In anticipation of the WCR All-Stars' home opener on July 25 (vs Philly Rollergirls' Liberty Belles), I talked to some of the skaters on both teams about their thoughts on the big game. Get your tickets at http://windycityrollers.com/tickets/default.aspx -- You won't want to miss this one! -Loco Chanel

photo by Kerry McClain

The July 25 bout is the WCR All-Stars home opener at the UIC Pavilion, but it's not the All Stars' first bout this year. The team has a 4-0 record in 2009, with wins over Detroit (119-59), St. Louis (186-45), Cincinnnati (127-54), and Boston (117-81).

Loco Chanel: What have you, as both a captain and All-Star player, learned from the games thus far this season?

Malice with Chains: I think that we have solidified that we are the team to beat in the North Central right now, but we have also been pushed pretty hard. Traditionally, we haven't started games very strong and know that we can't continue to play that way. We need to be quicker at adjusting our game to what is available and what is being denied on offense and defense.

The Windy City Rollers have been fortunate to have a fairly stable All-Star roster. Of course, there are some changes since the home-town fans have seen you in action last. How has the team evolved since last year?

The core of our team remains the same, but the biggest hole to fill from last years' roster is Kola Loka, who retired and is now League Coach. She was obviously a huuuuuuuge asset to our offense, a tireless competitor and an inspiration to our team. Fortunately, our strategy and team chemistry was not built around any one player so it's not like we have had to start from zero.

We've built upon things that worked from last year. We also saw a lot of great derby at the tournaments and have kind of stolen things we saw in other teams and tweaked them to fit our style. We're sneaky like that.

Y'all are facing your biggest test so far this year against Philly's Liberty Belles, who finished #3 at last fall's WFTDA National Championship. How have you been preparing for this big game?

Eating donuts and drinking beer.
Nawwwww. We're skating hard, developing strategy and working out kinks in our game that we saw at ECE. Same as always. Yeah, there's a little scouting and some strategy of theirs we'd like to break down, but we're good enough to continue developing OUR game.

You had the opportunity to check out the Liberty Belles at the East Coast Extravaganza few weeks back. What were your biggest takeaways from seeing them play? What should fans expect from the girls from Philly?

To be honest, it's hard to take a lot away from such lopsided wins and Philly dominated both teams they played. We know they are smart. They change their game and adjust the way they are playing pretty quickly. They have fast, slippery jammers and they also have jammers that are more physical and will block their way through. To summarize, they are versatile and they are good at the derby.

From my viewpoint, the WCR All-Stars and Philly's Liberty Belles are two well-matched teams and this bout will fiercely competitive. WCR has a loss to avenge last spring at ECE, and well, WCR is kind of untouchable at home. Any additional thoughts about the game and the upcoming season?

I am always excited for the opportunity to avenge a loss or justify friendly trash talking with competitors. I respect the heck outta the Philly Girls—they never give up and have always had great attitudes. I really get the feeling that they just want to make good derby GREAT by skating hard and playing their best. I can't wait to share the floor with them. Match-ups like this are why I skate.

Talk Derby with your Friends!

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