WFTDA Preview: #12 Charm City @ Montreal

By Justice Feelgood Marshall, Last updated Sat Feb 13 2010 7:18pm

MONTREAL, QC -- Two Eastern Region teams kick off ambitious 2010 seasons with a closed but WFTDA-sanctioned meeting in French Quebec, as Baltimore's Charm City and Montreal get it on this Saturday night.

This bout will be covered live on DNN via text boutcast from Justice Feelgood Marshall and Slack Kerowhack. Coverage begins at 7pm Eastern on Saturday, February 13.

For Charm City, it's their first time in public action since a disappointing conclusion to a hot 2009 season. They went as high as #5 in DNN's unofficial Power Rankings after an 8-point loss to Texas in June and entered September 2009's WFTDA Eastern Regionals with the #3 seed in the tough region. Unfortunately, they suffered a string of injuries to key players in their last two bouts and lost the third-place bout to Boston, missing out on a trip to Nationals. In 2010, they'll be trying to improve on their impressive 13-5 record in 2009.

Charm only has one loss to retirement since 2009 with the departure of Pistol Whip, but travel team mainstays Mibbs Breakin' Ribs, Flo Shizzle, Coach Ballbricker and Reckless Ndangerment will be sitting this one out. Making their first appearances on an all-star game roster are Kelly O'ShankU, Deathany, Allie B. Back and Twibite -- with Twibite playing in her first bout ever. Charm continues to sport a deep jammer bench, with all four of the debuting players capable of taking the jam star. One open question for Charm will be the recovery of team captain Joy Collision, who was sidelined with an MCL tear at Regionals and is playing in her first bout since.

Montreal quickly made a national name for themselves at last year's ECE, where they lost exciting games to Ohio and Atlanta but gained a lot of fans in the process. They went 1-6 in WFTDA sanctioned action in 2009, although they won all their games against non-WFTDA teams for an overall record of 5-6.

This year, the neon posse has a demanding schedule lined up -- they'll follow this season opener up with five WFTDA-sanctioned travel bouts in 16 days, facing off against Tucson and Arizona next weekend and tackling a three-bout weekend against Suburbia, DC and Connecticut on March 5-7.

Most of Montreal's all-star core from 2009 is back, including speed demon Iron Wench, wiry blocking menace Romeo and tireless all-around-threat Georgia W. Tush. They are missing Bone Machine and Izzy Skellington, which opens the door for debuts from Karla Shinkov and Hammer City transfer Cheese Grater.

Before the all-star clash, Montreal's B-team, the Sexpos, will go up against Charm City's B-team Female Trouble.

Smack Daddy 3X // Lil Mama 1/2 // Rae Volver 38 // Beater Pan-Tease 1-976 // Cheese Grater 289 // Lady J 86 // Iron Wench 42491 // Karla Shinkov AK47 // Georgia W. Tush 40oz // Trash n Smash 1.8 // Ewan Wotarmy 7734 // Lyndah Kicks 75 // Romeo 222 // Jess Bandit 8 // Wrath Poutine 30

Lady Quebeaum 34 // Joy Collision 747 // Dolly Rocket 6 // Duchess of Torque 200 // Holly Go Hardly 415 // Allie B. Back T2 // Twibite 222 // Deathany 666 // Kelly O'ShankU 9 // Mistress May Eye 10 // Bambi's Revenge 42 // Just Carol 26 // Rosie the Rioter 100