actual result: Detroit 159, Brewcity 122 (HIT). I projected the winner, but Brewcity remained pesky throughout the bout. Horny Goat beer sales were still solid, though.

BREWHAHA SUNDAY:

NC #4 Detroit vs. NC #2 Minnesota. Prediction: Minnesota 140, Detroit 124. Actual result: Minnesota  234, Detroit 74 (HIT). Mercy, Minnesoter. We might have finally got an inkling of Detroit. If the upset by Arch Rival wasn’t rough enough, the beating by the Gophers will more than likely lead to a multi=spot tumble in the next set of rankings.

NC #1 Windy City vs. East #3 Charm City. Prediction: Windy City 155, Charm City 138. Actual result: Charm City 187, Windy City 151 (MISS). Charm City, only fielding 11 skaters at Brewhaha, was magnificent. Windy City plays Minnesota in two weeks for the top seed for the North Central region playoffs.

NC #6 Brewcity vs. NC #7 Ohio. Prediction: Brewcity 152, Ohio 141. Actual result: Ohio 189, Brewcity 65 (MISS). Ohio greatly benefitted from their Brewhaha bouts. A jump to #4 is more than likely. Brewcity, with the loss to Detroit, might drop to #7.

NC #15 Toronto vs. NC#25 Fox Cityz. Prediction: Toronto 205, Fox Cityz 52. Actual result: Toronto 441, Fox Cityz 43 (HIT). I don’t like point differentials like this AT ALL. I also think it’s silly when people try to justify ridiculous routs by saying “Even in a loss like this, there’s something to be learned.” Here’s what Fox Cityz learned on Sunday…they had no stinkin’ business playing Toronto!

NC #17 Tri City vs. NC #11 Grand Raggidy. Prediction: Grand Raggidy 158, Tri City 114. Actual result:  Tri City 166, Grand Raggidy 134 (MISS). Next to the Detroit goose egg, Grand Raggidy arguably suffered the most this weekend, going winless. Will probably not make playoffs as a result. #10 Madison – who didn’t play at Brewhaha – should thank Ohio and Tri City for the playoff bid.

As a result of all this, I’m giving myself a moratorium on derby predictions…or at least until Brewhaha 2013.

SAINT LUNACHIX PLAY AT HOME THIS SATURDAY!

This Saturday night, ARRG’s Saint Lunachix (4-2) return to action hosting another top-notch b-team from the Midwest.

The Chix battle the Brewcity Battlestars (4-4) from Milwaukee, WI at Midwest Sport Hockey (570 Weidman Rd., Ballwin, MO.)  Prior to the main event, men’s derby action takes place featuring the B-Keepers – the developmental squad of the STL GATEKEEPERS – who battle the Carolina Wreckingballs from Columbia, SC.

Doors open on Saturday at 6:30 pm. The first bout starts at 7 pm.

Tickets at the door are $15 for general admission. Children 10 and under are free. Save $3 on advance tickets purchased online at Brown Paper Tickets by going to THIS LINK RIGHT HERE.

Even though the local squads featured this Saturday have the letter “B” associated with them, you can expect the action this Saturday will be “A-plus” in both action and intensity.

The Chix are looking to keep its 2012 undefeated streak at Midwest Sport Hockey intact with a win.

It won’t be easy for they face Milwaukee’s b-team best, who came back into competitive play in 2012 after a one season hiatus.

Just like the Lunachix, the Brewcity Battlestars competed at Brewhaha last weekend, going 1-2 with losses to the Detroit Derby Girls’ Motor City Assembly Line 206-111 and Ohio’s Gang Green 204-100. The Battlestars picked up its loan weekend win at durig with a 153-149 victory over the Circle City Derby Girls “A-squad.”

They began their 2012 re-emergence with a clean sweep at February’s “B-Team Cup Challenge Tournament” in Bloomington, IN. The Battlestars notched wins over Naptown’s Warning Belles, Grand Raggidy’s G-Rap Attack and the Circle City’s Party Crashers to take the invitational trophy outright.

Following the sweep, the Battlestars fell to Bleeding Heartland Code Blue Assassins 162-97 at home on April 28.

The visitors would love nothing more than to put a big “L” in the ledger of the Lunachix. Battlestars veteran Moby Nipps and rookie ChaZaam are ones to watch for in the jamming rotation. Blockers Madd Mallett, Fidela Castrate, Pound Anya will set up the walls to stop the locals.

Bragging rights, and undefeated streaks, are on the line in this one. The Chix want to maintain the high level of consistency that’s expected of them and keep the 2012 Midwest Sport Hockey undefeated streak intact. Conversely, the Battlestars want to maintain their perfect 3-0 road record intact.

Either way, one team is going to have a streak stopped Saturday night. It might take the final whistle to decide which one suffers the setback.

