Double Header Preview: Gores vs. Dolls / CN Power hosts Queen City

Dolls substitute Land Shark skates against the Gores' Bambi in the Dolls 2008 regular-season win. (Photo by Kevin Konnyu)

Gore-Gore Rollergirls (0-1) vs. The Death Track Dolls (1-0)

You have to look way back to find the last (and only) time that the Death Track Dolls defeated the Gore-Gore Rollergirls. It was August 19^th, 2008, when the Dolls took down the Gores 112-93; it was a game that allowed the Dolls to clinch second place in the regular season standings. The bout was not without controversy. In 2008, ToRD was still running a six-team homeleague and resources were spread thin. For this final regular season game of the season, the Dolls borrowed two substitutes from the D-VAS and one from the Bruisers to fill out the roster. One substitute skater in particular—D-VAS rookie Land Shark—would have a big impact on the game, ending up being named the game’s MVP. Although shrouded in controversy, the three subs (Land Shark and Seka Destroy from the D-VAS, Monichrome from the Bruisers) would all, ironically, end up as part of the Dolls in the dispersal draft following the 2008 season and the contraction of two of the six hometeams.

The Dolls kicked off 2012 with a victory over the Smoke City Betties. (Photo by Joe Mac)

Jumping ahead to April 2012 and much has changed. When these two teams meet on Saturday some of the skaters dressed for the bout were there four years ago, but many new faces have arrived. And after dominating ToRD for five seasons (winning three championships along the way), it is the Gores who now find themselves looking for their first win of the season and the Dolls (the only home team never to appear in a championship game) sitting atop the tight ToRD standings.  If there is a time for the Dolls to change this four-year losing streak, that time could be now.

Over the past two season the Death Track Dolls have done a good job of redefining their team, and have brought in an exciting crop of rookies. They’ll be dressing three rookies on Saturday (Ames to Kill, Bellefast and UpHer Cut), not to mention a handful of second-year skaters. The Gore-Gore Rollergirls, on the other hand, are a team that has not changed much over the past few years (a stretch that included a 12-game winning streak), and still feature a high-powered offense led by two of the league’s top jammers in Bambi and Dust Bunny. The Dolls have been jamming by committee so far this season with upwards of six skaters capable of wearing the star (which is the number they used in their season opener).

Following a twelve game winning streak, the Gores have lost two games in a row for the first time. (Photo by Joe Mac)

The most interesting battle could be in the pack. Skating without Brim Stone (something that the Gores have never had to contend with before) and former rookie of the year Hurlin’ Wall, there is a gap in the pack that the Dolls could take advantage of. Then again, it could just be an opportunity for other skaters to step up. There is no shortage of veteran Gores to step up and either pivot or take on a larger role in the pack. Along with captains Kandy Barr and Lady Gag-Ya, Santa Muerte, Chronic, Foxy Sinatra, Junkie Jenny and Molly Boom are all more than capable on-track leaders. Gamma Rei is always on the verge of a major breakout. But this opportunity could have the greatest effect on a few skaters still looking to make their marks. Miss Kitty La Peur has upped her training this season, and for Emma Dilemma, Mace  O’Kissed and Draculaura, the time has never been better to step up and take on a critical role for the team.

As for the Dolls, Betty Bomber, Sinead O’Clobber, Jubilee and newly emerged triple threat Panty Hoser remain on-track leaders the  for the team, but with Downright Dirty Dawson, Lucid Lou and Speedin Hawking filling out a very experienced pack line up, there aren’t too many holes for the Dolls to fill. Second-year skaters Kat Atomic and Rhage in a Cage have an opportunity to step up here, and rookie Ames to Kill is quickly emerging as a threat in the pack. UpHer Cut will be making her ToRD regular season debut, but with pack experience from her days as a D-VAS, has the potential to make an impact right away.

The Dolls and Gores will be facing off in the second half of the double header.

Lake Effect Furies (2-4,  15th East) vs. CN Power (4-0, 17^thNorth Central)

CN Power is undefeated so far in 2012, including four in a row at home starting with the Roc City Roc Stars. (Photo by Kevin Konnyu)

Queen City’s Lake Effect Furies (Buffalo) and ToRD’s CN Power  have been comparatively busy early in the 2012 WFTDA season, as both teams press for a playoff spot. The host CN Power has burst out of the gates so far in 2012 thoroughly dominating  lower-ranked competition (Hammer City), while looking impressive in wins over similarly ranked teams (Roc City, Tri-City) and teams ranked above them (Fort Wayne).  Counting a non-sanctioned win over the Rideau Valley Vixens, CN Power is on a five-game winning streak to kick off 2012 (and six overall dating back to a 2011 season-ending victory over Derby City). These victories probably will help them jump to 14^th in the the North Central.

The Furies may not have had quite the success yet in 2012, but they have been facing some stiff competition so far squaring off solely against teams ranked above them in the WFTDA standings.  Buffalo’s two wins have been minor upsets against Connecticut (14^th East) and Suburbia  (12^th E), while their losses have been to DC Rollergirls (11^th), Maine (10^th), and Charm City (3^rd). So taking into account their competition, the Furies record is actually quite impressive and realistically places them firmly in 12^th in the region.

