Welcome back to Roller Derby Inside Track’s preview of the North Central Regionals, coming at you live this weekend from beautiful Green Bay, Wisconsin. I am going to be on site tweeting and updating my Facebook on Friday and Saturday, which you can follow at www.twitter.com/tankofalltrades and www.facebook.com/tankofalltrades . Just make sure you mention RDIT when you try to add me.

The following are my game by game picks this weekend. What I did was I sat down with a bracket and picked each match up game by game, how I think the Thunda on the Tundra will unfold. I decided to pick some “upsets” in the early rounds, as the Regional tournaments tend to be the time of the year when these occur and change the roller derby landscape for the year. As I said above, I will be tweeting live from Green Bay and will be giving my thoughts and picks on the games that day, so even if a few of my picks are wrong (which will throw this bracket off) I will still be giving you my thoughts and analysis on these games. No matter what happens, you know you are going to see some great action this weekend.

Game 1: Arch Rival vs. Naptown
This will be a great game to kick off the tournament and should be a tight back and forth game. The key stat that’s going to come into play in this game is penalties. Naptown runs a very physical pack and their jammers play just as physical too, which leads to a lot of trips to the penalty box. As Naptown should have learned at ECDX, you can’t lose your jammer to the box at this level. Arch Rival will play a much more controlled, reserved game, and because of that they will move onto the next round.
Winner: Arch Rival

Game 2: Minnesota vs. Omaha
Omaha plays the speed game and Minnesota pressures the front of the pack but doesn’t guard the back of the pack, so this one’s going to come down to who has the better athletes. Omaha has faster jammers and should be able to pick their way through Minnesota’s packs. Minnesota has been able to win close matchups all year long, but when you play in tight game after tight game, your luck eventually runs out. I look for Omaha to take the W in this one.
Winner: Omaha

Game 3: Cincinnati vs. Brewcity
These two teams played recently in Cincinnati in a game that Cincinnati dominated with superior defense and pack play. I don’t see Brewcity improving enough in the span of a few months to beat Cincinnati, and because of that Cincy will get the win here.
Winner: Cincinnati

Game 4: Madison vs. North Star
These two teams met a little over a year ago and the result should be the same, with Madison coming away with the victory. Madison’s bench is much deeper than North Star’s and that is the going to be the key difference in this game. If North Star keeps it within 50 points, they can chalk it up as a moral victory.
Winner: Madison

Game 5: Windy City vs. Arch Rival
The only way Arch Rival would win this game would be if it were an old SNL Super Fans sketch: “Ay Todd, who wins in a bout between da Windy City Rollers and da Arch Rival Roller Girls, who are coached by Ditka and have a new jammer named Michelle Ditka?” This game is all Windy City.
Winner: Windy City

Game 6: Detroit vs. Omaha
Omaha doesn’t have the experience or the pack play to hang with what Detroit is brining to the table. Detroit gets the victory and moves onto the next round.
Winner: Detroit

Game 7: Minnesota vs. Brewcity
Minnesota will not be able to move Brewcity’s bigger, more physical blockers in this bout. Brewcity gets the win and moves on.
Winner: Brewcity

Game 8: Naptown vs. North Star
If this matchup happens, it’s going to be a fun game to watch. North Star has better pack play and more decisive jammers. Naptown is not ready for a player like Jawbreaker. North Star picks up the W.
Winner: North Star

Game 9: Windy City vs. Cincinnati
Cincinnati has gotten better and Windy City is not what they once were, but Windy City is still the better team. Look for Windy City to control the pack. WCR recently had jammer penalty trouble against Boston and if that happens here, CRG will capitalize. Still, Windy is the favorite in this one.
Winner: Windy City

Game 10: Madison and Detroit renew their rivalry with a spot to the WFTDA Championships on the line. Last year, Madison won this match up at the Brawl of America, but since then Detroit is 2-0 against them. It’s anyone’s bout, but I’m going with Detroit because they find a way to win in tight matchups.
Winner: Detroit

Game 11: Brewcity vs. Arch Rival
Brewcity should win this game, but it depends on where their heads are after the Cincinnati game. Brew City will be able to control Arch Rival en route to securing the win.
Winner: Brewcity

Game 12: Omaha vs. North Star
This should be an interesting bout, as both want to become mainstays in the North Central Regional tournament scene for years to come. This year, however, North Star is the more complete team, and they get the victory.
Winner: North Star

Game 13: Minnesota vs. Naptown
Someone has to go home in the 10th spot and someone doesn’t. This should be a tight matchup. I like Naptown in this one as they continue to move up the ranks in the North Central.
Winner: Naptown

Game 14: Arch Rival vs. Omaha
If this game happens, it will be the first time these two have played each other. Arch Rival should eke out the win.
Winner: Arch Rival

Game 15: Brewcity vs. North Star
They matched up earlier this year and Brew City easily took the W by 80 points. Expect more of the same here.
Winner: Brew City

Game 16: Cincinnati vs. Madison
Madison easily handled Cincinnati last year, but Cincinnati’s defense has come a long way since then. That being said, Cincinnati has stumbled as of late against better teams. Madison rolled the dice this season and played top competition on a regular basis and that experience should help them in this game. My heart says Cincinnati but my brain says Madison.
Winner: Madison

Game 17: Windy City vs. Detroit
Amazingly, Windy City and Detroit have only met once before, which resulted in Detroit’s first sanctioned game home loss ever. Windy City gets the win here and becomes back-to-back North Central Champions.
Winner: Windy City

North Central Wrap-Up

There aren’t going to be too many surprises in this tournament. Windy City, Detroit, Madison, and Cincinnati are the only four out of the ten teams that have a legit shot of making it to the WFTDA Championships. The three teams that do make the championships out of this Regionals are going to have a hard time competing with teams from the East and the West, unless it’s the No. 1 North Central seed vs. the No. 3 East seed. If, however, any of the North Central teams are matched up with teams from the South Central, they should get the win, unless it’s the No. 3 North Central seed vs. the No. 1 South Central seed, which would be a toss-up. Any way you slice it, no one from the North Central will be bringing home the Hydra.

Do you disagree with my picks or are you printing this out as your blueprint to lay your bets down with the boys in Vegas? Let us know in the comments section below. Who do you think is going onto Chicago and who is going to be watching at home from the comfort of their living room? And remember to join me again in a little over a week as I preview the East Regionals!