In the undercard, the b-team of the STLGatekeepers look to keep a franchise undefeated record intact.

The B-Keepers are in their second season of competitive play and have yet to suffer a loss. In March, the B-Keepers squashed the Tulsa Derby Militia 361-39. In that bout, a pair of B-Keepers jammers notched triple-digits in scoring. The Saint’s jaw-dropping 157-point output was followed by Jagged Little Will’s 108-point tally. Both are again ready to launch from the line alongside jammers Poppa Choppa, Oodles of Brutal, Hand Rail and Specs Offender.

And although the scoring was extremely impressive in the Tulsa win, the B-Keeper blocking was just as solid.  NoFX-Shun, Screech Around, Skulls McCracken, Walker Hamilton, Bled Zepplin, Burns McQueen, mrPink and Mr. Dent will all collectively attempt to keep the opposition’s totals down.

The Carolina Wreckingballs, formed last July, comprises of skaters from both the Carolinas and Georgia. As a franchise, they have four travel bouts in their portfolio. After a franchise opening loss to MRDA powerhouse Magic City, the Wreckingballs gamely battled upstart Tampa Bay this past March. And even though they suffered 180-145 setback, the Carolina rollers showed improved play across the board.

In short, this is a squad that has a lot of talent, has a solid scoring punch and should provide stiff competition against the local rollers of the Gatekeepers.

For the Wreckingballs, look for Flash Gord’em, Draggin Ball G, Sweet Meat and Ice G to handle the jamming duties, while Bam Helsing, Mist Her, Blue Brawls and L8TR SK8R to provide the blocking up front.

While you’re at Midwest Sport Hockey this Saturday, make sure you stop by and pick up your limited edition Saint Lunachix and B-Keeper gear at the merchandise table.

You can also win a few items as well by participating in our charity raffle that benefits Safe Connections of St. Louis. Stop by the raffle table and see what you can win. Raffle tickets are $1 apiece of six for $5.

After Saturday’s doubleheader, continue the fun times by joining us at the official post-bout after party at Sammy’s Beach Bar & Grill, located at Harrah’s Casino in Maryland Heights. There’s no cover to join the after party.

Just like a sweaty St. Louis summer, the heat is about to pick up on the flat track.

We’ll see you Saturday night at Midwest Sport Hockey!

ARRG ALL-STARS LONE STAR STATE BOUND THIS WEEKEND!

While the Lunachix battle this weekend on home turf, the ARRG All-Stars return to action this weekend in a trek to Texas that will find them take on two of the top four teams in the WFTDA South Central region in first-time match-ups.

On Saturday morning, the All-Stars face South Central #1 Texas (4-1) in a closed bout in Austin.

And yes, it’s THAT Texas team! The Texicutioners are synonymous will the re-emergence of the sport in the mid-2000s. Texas – national champions in 2006 -finished third at last year’s WFTDA National Championships.

This season, the legacy franchise won all three of their bouts at the annual Governor’s Cup by an average differential of 240 points. A 53-point April win over South Central #4 Houston (who we’ll talk about in just a bit) netted their fourth straight duke. A 32-point loss to West #3 Rose City (Portland) has been their one blemish in the record book.

Since this bout is a “Charlie Rich Special” – for nobody knows what goes on “behind closed doors” – we’ll keep the preview of ARRG’s first meeting with the iconic rollers from Austin pretty brief. We’ll just say that Olivia Shootin’ John, The Killa Sal Monella and Shortcut propels the Texicutioners’ jamming rotation while Polly Gone, Luce Bandit, DeBella DeBall, and Lucille Brawl set up the walls blocking-wise.

And if that wasn’t enough, another Texan bout is scheduled following a three-hour car ride that same day. Later in the evening, the locals meet South Central #4 Houston (6-3) at the Bayou Music Center. The bout is scheduled for 8:30 pm CDT. (As of presstime, no online coverage is planned for the bout).

Houston is a hard-charging team that has steadily progressed in the ultra-tough South Central region, but is looking to rebound after dropping three straight bouts against top-tier competition.

After netting six wins in a row to begin 2012, Houston fell to North Central #1 Windy City 232-93 in April, South Central #1 Texas 143-90 on May 19 and then West #3 Rose City 301-71 the following day.

HRD has sported wins over teams familiar to ARRG this year. A 49-point win over North Central #10 Madison and a 16-point victory over North Central #5 Chicago Outfit have been bright spots for the team. A clean three-bout sweep at the annual Clover Cup Invitational in March was also a part of the early 6-0 streak.

Beverly Kills, Death by Chocolate, Brandi Brown and Shawshank lead the jamming corps for Houston while The Prosecutor, Goldie Bloxx, Freight Train, Carmen Geddit and Mistilla the Killa contribute to the blocking schematic.

