Carolina Takes on Boston & Providence

By Killary Clinton, Last updated Fri Mar 19 2010 12:41am

WILMINGTON, MA / PROVIDENCE, RI -- After suffering their bumpiest year yet in 2009, #25 Carolina tries to start a journey back up the rankings as they go north to take on #10 Boston and Providence this weekend on Saturday and Sunday night. This weekend may show whether 2009 was just an extended slump for formerly dominant Carolina or a new reckoning of their place on the national scene.

March power rankings from DNN have Boston ranked at #10 with Carolina holding onto the bottom slot ranked #25. While not ranked at the moment, Providence held the volatile #25 spot for three months last summer. In the official WFTDA rankings, Boston is third-ranked in the Eastern Region, Carolina fifth, and Providence sixth.

For a team that had reached both the 2007 and 2008 Nationals and sat in the national top ten for most of their existence, Carolina went a surprising 4-8 last year, with two of those wins being 1 point squeakers and another an easy victory over a badly outmatched Dominion team. Carolina should not be underestimated, however -- the 2010 Carolina All Stars team is almost identical to the team roster from the last two matchups with Boston.

Carolina’s partnership and experience playing together will likely challenge the mixed veteran and newly recruited Boston roster. Carolina welcomes back experienced skaters including Ms. Anthrope the Mordant, DVS, and clutch jammers Princess America & Holly Wanna Crackya, both of whom have experience handling the pressure in final jam situations. Original CRG member Shirley Temper also is back after missing most of 2009 post-pregnancy, although Carolina is now missing one of their most effective blockers from the 2009 campaign, Kelly Clocks'Em.

Boston's match with Carolina marks the first meeting between these two rivals since the September 2009 WFTDA Eastern Regional Tournament where Boston defeated Carolina in the first round, 112-40, and went on to advance to Nationals. It was the only one-sided meeting between the two teams since their first bout in Madison, Wisconsin in 2008, where Carolina took and held on to a slight lead in the last two jams to beat Boston in the quarterfinals of the 2008 Eastern Regionals 77-75 in a Nationals-qualifying match. Their match up at East Coast Extravaganza in June 2009 was similarly heartbreaking for Boston, with Carolina winning 82-81 in the closest bout of the tournament. September’s bout was sweet revenge for the Pantsless Militia, and they would like nothing more than to continue their winning streak.