The Furies defeated CN Power at the Bunker in August 2010. (Photo by Kevin Konnyu)

This will be the third meeting between these two teams since August 2010. The Furies took that first one in Toronto 110-79, while CN Power took some measure of revenge in Buffalo this past September, taking a close one 139-129. Both teams currently hold a similar position in their respective Regions: up-and-comers on the verge of the playoffs. Yet as recent Furies and CN Power losses to Maine and Grand Raggidy (respectively) show, there is still some work to be done. But not much, and each WFTDA game that these two teams play now is vitally critical to their playoff aspirations.

NOTE: CN Power will be playing its first game without Brim Stone, who is taking an indefinite hiatus from the sport. Brim has been an instrumental part in putting together this CN Power team and

CN Power will be without long-time captain Brim Stone. (Photo by Todd Burgess)

getting it to the level that it is at. While it remains to be seen what the impact of this loss will have on CN Power, the team that Brim so carefully helped construct is one that is built around a deep bench and a strong, ever-evolving core. For ToRD fans, it will undoubtedly be an emotional moment to see a CN Power team line up without its long-time captain, but through the training and leadership she provided, her influence will most definitely be felt.

**Doors at The Bunker open at 5:00 PM; first whistle is at 6:00 PM. Tickets are available online or at various outlets downtown.

Chicks Ahoy! to Battle for the Boot after semifinal win.

The Dolls and Chicks met in the semifinals for the third time in history. (Photo by Greg Russell)

Death Track Dolls 29  vs. Chicks Ahoy! 120

We’re down to two, and for the fourth time in ToRD’s history the Chicks Ahoy! and Gore-Gore Rollergirls will face off for the Toronto Roller Derby championship as the Chicks put together another impressive performance over the Death Track Dolls in the semifinal on the weekend. Despite a much improved effort from the Dolls, they simply didn’t have enough as the Chicks ruled the packs on their way to the  91 point victory and a spot in the June 25^thchampionship bout.

This marked the third time that these two teams had played each other in the semifinals with the Chicks also recording victories in 2008 and 2010.

Once again, Dyna Hurtcha was nearly unstoppable for the Chicks. (Photo by Greg Russell)

Thoughts of a Dolls’ upset to end that streak were quickly put to rest in the early going when the Chicks roared out of the gates, grinding ahead 18-1 at one point before the Dolls were able to get their offense going. Once again, Dyna Hurtcha was unstoppable with the star early.  Dyna has always been a strong three-position player (winning the Triple Threat at the ToRD Awards in 2009), but her development as a jammer this season has been astonishing; whether powering through packs or rushing along the outside, the Dolls could not contain her. Candy Crossbones also continues to impress in 2011, and with rookie Kookie Doe passing every test that she’s been given in this impressive rookie season, right now, the Chicks look like they have the most solid 1-2-3 jammer attack in the league.

Land Shark returned to the lineup for the Dolls, but even she struggled against the Chicks' packs. (Photo by Greg Russell)

The Dolls were buoyed by the return of Land Shark to the lineup, but even she struggled with the extraordinary pack work of the Chicks. Jubilee took on a more regular role jamming for the Dolls as well, and could be key to filling out the offensive depth of this Dolls team moving forward. Captain Betty Bomber stepped up as well, but despite recording a solid lead jammer %, was unable to take advantage as the Chicks defence was stellar, dominating the front of the pack and running some very fast pace lines. Roller Derby is increasingly about controlling the pace and at times the Chicks seemed to have complete control over the pace of this game. In the face of this smothering defense, the Dolls were unable to even crack double digits in the first half, down 52-9 at the break.

With an already deep pack, the play of Kookie Doe has given the Chicks a deep roster of jammers as well. (Photo by Neil Gunner)

When these two teams closed out the regular season, the Dolls collapsed under the sustained attack by the Chicks and almost fell apart in the second half as the Chicks ran up the score, so full credit goes to the Dolls in this one for coming out strong in the second half and continuing to battle right through to the end; the score line seemed unfair to the Dolls in terms of the effort they gave. The Dolls’ Santilly In Yo Face continued her jamming apprenticeship and had a much more controlled game this time out, and another rookie, Bala Reina from the Chicks, also continued to get some experience jamming (as she and Dyna passed off positions in the second). The pack was working so well together that it was hard to measure stand-out performances from the Chicks, but Mega Bouche had another monster bout, and Marmighty is becoming frighteningly good in the pack; yet another solid blocker to add to a Chicks’ roster that already has the best pack depth in the league.

Santilly In Yo Face was ready for the Chicks this time, but faced considerable blocking from the likes of Mega Bouche. (Photo by Neil Gunner)

Discipline has been a key issue this season for both of these teams, but particularly for the Chicks who have revamped their game in a big way. But there was a slight set back in this one, as both teams registered a lot of minors (33 for the Dolls, 25 for the Chicks) and an unusual amount of majors as well. Over the course of the regular season, the Chicks only recorded 23 majors, but picked up 10 in the semifinal, something that they will have to keep an eye on in the championship game. But there were very few jammer majors (two for the Dolls and just one for the Chicks that the Dolls, unfortunately, couldn’t capitalize on).