It’s a very balanced line-up for Houston, a team that has a top three finish well within their sights in the 2012 South Central post-season.

Overall, it’ll be a historic weekend for the “pink-and-black attack.” It’s a pair of bouts against first-time opponents, each with plenty of ammunition in tow.

An ARRG “Texas two-step” would send a message to the national derby community. The challenge will be tough, but the Gateway’s finest – riding high off the victories at Brewhaha – are up to the challenge.

Check ARRG’s Facebook page for updates this Saturday from the Lone Star State.

NEXT WEEK IN THE ARRG NEWSCENTER: We’ll see how the Saint Luncahix fared against the Brewcity Battlestars with a full recap.

Check back in this section on Mondays for the latest in ARRG news/information.

by Muckety Muck

(MILWAUKEE, WI) Strong pack play and power jam capitalization was key as the Arch Rival Roller Girls All-Stars – ranked eighth in the WFTDA North Central region – thumped #9 Cincinnati 229-102 Sunday afternoon at Midwest Brewhaha.

The 117-point win resulted in a two-bout sweep for the All-Stars, who downed #4 Detroit on Saturday.

Up 24-10 ten minutes in, ARRG went on a 69-9 run over the next fifteen minutes. Jammer Downtown Dallis scored 25 at 13:00 to extend the lead to 49-15. Mighty Mighty Boston followed two rotations later with a 25-point power jam that extended the edge to 78-19.

ARRG blocking kept Cincinnati scoring to a minimum in the first half. Paced by May Require Stitches, Party Foul, Science Friction and a host of others, St. Louis held Cincinnati to 30 first-half points – and a 111-30 lead at intermission.

ARRG continued to capitalize on Cincy errors in the second half. Four ARRG power jams resulted in a 189-74 lead with 10:00 remaining in the bout.

St. Louis outscored Cincinnati 118-72 in the second half to pick up the win, which improved their record to 5-1 in the region and 6-1 overall.

The All-Stars travel to Lone Star State next weekend to play South Central #1 Texas and South Central #4 Houston in separate bouts on Saturday.

Earlier in the day at Brewhaha, the Saint Lunachix - ARRG’s b-team – fell to the Naptown Warning Belles 150-93.

Leading early 22-9, the Chix were silenced as the first period progressed. Naptown went on a 33-0 run and pulled ahead 42-22. The Lunachix were down at the  half  61-33.

Naptown launched a 53-0 rally early in the second half to pull away and hand the Chix their second loss at Brewhaha.

The Lunachix (4-2) host the Brewcity Battlestars at Midwest Sport Hockey in Ballwin this Saturday.

A full recap of all four ARRG bouts at Midwest Brewhaha – and preview of next weekend’s bouts with both the All-Stars and the Saint Lunachix – will be featured here Monday morning at 8 am.

by Muckety Muck

(MILWAUKEE, WI) Utilizing quick sprints early and late, the Arch Rival Roller Girls All-Stars, ranked eighth in the WFTDA North Central region, scored an 186-130 upset win over #4 Detroit early Saturday at Midwest Brewhaha.

Arch Rival sported a 29-5 lead  after the first two jams, but Detroit was able to whittle the lead down and inevitably tie 40-40 midway through.

An 19-9 Arch Rival run followed and pushed the locals’ lead to 59-49 with 6:55 left.

With 4:00 left in the half, and ARRG on a power jam, a star pass to pivot May Require Stitches netted 18 points, which extended St. Louis’ lead to 77-53.

ARRG stretched the margin to 101-65 at intermission.

Detroit would chip away at the lead in the second half.  Detroit’s Cookie Rumble scored 12 power jam points with 22:30 left to tighten ARRG’s lead to 112-89.

Arch Rival would maintain a cushion and then capitalize on Detroit penalties down the stretch. ARRG jammers South City Shiner and Mighty Mighty Boston scored back-to-back 14-pointers late to extend St. Louis’ lead to 155-111 with 10:30 left.

ARRG outscored Detroit 85-65 in the second half to pick up the 56-point win and improve to 4-1 in the North Central and 5-1 overall.

Arch Rival plays #9 Cincinnati at Brewhaha on Sunday.

In other action on Saturday, ARRG’s Saint Lunachix suffered their first loss of the season after a 152-110 setback to Ohio Roller Girls’ Gang Green.

Falling behind early 24-5, the Lunachix chipped away at the deficit and made the score 46-40 with 8:00 left in the period. ARRG’s Eveready scored eight on the next jam to give the Chix its first lead of the bout 48-46.

The lead would be short-lived as Ohio went on a 14-1 run thereafter and eventually stretched the lead to 60-49 at intermssion.

Ohio maintained pressure throughout the second half and outscored the Lunachix 92-61 in the second half to pick up the victory.

The Lunachix – now 4-1 – plays the Naptown Warning Belles on Sunday.