(31) Ohio Roller Derby Hosts Ithaca’s Sufferjets
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04/01/2016 In Talk Derby To Me By Andrew Marron

(31) Ohio Roller Derby Hosts Ithaca’s Sufferjets

Fresh off their season opening victory over a very physical and game-ready Ann Arbor squad on March 19th, Ohio Roller Derby now has the Ithaca League of Women Rollers squarely in their sights. The OHRD welcome the Ithaca Sufferjets to Columbus on April 2nd for the second of six bouts during their home season, and just like against Ann Arbor, these two teams have never competed against one another. Ohio, still riding high off their victory against Ann Arbor, was led by The Smacktivist’s 157 points in their home opener. Conversely, Ithaca dropped their 2016 season opener on the road at Brandywine Roller Derby, 148-233.

While Ohio and Ithaca have never skated against each other in direct competition, certain skaters for each squad have laced their skates against one another at this year’s Battle of the All Stars, a competition between skaters of various teams competing for their respective states. Ohio Roller Derby had four skaters (Paige Bleed, Val Holla, Quiet Storm, and Stevie Brown) on the Team Ohio Squad, which finished in 6th place at the end of the weekend. Ithaca, competing for spots on Team New York against skaters from Gotham and Suburbia, were able to place six skaters on the New York roster and finished as the tournament runner-up. Skaters for Ithaca who will be playing against OHRD that comprised Team New York include: Deb Crush, Haha Hatchet, Chrysteria, AKT*47, and Nora Morse.

Ohio’s roster remains intact from their bout against Ann Arbor, with newly joined league member Betty T KayO getting more playing time between both the charter squad and Gang Green. Ithaca, on the other hand, may have a shake-up in their jammer rotation. Nora Morse continues to be Ithaca’s primary jammer and point scorer, with Haha Hatchet also able to put massive points on the board as their second jammer. Unfortunately, Hatchet suffered an injury against Brandywine during their season opener and (at the time of the writing of this article) their status is uncertain for Ithaca’s bout against Ohio. If Hatchet is unable to compete, possible jammer replacements for Ithaca may include Rainbow Might and Jagger. Rainbow Might, a successful jammer and blocker, started her career with Ithaca, and then skated with the Gotham Girls before returning to Ithaca. Ithaca’s blocking core remains fairly consistent from last season, featuring Bunny LeBoutski, Dusa Damage, Manda Tori Chaos, and Ovarian Cyster. Skaters also contributing valuable minutes in the pack may include AKT*47, Gorges Curves, Chrysteria, and Deb Crush.

Following the Ohio Roller Derby/Ithaca Sufferjet bout, Ohio’s Gang Green will square off against the Ithaca Bluestockings. Fans of Gang Green may see a few new faces taking the track for the Ohio reserve squad this weekend, as Lawless and Death CertifiKate will compete for the first time as Gang Green skaters. Foxy Force, Betty T. KayO, and Bruss Knuckles will be making their encore appearances, as all were able to compile quality minutes in their openers against Ann Arbor’s Bruising Co.

Photos by: Joe Mac

Andrew Marron