If you are a longtime fan of the Dairyland Dolls, taking on the North Star Supernovas from Minneapolis, a team that they may face once again later this fall. And just like the last bout at the Pond, the hard-working staff and volunteers of the league will set up a track in right field and hope for clear skies.
It's been a busy summer for the Dairyland Dolls. The team has been hitting the road and training hard to secure a solid ranking for the upcoming Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) tournament season.
The summer season began in late June with a split decision at the annual East Coast Extravaganza in Philadelphia, where the Dolls took on the Kansas City Roller Warriors and the Tampa Bay Derby Darlins. Kansas City, which took the 2007 national championship, bested the Dolls with a final score of 152-108. Madison's milk maids defeated Tampa, though, with a sturdy 167-116 victory.
In mid-July, the Dolls and fellow inter-leaguers Team Unicorn road-tripped to Milwaukee for a double-header against the Brewcity Bruisers. It was a bit of a blow-out, as the Unicorns thoroughly bested Milwaukee's b-team, the Battlestars, by a score of 152-70, while the Dolls battered the Bruisers 197-85.
The following weekend, the Dolls and Unicorns hosted a double-header at home against the Arch Rival Roller Girls of St. Louis and their b-team, the St. Lunachix. The Unicorns fell to the Lunachix, 185-73 in the opening act, but the Dolls trounced the Rivals, 109-74, in the main event of the evening.
The win over St. Louis officially secured the Dolls a spot in the -- the 2009 WFTDA Nationals Tournament in Philadelphia on November 13-15. Meanwhile, should the stars so pleasantly alight and they make it to the nationals, the Dolls will be able to warm up with their last sanctioned single bout of the fall season, against the Detroit Derby Girls in the Motor City on October 10.
But first, there's some bouting to be had at the Duck Pond, located at Warner Park on the north side. General admission tickets for the bout are $8, and can be purchased at the Madison Mallards ticket office, online, or by phone at 608-246-4277. Tickets in the Great Dane Duck Blind, which include admission, all-you-can-eat ballpark food, beer and soda, are available for $30; these tickets can be purchased at a special promotional price of $25 by mentioning "Facebook" while ordering. Ballpark gates open at 5 p.m., and the action starts at 6. And, in the event of a soaked reprise of 2006, the rain date is scheduled for the Duck Pond at 11 a.m. on Sunday, August 23.
After the bout, the Dolls will celebrate with an evening of dancing and general merry-making at Madison Avenue. DJ Donnie Vendetta will keep things spinning long after the wheels have stopped turning and the track disassembled.
On a personal note, I'll be hanging up my skates and handing over the derby beat this fall to further my education -- or, as the lenders assure me, to "invest in my future." It's been a pleasure to play and write about roller derby in Madison for the last three years. And something tells me that I'm not quite done turning left just yet. After all, you can take the girl out of derby, but you can't take the derby out of the girl.
So, until next time, this is Harlot Brontë, rolling out and signing off.