Nonetheless, the Chicks seem to be peeking at just the right, and have now put together back-to-back dominant games over an experienced opponent, which could be just the preparation that the Chicks need heading into the Battle for the Boot 5. In a season that at the mid-way point showed so much promise, the result was once again the same for the Death Track Dolls: coming up just short against the Chicks Ahoy!. They’ll need to build off the successes of the season and fix some of the issues that became more obvious as the season wore on, and now they’ll have  along off season to do it.

**Missed the game?? You can catch the complete bout including track side interviews on Rogers TV this Saturday (June 18) at 6:00 p.m.

**Tickets are on sale for the Battle for the Boot 5.

Dolls pull into 3rd place with win over Betties

Both the Dolls and the Betties were looking for their first win of the season. (Photography by Sean Murphy)

Death Track Dolls 115 vs. Smoke City Betties 62

Two teams desperate for a win and looking to get their seasons back on track clashed at the Hangar on Saturday night; and with nothing left to lose and everything to gain, both teams left it all on the track. Key players on both sides stepped up, and supporting players emerged as potential leaders, and after a hard fought back and forth that for the second week in a row had the crowd appreciatively in it for the long haul, the Death Track Dolls prevailed for their first win of the season, leaving a bruised but not battered Smoke City Betties—confidence restored—left to build off of what was perhaps the team’s best bout in two years.

There were a lot of stories to follow in this one; from the official return of retired player Slaughter Lauder to the Betties (this time running the bench with rookie Wolverina) to a couple players making impressive bouting debuts (Rug Burn for the Betties, Santilly In Yo’ Face for the Dolls, both graduates of the D-VAS program); aside from the action off the track, there was a lot to think about on it as well. The Betties got off to a dream start in this one, tight back walls from Betties’ vets Pretty Peeved and Mia Culprit combined with precision jammer take outs by BruiseBerry Pie

Rug Burn was just one of the rookies who had an impressive debut in the bout.

and slick jamming from Memphis Kitty saw the Betties fly out of the gates and take a 6-0 lead. But the Dolls didn’t panic and a Land Shark 4-and-done a few jams later gave the Dolls their first lead of the bout. But the Betties were unfazed. Inspiring her teammates, the impressive rookie Rug Burn picked up lead jammer on the first jam of her career. The first half of the period was a scrappy back-and-forth affair, but some early penalty troubles for Bruise and some solid jamming from the Dolls’ all-star duo of Sharky and Betty Bomber, had the Dolls up 6 thirteen minutes in.

Not to be outdone by her rookie counterpart, it didn’t take Dolls’ rookie Santilly In Yo’ Face long to assert her presence in the discussion of rookie of the year as well. Aided by some great one-on-one work from Lucid Lou on Bettie’s jammer titmouse, it was a huge 15 point jam for the fearless rookie that finally blew this bout wide open, giving the Dolls the biggest lead of the half, 35-14, and leading off a series of jams where the Dolls would threaten to pull away. But the Betties, showing a calmness on the bench and a resolve on the track that had not been seen in the opener, would not be pushed around and some great power-kill defence and timely jamming of their own (concluding with a Memphis Kitty power jam) had them clearly back into it, down 48-27 at the half.

Rookie Santilly In Yo Face had a key 15 point jam for the Dolls in the first half.

The veteran presence of the Dolls pivots (including Sinead O’Clobber, who had a breakout bout) allowed the Dolls to remain calm and weather the pushback. While the Betties never seemed out of it by any means, they just couldn’t wrestle away the momentum from the Dolls and build any sort of sustained comeback. But they were still frustrating their opposition. BruiseBerry continues her vicious assault on ToRD since transferring to the league in the off season, and after just a so-so return, the rust has fully fallen off of Mia Culprit and she had a scrappy and altogether effective bout, getting under the skin of her opponents and providing some solid blocking. One such contentious jam actually left Dolls’ key jammer Land Shark fuming on the bench, which allowed Santilly more track time to hone her skills. Her and Rug Burn’s impressive debuts tonight along with Chicks’ rookie jammer Kookie Doe, represent the most impressive rookie-jammer-class possibly since the first season of ToRD(when the likes of Dust Bunny, Candy Crossbones and retired Bettie Jewel Kicker distanced themselves from the pack). Despite the increasingly deep Betties’ jammer lineup (a formidable foursome now with Kitty, Burn and titmouse joined by Tropic Thunder), the Dolls outpaced them in this one, just managing to pull away at the very end for an important 53 point victory.

Mia Culprit was back to her old self: sold blocking and getting under the skin of her opponents.

