The Ohio Roller Girls are coming up on a decade of derby! If you attended a game in 2014, please take a few moments to fill out our 2015 season planning survey. Not only will your participation help us make this the best season yet, you will be entered for a chance to win a season pass!
(20) OHIO TO FACE (14) JACKSONVILLE AT D1 PLAYOFFS For the third consecutive year, the Ohio Roller Girls will enter the WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs as a lower seed than their opponents. Two years ago, Ohio was a #5 seed before upsetting #4 Arch Rival. Last season, #6 Ohio again upset #3 Arch in the opening round before taking down #2 Montreal in the semifinals, thus earning Ohio their first ever trip to Championships. This year, #5 Ohio again looks to play spoiler for the higher seed as they are scheduled to play the #4 Jacksonville Roller Girls’ New Jax City Rollers. Any talk about Ohio being in a rebuilding year this season has been squashed by this 2014 squad. At this time last year, Ohio entered playoffs at #24 in the world. This season, Ohio enters playoffs four ranking positions higher at #20. That being said, Jacksonville will be one of Ohio’s biggest tests this season, as the winner will still face an uphill battle in order to qualify for Championships. The top three finishers earn a trip to Champs, and with world ranked #3 London Rollergirls, #6 Texas Rollergirls, and the #11 Windy City Rollers also in Ohio’s bracket, the
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ohio Roller Girls Qualify for Women’s Roller Derby Playoffs OHRG to Compete in Division 1 Tournament in Evansville, IN AUSTIN, TEXAS – The Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) announced that the Ohio Roller Girls qualified for the 2014 WFTDA Division 1 Playoffs in Evansville, Indiana, Sept. 19-21 as the #5 seed. The tournament seeding reflects the June 30 WFTDA rankings, which were based on sanctioned games played through that date. The international WFTDA Playoffs and Championships tournament series brings together the most talented, highly trained and committed skaters and officials from WFTDA member leagues to display the “Real, Strong, Athletic and Revolutionary” game play that pushes the limits of the sport worldwide. Whether participating on the track, cheering in the stands or watching online, the WFTDA tournaments provide everyone who loves roller derby an opportunity to witness the most anticipated match-ups of the year. The following teams will be joining OHRG in Evansville Sept. 19-21 to compete for a shot at advancing to the WFTDA Championships in November. The top three teams from each of the four international D1 Playoffs will attend Championships to compete for the sport’s highest honor: the Hydra trophy and the title of WFTDA Champions. London Rollergirls,
It is fitting that the Ohio Roller Girls’ last regular bout of the season was on Labor Day weekend, because the 216 – 191 victory over Steel City's (Pittsburgh) Steel Hurtin’ was a laborious battle from start to finish. Ohio’s special team play made the difference in a bout that seemed at first to be going Steel City’s way. Steel Hurtin’ won lead jammer on the first six jams of the bout and jumped out to a 20-0 lead, but an aggressive style of play led to 41 penalties for Steel City. Ohio took advantage, scoring 189 of their 216 points with Steel City jammers sitting on the penalty bench, over 100 points more than Steel City managed on their power jams. It wasn’t just offensive power that won the game; the penalty kill was just as destructive. The best example of Ohio’s domination on penalty kills happened with 22 minutes left in the first half when The Smacktivist was sent to the box and Ohio’s defense, led by Lora “Outa My” Wayman and Amy Spears, kept Steel City’s superstar jammer ‘Snot Rocket Science from breaking out the pack for the full thirty second penalty time. ‘Snot was sent to the box
After watching the Ohio Roller Girls charter team take down the Steel Hurtin’ 216-191, Gang Green did everything they could to make sure their bout against Pittsburgh’s reserve squad wouldn’t be as close. It’s always a tough match when Steel City and Ohio meet, and Gang Green quickly found themselves in a battle that made the several hundred spectators in attendance cheer for the efforts put forth by everyone involved. The first ten jams of the contest went back and forth between Gang Green and the Steel Beamers. Jams lasted an average of one minute, and just ten minutes into the bout, the two reserve squads exchanged leads a total of five times. With 19:15 remaining in the first period, Gang Green clung to a slim 24-17 lead. On the period’s eleventh jam, Gang Green’s Sarah Bruce rattled off a 20-0 power jam with Shrinking Violet in the penalty box for a high block. Two jams later, it was Val Holla knocking Hot Lips Bruise’ihan out of bounds, allowing HellionBOI the opportunity to get lead and secure a 2-0 jam. Hellion’s jam took Gang Green’s lead to 54-18. Clean play by both squads over the next ten jams didn’t yield
This weekend, the (20) Ohio Roller Girls will skate in their final home bout this season as they welcome in Pittsburgh’s (28) Steel City Roller Derby. A long-standing rivalry continues as these teams will meet for the fifth time, and the third time in the last year and a half. Ohio and Steel City first met back in 2007 when Ohio was victorious 134-131, but Steel City got their revenge two years later, 125-98. Then, a four year hiatus, mainly due to regional affiliation, kept these two teams apart. The battle was renewed last season as a scheduled home-and-home series saw these squads face each other in each of their home venues. In April 2013, Ohio hosted Steel City and got off to a quick 102-9 start. An amazing comeback by the Steel Hurtin in the second period cut the deficit to only 23 points, but Ohio held strong to secure a 246-162 victory. Then in August, Ohio traveled to Pittsburgh and won a nail-biter 184-179. Historically, Ohio and Steel City have always played each other well, and with an average margin of victory only being 39 points, this next matchup is bound to follow in its footsteps. Steel City will
