WFTDA Preview: #8 Windy City @ #17 Detroit

By Justice Feelgood Marshall, Last updated Fri Mar 4 2011 2:09pm

DETROIT, MI -- Perennial North Central champs Windy City (unofficially #8 nationally via DNN, officially #1 NC via WFTDA) start their quest for a third straight regional title when they head up to play Detroit (unofficially #17 in the nation via DNN, #4 NC via WFTDA) this Saturday night. Although the teams have been #1 and #2 for most of the existence of the North Central region, it's only the second sanctioned meeting between the two; in March of 2009, Windy City won the first clash 119-59.

This bout will be streamed live on DNN courtesy of the Detroit Derby Girls. Join us at 8pm Eastern (5pm Pacific) for Detroit vs. Windy City; an undercard bout between Glass City and Mid-Michigan starts at 6:30pm Eastern (3:30 Pacific).

Detroit made it to the WFTDA championship tournament in 2007 and 2009 and was favored to make it in 2010, but was upset by Minnesota in their regional tournament; that loss has brought them to their lowest ranking yet in the North Central region. Their 2011 season started almost exactly a month ago when they went into the Pacific Northwest to take on DNN #5 Rose City, #13 Rat City and #2 Oly on consecutive nights; they went back home winless, with Rose City beating them by 122, Rat City by 56 and Oly by 157.

If they can use that experience to defeat visiting Windy City this weekend, though, they'll have done something no North Central team has managed to do yet. Since the NC region was started at the beginning of 2009, Windy City has maintained a perfect 11-0 record against regional opponents, with their closest shave coming against Madison in a 115-104 game in May of last year. Cincinnati also gave them a good run in a high-scoring game at that year's NC tournament before WCR claimed a 172-147 win.

Like Detroit, Windy City's last three games have been losses to Pacific Northwest teams -- their 2010 season ended with losses to Rose City (134-89) and consecutive losses to Oly (220-61 and 178-76). They haven't seen action in 2011 though, yet.

Now captained by Jackie Daniels and 'Ol Drrrty Go-Go (formerly Go-Go Hatchet), Windy comes into 2011 with a bit of a new look on the jam line; primary 2010 jammers Shocka Conduit and Kola Loka aren't on the current roster, and neither Ruth Enasia nor Beth Amphetamine, often seen with the jam star last year, will be in this game against Detroit. Two new faces in slippery jammer Zoe Trocious and stout blocker Bork Bork Bork make their all-star debuts Saturday.

For Detroit, the roster is mostly the same as the one that went into the Pacific Northwest last month, with two notable differences; longtime veteran jammer Honey Suckit and hard-hitting blocker Polly Fester are out for this one, with relatively new faces Combat Cat and Lazer Beam on the crew this time out.

6 Elle McFearsome // 8 Tinja // 11 Elle Iminator // N20 Cool Whip // 22 Effin Money // 28 Racer McChaseHer // 46 Fatal Femme // 68 Summers Eve-L // 76 Del Bomber // 247 boo d. livers // 313 Black Eyed Skeez // 333 Cookie Rumble // 620 Lazer Beam // 728 Combat Cat

017 Zoe Trocious // 07 Jackie Daniels // 17 'Ol Drrrty Go-Go // 19 Tori Adore // 24 Wreck N Shrew // 25 Varla Vendetta // 30 Athena DeCrime // 52 Sargentina // 57 Amy Nonamey // 70 Georgia on Yer Behind // 74 Deb Autry // 75 Bork Bork Bork // 219 Hoosier Mama // 999 Yvette Yourmaker