While both teams looked far better than their season debuts there is still some work to be done. All of ToRD’s hometeams seem to be developing, strategically, into CN Power modelled teams, which is a good thing for the league, as the teams are constantly testing strategies off of each other. While power kill defences were mostly excellent from both sides, power jams were not fully taken advantage of. As parity comes slowly to ToRD, and there is less and less left separating the teams, the play of special teams is going to become essential: and while the Dolls especially were adept at setting traps, they had trouble holding them (not to take anything away from players like Sin D Drop Her of the Betties and Doll Jubilee who seemed especially competent at fighting their ways out of traps). For the Betties, the key will be to continue to build on the solid foundation that finally seems to have settled in. In terms of individual talent, there is very little (if anything) separating the Dolls and the Betties, teamwork, buying into systems and honing strategies is the only difference.

Next up for all of the ToRD hometeams is Montreal’s fourth annual Beast of the East, featuring the top sixteen eastern Canadian hometeams in a two-day, twenty-eight-bout tournament. All should be in mid-season form, and therefore, are expecting to do well. Keep an eye out for upcoming features tied into BOE 2011 including an updated eastern Canadian power rankings, a comprehensive look at the history of the Beast, and, of course, a preview for the 2011 event.

Quad City Chaos Preview (Part 2)

Tri-City defeated CN Power 122-50 in the team's final bout of 2010. (photo by Joe Mac)

THE UPSTARTS

In 2010, the focus of Canadian roller derby was clearly on Montreal’s New Skids on the Block, which allowed for another amazing roller derby story to go unnoticed by many outside of the Ontario derby community: the rise of Tri-City. Playing in the shadows of Hammer City, ToRD and even Forest City for years, the skaters of the Tri-City triangle have slowly been creating a juggernaut, and 2010 was a coming out party of sorts. In terms of hometeams, the Venus Fly Tramps continued to grow more competitive, and the league added a third team, the Total Knock-Outs to the mix. The league’s top team, the Vicious Dishes, was emerging as one of the top hometeams, not only in Ontario, but in the country. Vctories over ToRD’s Chicks Ahoy! and both Hammer City hometeams exposed the Dishes as a team to watch.

These solid foundations led to the dramatic rise of the Thunder. With their only losses coming against the top tier of Canadian competition (Montreal hometeam Les Contrabanditas and B-Team Sexpos), their strong victories over a string of American travel teams (Roc City, The Lake Effect Furies, Assault City, and Detroit’s Motor City Disassembly Line) turned some heads. But it wasn’t until their final bout of the season that they truly showed how far they’d come: a 122-50 victory over CN Power gave the team a solid 5-2 record on the season and managed to shake up the power politics of Canadian derby. It was arguably a crowning achievement on a fantastic year that saw them graduate into full WFTDA status.

Motorhead Molly leads a breakout jammer contingent for the Thunder. (photo by Joe Mac)

Tri-City’s strength is in its pack. Led by the pivot Jill Standing and the untiring blocking trio of Anita Martini, Bareleigh Legal and sin-e-star, Thunder is capable of playing a stifling pack defense that led them to victories over Roc City Roc Stars and Lake Effect Furies early in the season. While defense is a traditional Tri-City strength, the biggest development over 2010 was the improvement of their offense: Skate Pastor, Motorhead Molly and Lippy Wrongstockings proved to be a more than capable trio for the Thunder in 2010, playing smart, strategic derby even in low scoring, grinders. But they also helped show that Thunder is capable of switching gears and winning a shoot out, as they did in a 134-126 victory over Detroit’s Disassembly Line. The depth of the roster has only increased as all the Tri-City teams become more competitive. Greta Garbage and Gunmoll Mindy provide a lot of depth in the pack, with Garbage capable of laying down some hits or joining front walls, Mindy holding that inside line, and Lilith No Fair joining the pivot corps. Kitty Krasher, Cell Block Bettie and Freudian Whip are all capable of donning the star to jam as well, which provides this team with fantastic depth at offense.

The Thunder should have a slight depth advantage over Rideau Valley, and in terms of pack control and defense, may be the best match-up for Montreal, but I think it’s safe to say that all eyes are on Thunder’s rematch with CN Power to close out the tournament on Sunday (at 4:20 p.m.). Thunder could go a long way in solidifying their position as the team to watch in 2011 with a second consecutive victory over ToRD’s all stars.

The Vixens played their first ever bout at the Hangar, falling to CN Power 199-49. (photo by Derek Lang)

THE DARKHORSE

In 2009, Rideau Valley Roller Girls added a second team, the Riot Squad, to help develop the league and build on the success of the Slaughter Daughters. By 2010, they’d expanded yet again, this time adding the Vixens, a travel team. Due to the quick expansion, there were some growing pains in the early going, with some big losses to tough competition in Toronto (CN Power),  Steel City (B-Unit) and Montreal (Sexpos). But the growth in those months from the one-sided defeat in Toronto to the solid showing in Montreal was undeniable. It only took about six months for the Vixens to gel. By the end of the next six months, they’d evened up their 2010 record with three-straight victories beginning with a confidence boosting blow out (210-54) over the Jerzey Derby Brigade’s Corporal Punishers. They followed that up with two more explosive, one-sided wins against Utica, and Maine’s Calamity Janes.

