By Dainty Inferno, Last updated Fri Apr 9 2010 5:00am

NEW YORK, NY -- This Saturday marks the opening of the 2010 Gotham Girls Roller Derby home season. The opening bout will feature interleague action, pitting the Gotham Girls All-Stars (officially ranked #1 in the WFTDA East Division, #2 nationally by Derby News Network) against Baltimore’s Charm City Roller Girls All-Stars (#4 in the WFTDA East, #11 nationally by DNN) at Schwartz Athletic Center on the Long Island University-Brooklyn campus. The undercard features the GGRD All-Boro team, the Wall Street Traitors, in a 40-minute exhibition bout against the Lake Effect Furies of the Queen City Roller Girls from Buffalo, NY.

DNN's live video coverage of this bout is provided by Gotham Girls Roller Derby. Coverage starts at 7:30pm Eastern.

Gotham Girls All-Stars vs. Charm City All-Stars

The GGRD All-Stars begin 2010 at #2 in the national derby rankings, one step down from a year ago, when they were fresh off winning the 2008 WFTDA championship. After being knocked out of the 2009 national tournament by the eventual winners, Olympia, Washington’s Oly Rollers, Gotham comes into 2010 hungry and with a new look.

Most notable are the absences of powerful blockers Polly Gone and Surly Temple, and agile jammer/blocker Barbara Ambush, all lost to retirement at the end of 2009. The All-Stars add 2nd year skaters OMG WTF and Steel Magnolia, along with 3rd year skater Haulin’ Cass and returning veteran Carmen Monoxide, who skated with Gotham in 2005 and re-joined the league in 2009. In 2010, Gotham will look to improve upon their 7-2 2009 record, and perhaps start a new winning streak to rival their record 18-game streak that spanned 2008 and 2009.

Charm City’s All-Stars already have 2 WFTDA sanctioned bouts under their belts in 2010, against Montreal (#13 WFTDA East, unranked by DNN) and Richmond, VA’s River City Rollergirls (unranked by either system). They easily dispatched both opponents; besting Montreal by a score of 159-57 and coming close to breaking the all-time score differential record in a 409-22 pounding of River City. After taking on Gotham this weekend, they’ll move on to the West Coast for matchups against DNN's #6 Rose City, #1 Oly, and #7 Rat City, all in one weekend.  Charm City began 2009 with a similarly frenetic schedule, taking on opponents in doubleheaders and compiling a 13-5 record that ended with a 4th place finish at the WFTDA Eastern Regional tournament in September. In 2010 they’ll look to improve upon their 2009 performance with a trip to Nationals.

In their last face-off, Gotham won over Charm City, 120-72, buoyed by a 75-point jamming performance by Bonnie Thunders. A repeat performance of this win by Gotham would re-assert the perennial power’s strength in the East region, and a win by Charm City would scramble the national rankings and make for some interesting competition on the road to Regionals.

Ana Bollocks 00 // Beatrix Slaughter 42 // Beyonslay Top 40 // Bonnie Thunders 340 // Carmen Monoxide 12 // Donna Matrix 2 // Em Dash 8212 // Fisti Cuffs 241  // Ginger Snap 80 // Hard Anya i4i // Haulin’ Cass 104 // Hela Skelter 31 // Hyper Lynx 404 // Kandy Kakes Perfect 10 // OMG WTF 753 // Papierschnitt 500 // Steel Magnolia 61 // Suzy Hotrod 55 // Sweet Sherry Pie 201

Allie B. Back T2 // Bambi's Revenge 42 // Coach Ballbricker 13 // Deathany 666 // Dolly Rocket 6 // Duchess of Torque 200 // Flo Shizzle 247 // Holly Go Hardly 415 // Holden Grudges 63 // Joy Collision 747 // Just Carol 26 // Kelly O'ShankU 9 // Lady Quebeaum 34 // Mibbs Breakin’ Ribs 1010 // Mistress May Eye 10 // Reckless Ndangerment 116 // Rosie the Rioter 100 // Slap Tackle Pop 3E // Thoroughbled 12 // Twibite 222