Soul Rekker (jamming here against CN Power's Land Shark) is the Vixens' biggest offensive threat. (photo by Derek Lang)

Nonetheless, with their last three bouts coming south of the border against unknown competition (in that they don’t have any cross-over opponents with any of the other teams at the QCC), this considerably more experienced Vixens squad is somewhat of an unknown, which is why they are a darkhorse in this tournament. The only clue we have as to how good this team could be is in the performances of their hometeams, and the Slaughter Daughters are quietly becoming one of the top hometeams in eastern Canada, while their other team, the Riot Squad is certainly up and coming, recently taking ToRD’s Smoke City Betties to the limit in a bout. Even when they were losing early in 2010, the talent on the team was obvious. The two captains are the undeniable leaders on the track: Semi-Precious dominates at both leading her pack and delivering devastating take outs; Soul Rekker is an explosive jammer, and will lead the Vixens’ offense, proving equal to the top jammers in the tournament. And while this team is comparatively inexperienced in travel-team play, there is a surprising depth to the lineup, especially in the pack.

The Vixens' pack is led by Semi Precious and a core of Slaughter Daughters. (photo by Derek Lang)

Dee Dee Tee, Sister Disaster and Ripper A. Part round out a veteran jammer lineup, while the pack is loaded full of solid positional and striking blockers. ASSASSINista, Big Block, Blackout Susan, Drunky Brewster, and Surgical Strike form the core of the Slaughter Daughters roster, and that familiarity has bled over to the Vixens. Riot Squad’s Slavic Slayer, Margaret Chock, and N. Toxicate round out a sold pack that could pose problems for the other teams.

Rideau Valley will be aiming to knock off either CN Power or Thunder (and ideally both), and either is conceivable. They’ve been playing a similar amount of games as both teams and are undoubtedly a far different team than the one that last visited the Hangar. The fact that as the Vixens, they are relatively unknown to either team also makes them dangerous. CN Power and Tri-City can make necessary adjustments to face each other based on familiarity; the Vixens will, at the very least, have them guessing, and if they can catch either team off guard, they’ve proven capable of putting up big numbers.

THE RAMIFICATIONS

With all four teams competing at some level within WFTDA, this tournament is important to establish where, exactly, the teams stand in relation to one another. Montreal is currently creeping up to the top 4 in the Eastern Region and playing them will give the Vixens an idea of how competitive the top level of their Region really is. ToRD’s CN Power and the Tri-City Thunder will be chasing each other (and Hammer City) up the rankings in the North Central, making this just the second of what will certainly be many meetings between these teams.

For the New Skids on the Block, they’ll get a chance to pad their stats in the Canadian Roller Derby Rankings and have a competitive warm up for a potentially season-changing Eastern Region tournament in England against London, Steel City (Pittsburgh), and the 3^rd ranked Charm City (Baltimore).

On a larger scale, the Quad City Chaos offers a glimpse of the potential beginnings of WFTDA’s Canadian Region.

**Tickets are available online or at various ticket outlets in Toronto. Doors on Saturday open at 1:00pm. For a full schedule, check here.

**Read Part One (focusing on CN Power and The New Skids on the Block) .

Watch ToRD.TV’s video preview of QCC, featuring interviews with CN Power co-captain Lady Scorcher and bench manager Sonic Doom:

Quad City Chaos Preview (Part 1)

Montreal and Toronto finished 1-2 at last year's QCC. (photo by Derek Lang)

THE TOURNAMENT

This year’s Quad City Chaos will have ramifications beyond just the excitement of the weekend’s events. With defending champion Montreal playing themselves into the discussion of the best teams in flat track roller derby, they represent the peak of a wave of Canadian teams on the verge of competing at WFTDA’s highest level: Three of those other teams will be in Toronto this weekend.

This is the second year that ToRD’s CN Power has hosted the Quad City Chaos, a four-team invitational tournament that will be played over two day’s at The Hangar, and while CN Power would like to improve on last year’s 2-1 performance, it’ll be considered a considerable victory if they manage to secure the same record. With last year’s participants Hammer City undergoing a reorganization and preparing for WFTDA play this spring, this year’s tournament will feature Eastern Canada’s other top four teams. Joining CN Power and Montreal’s New Skids on the Block will be Tri-City Thunder (who compete this season in WFTDA’s North Central Region), and the Rideau Valley Vixens who, like ToRD, are completing their apprenticeship in 2011.

Montreal was the talk of the sport entering last year’s QCC, riding a 4 bout WFTDA winning streak (their record had been 1-8 before that), including a nearly 200 point victory over their only Canadian WFTDA competition, the Hammer City Eh! Team. Predictably, they dominated the tournament with only Vancouver’s Terminal City All Stars managing to keep them under 200 points. The tournament was an eye-opener for Canada’a top teams as to what it was going to take to compete at the highest levels. Terminal City has since attained full status and will compete in WFTDA’s Western Region. While Tri-City is a member in the Eastern Region, apprentices ToRD and Rideau Valley are well on their way.

THE HOSTS

CN Power recorded its first victory over the Hammer City Eh! Team at QCC 2010 (89-87). (photo by Joe Mac)

CN Power had a rough 2010. Last year’s early season successes (here at the QCC and in a rout of the newly formed Vixens) did not hold up over the course of the year, culminating in a surprisingly one-sided loss to cross-province rivals the Tri-City Thunder. Toronto Roller Derby, once a menacing force in eastern roller derby, looked disorganized and vulnerable. It was their third straight loss to teams that once would have been beatable. That loss dropped their record to 3-4 on the season.

Perhaps riding on the laurels of a popular and thriving home league, by the end of 2010, the travel team had become neglected. With an ever-changing roster that failed to gel as a singular entity, it was losing ground on the quickly evolving leagues around it. The loss in New Hamburg seemed to galvanize ToRD, and what resulted was a much more organized and considered approach to the formation and training of CN Power. With the first set roster in its history and a much more regimented and disciplined training schedule, the hopes were high to kick off 2011. Facing an unknown entity in their season debut—North Central Region’s Killamazoo Derby Darlins—CN Power came out calm, prepared and focused and played one of the best bouts of the team’s young history on their way to a 197-35 victory.

Cn Power kicked off 2011 with a 197-35 victory over the Killamazoo Derby Darlins. (photo by Kevin Konnyu)

More important even than the victory, was the way the team played. It was a nearly textbook bout; CN Power was simple and straightforward in its strategic play, and its best players played like its best players. All three of the lead jammers, Land Shark, Candy Crossbones and Dust Bunny look to be in mid-season form already and have played extremely well for their respective hometeams as well. The pack is  led by Brim Stone, Mega Bouche, Rebel Rock-It and Tara  Part, while Nasher the Smasher, Lady Gagya and Jubilee put up big numbers in the pack in CN Power’s season opener.

As it was last year, outside of the bouts involving Montreal, expect all of the matchups to result in hard-fought bouts that could go either way. That being said, Toronto is hoping for a victory against Rideau Valley to kick things off in preparation for the tough bout later in the day against Montreal (that will be Saturday night’s prime time bout, opening whistle at 7:00 p.m.). But the real focus will be on Sunday’s rematch with the Tri-City Thunder. With both teams entering WFTDA’s North Central, these teams are going to be rivals for a long time to come. CN Power is hoping to show that it can keep up with the hard-working all stars from Tri-City, and a victory here would go a long way in erasing the heart-breaking memories of last year’s late-season loss.

THE DEFENDING CHAMPIONS

New Skids bench at QCC 2010, where they had an average margin of victory of 157 points over the three bouts. (photo by Derek Lang)

Seemingly, not much has changed from a year ago. Montreal is still the team everyone is talking about, and they are once again on an amazing 5-1 run  to start 2011 with the only loss coming in the third bout in three days on a west coast road trip with a less than full roster against the 2^nd ranked team in the world. But as much as everything seems the same, a lot has actually changed. Last year Montreal was making waves at the back of the pack, eventually going on a seven bout winning streak to climb all the way to 6^th in WFTDA’s Eastern Region (they would defeat their opponents by an average of just under 100 points each during the run). That run up the rankings would come to an end at the hands of arch rival Boston Derby Dames. Boston would also knock the Skids out of WFTDA’s Eastern Regionals in the quarterfinals (they were the first non-American team to qualify for the playoffs), putting an end to an amazing 2010 that saw the Skids compile an 11-5 record in WFTDA sanctioned bouts (13-5 overall).

Montreal's Jess Bandit (blocking Land Shark at QCC 2010) is one of Canada's top pivots. (photo by Joe Mac)

Less than a year later and Boston is just one of the teams that has been upset by the New Skids on the Block in 2011 as they reach for even higher levels. If wins over Rat City, Boston and Jet City weren’t enough to convince any remaining skeptics of Montreal’s potential to compete this season, their recent smackdown of New Hampshire (a game that saw Montreal become just the fourth team to lay down 400+ points in a sanctioned bout) should put to rest any questions of what, at its best, this team is capable of. With a relentless offense anchored by the seemingly inexhaustible Iron Wench (and complemented by Georgia W. Tush and Ewan Wotarmy), and a smothering defense led by pivot Jess Bandit, the Skids are realistically unbeatable by any team in Canada right now. This is an extremely deep squad, with triple threats (Cheese Grater and Smack Daddy), fantastic back-up jammers (Lil Mama, Lyn-Dah Kicks and Mange Moi El-cul), positional mavens (Lady J, No Holds Bard, Rae Volver), and big hitters (Nameless Whorror, Trash N Smash and Bone Machine), but the true strength of this team is the depth of its talent, and the unity of its pack work.

Quad City Chaos will be held on March 26th and 27th at ToRD's Hangar in Downsview Park.

Not only is Montreal extraordinarily talented, they have the most track time clocked in 2011 as well, and are riding a wave of momentum built on a series of tough victories against some of the best competition flat track roller derby has to offer (and they’ve scored a staggering 710 points in their last two games). Expect them to roll right through the QCC, as they did last year, on their way to the “Anarchy in the UK” tournament in London, England in April. The Skids have never faced either the Thunder or the Vixens, but Montreal’s B-team, the Sexpos, recorded victories over each in 2010. The last time the Skids faced CN Power was at QCC 2010, a one-sided victory to close out the tourney.

**Tickets are available online or at various ticket outlets in Toronto. Doors on both days open at 1:00pm. For a full schedule, check here.

**Tomorrow, the preview continues with Tri-City and Rideau Valley.

Power kills the ‘Zoo; DVAS slay the Sisters

CN Power hosted Michigan's Killamazoo Derby Darlins at a packed Hangar.

Killamazoo Derby Darlins 35  vs. CN Power 197

It was a pink-clad and energized sell-out crowd at the Hangar that greeted the Killamazoo Derby Darlins as they made their first foray north of the border. And it was a pink clad, hyped up roller derby team that welcomed them to Canadian roller derby. Recently promoted to full WFTDA status, Killamazoo looked shaky early on as they adjusted to the slick Hangar floors, and after being overwhelmed in the first ten minutes, never really seemed to get back into it, as CN Power skated away with a lopsided 162 point victory.

FIRST HALF

The jammer trio of Land Shark (pictured), Candy Crossbones and Defecaitlin was dominant.

Having lost four bouts in a row to end 2010, CN Power rejigged the lineup, found a new focus and purpose, and put a renewed effort into training and preparation: It paid off early. After the opening jam ended in a 0-0 deadlock, Defecaitilin got CN Power on the board for their first lead of the bout and it was a lead they would not relent.  Killamazoo had no answers early on for the sustained ToRD attack led by the strong jamming trio of Land Shark, Defecaitlin, and Candy Crossbones (who led the bout in scoring with 78 points in 10 efficient jams). ToRD’s jammers managed an impressive 83% overall lead percentage (led by Land Shark’s 87%), keeping a lot of the decision-making in their own hands.

While at times ToRD seemed thrown off by the loose, stretched packs (and did suffer some discipline problems that resulted in a fair number of penalties), Dyna Hurtcha, Brim Stone and Dolly Destructo showed a great track awareness, assisting with timely offensive blocks when their jammers were stuck against Killamazoo pivots at the front.  But for the most part, the divided blockers made easy pickings for the ToRD jammers who could not be beaten one-on-one. A much needed timeout 9 minutes in seemed to settle down the Michigan skaters and in the following jam were able to put up their first points of the bout. Nonetheless, mid way through the half, the visitors faced a 56-4 deficit.

Lady Hawk (blocking Defecaitlin) had a strong bout for Killamazoo.

There were moments of great individual effort from the Killamazoo skaters; Darlin triple threat Javelin had a strong bout, leading her team in blocks (10), and despite being trapped behind a back wall at one point on a well-executed Toronto power jam, played some brilliant one-on-one defense on the jammer to limit the damage. Even with some big hitters of their own, the Killamazoo skaters got increasingly frustrated by the heavy hits doled out by the likes of Jubilee, Nasher the Smasher and Tara Part. Despite the ability in flat track roller derby to make up a lot of ground in a short amount of time, CN Power seemed in total control of this one, building a 112-10 lead heading into the half.

SECOND HALF

CN Power played a textbook flat track roller derby bout, strategically sound and physically prepared. Dictating their style of play, ToRD’s pivots—co-captain Brim Stone and the Chicks Ahoy! trio of Rebel Rock-It, Mega Mouth and Tara Part—controlled the pace and, when possible, the formations of the packs; whether walling up along turns to open an outside lane for Land Shark, or splitting an unfocused pack to allow Defecaitlin to deke her way through, Toronto’s packs were working well for their jammers. To their credit, Killamazoo never stopped battling and were able to slow CN Power’s point production late in the game. Lady Hawk had a strong second half for the ‘Zoo delivering solid blocks in the pack and donning the star for her team as well. Rosie Ferocious took advantage of a rare Killamazoo power jam to pick up 9 points in The Darlins’ biggest jam of the night (Sparkills had an 8 pointer to open the second-half scoring for Killamazoo). But with 10 minutes left in the game, and the fans beginning to trickle out of the Hangar on an increasingly snowy evening, CN Power was cruising, up 174-31.

CN Power rookie Hurlin' Wall lines up Killamazoo jammer Javelin.

Killamazoo’s Yoga Nagettit starting taking out her frustrations on the track late in the second half, keeping things physical and scoring a solid jammer take out on Land Shark. But it was Hurlin’ Wall, CN Power’s lone rookie in the lineup, who took over the pack for Toronto in the second half, leaving it all in the track with some ferocious hits and strong positional blocking. After also looking impressive in her hometeam opener, it doesn’t seem like we’ll have to worry about a sophomore slump for Hurlin. Dyna Hurthca joined the jammer rotation in the second half, adding a physical component to CN Power’s offense, propelling them to a 197-35 victory.

After an inconsistent 2010, CN Power looks reenergized and refocused in 2011. The continuity of a set roster has visibly aided the pack awareness, and more than ever, CN Power looks like a unified front. With significantly stiffer competition coming up in next month’s Quad City Chaos, ToRD’s all stars can’t spend too much time celebrating this one. But the confidence gained from this victory, and knowing  that they can pull off a WFTDA calibre bout, will only help CN Power moving forward.

TEAM STATS

Stat	CN Power	Derby Darlins
Margin of Victory/Loss	+162	-162
Lead Jammer Percentage	83%	14%
Points Per Jam	4.93	.88
Total Blocks (Knockdowns)	56 (19)	65 (8)
Hits on Jammer (Jammer knockdowns)	10 (15)	41 (7)
Assists (including offensive blocks)	49	25
Minor Penalties (Major penalties)	43 (15)	48 (16)

BLOCKER STATS LEADERS

Stat (Minimum 7 jams)	CN Power	Derby Darlins
Blocks (Knockdowns)	Nasher  8 (3 with 5)	Javelin 10 (Miss B. 2)
Jammer hits (Jammer knockdowns)	4 with 2 (Tara/Dyna 4)	Javelin 8 (Miss B. 2)
Assists (including offensive blocks)	Dyna/Rebel  8	Sparkills  6
Blocker +/-	Jubilee +108	Yoga Negattit -11
Pivot +/-	Brim Stone +70	Noam Stompsky -25
Total +/-	Jubilee +108	Sparkills -34
Minor Penalties (Major penalties)	Rebel 6 (Nasher/Dyna 3)	Javelin 8 (Ivanna / Beverly 3)

JAMMER STATS LEADERS

Stat (Minimum 5 jams)	CN Power	Derby Darlins
Points	Candy  78	Rosie Ferocious 9
Points Per Jam	Candy  7.8	Rosie Ferocious 1.5
Jammer +/-	Candy  +72	Rosie Ferocious -5
Lead %	Land Shark 87%	Rosie Ferocious 20%
Jam %	Land Shark 38%	Lady Hawk/Beverly 17%

Zebra Mafia: Penny Whistler (Head Ref), Parking Lot (Assistant Head Ref), D-Minus (HCRG), Hot Carl (HCRG), R’Effin Adorable, Trickless Magician (Killamazoo), Ref-ormed Rebel (FCDG).

D-VAS (ToRD) 71 vs. Sister Slag (NCRD) 38

The opening bout of the double header featured ToRD’s future stars, the D-VAS, hosting Nickel City’s Sister Slag. Lead by bench managers Raunchy Hextall and retired CN Power jammer Lunchbox, the 2011 D-VAS are beginning a journey that could eventually see these fresh meat drafted onto one of ToRD’s four hometeams. Many of these players were skating in their debuts, which allowed ToRD’s fans (and hometeam captains with an eye for the future), the first look at the next crop of Toronto talent. It’s going to become increasingly more difficult to gain a position on one of the Toronto rosters, and this bouting experience is integral in the development of these players.

Smashley of Sister Slag lines up against the D-VAS' Hellbat (photo by Joe Mac)

For Nickel City, this bout represented the second foray south after 2010’s bout against Forest City’s Luscious Lunch Ladies. The skaters of Sister Slag, the league’s travel team, are picking up necessary experience on these trips to bring back to their developing league (which consists of two hometeams: The Sudbetties and Smelter Skelter). This bout was the first of a home and home between these two teams that will be reciprocated with a visit by the D-VAS later in the year.

With Low Ride Her on the bench nursing an injury, Sister Slag was missing an essential component of their team. A competitor in the all star game at Toronto’s Blood & Thunder Training Camp, she could have been a difference maker in this one. What this gap did allow, was for other skaters to step up and lead their team. Smelter Skelter captain Smashley lead the offense for Sister Slag with 16 points, joining Wheels of Misfortune in going toe-to-toe with each of the D-VAS solid crop of developing jammers. The comparative experience of the remaining D-VAS from last year’s squad was evident on the track. Laya Beaton (10 blocks, 5 assists) and Skinned Knee Crosby (9 blocks) were strong up front for the DVAS, with Laya taking her turns with the star as well. Sister Slag captain Dirt Devil was a solid leader for her team on the track, pivoting with confidence.

The bout was tight in the early going, with the D-VAS unable to hold leads. Some untimely Sudbury penalties and another D-VAS vet, Krash, may have been the difference in the end. Krash skated well all bout and gained confidence with her jamming as the game wore on. Keri Daway (who led the DVAS with 32 points and a 100% lead percentage in 6 jams) and Hellbat provided the depth at jammer that allowed the D-VAS to pull away with a 71-38 victory.

* Keep an eye on ToRD.TV for a video recap and layer9’s video archive of the bout. *

And finally, for your viewing pleasure: After the bout, a fan shot this video on the 101 TTC bus that runs from The Hangar to the Downsview subway station. Only roller derby could inspire a bus full of people to have a sing-along (to Queen at that). And to think they almost cut this route.