Buffalo's Queen City Roller Girls doubleheader

The internationally ranked Lake Effect Furies look to solidify their Women's Flat Track Derby Association playoff bid against Cleveland's Burning River Roller Girls, while the Queen City Junior Roller Girls welcome Ithaca's League of Junior Rollers in a roller derby double-header Saturday.

The Queen City Roller Girls close out their final season at their original home, the Rainbow Rink in North Tonawanda, with A Women's Flat Track Derby Association-sanctioned game between Buffalo's 48^th ranked Lake Effect Furies and the 76^th ranked Burning River Roller Girls of Cleveland. This will be the last game the Furies play ahead of the final rankings to determine seeding in the upcoming WFTDA playoffs. Teams ranked 41-60 will secure invitations to the Division 2 playoffs to be played in August.

These teams have a bit of a history: The Furies played Burning River almost exactly a year ago at home, winning 256 to 149 to help secure a No. 54 ranking and an invitation to their first WFTDA playoff appearance in Michigan. Burning River would have their revenge there, however, winning 192-163 in the consolation bracket. The Furies would ultimately finish 9^th of the 10 teams participating.

Preceding that bout, the Queen City Junior Roller Girls, consisting of skaters ages 10 to 17, will play a Junior Roller Derby Association-sanctioned game against the Ithaca League of Junior Rollers from Ithaca. The juniors will be looking to solidify their own seeding for the upcoming JRDA East and Northeast Regional tournament in Toronto.

This will also be Queen City Roller Girls final game at their original home at Rainbow Rink. Beginning with their next season, QCRG will play at the new Buffalo Riverworks entertainment facility being built downtown on Ganson Street. Skaters will begin practicing at the new facility as it is completed this fall, and will continue some practice time at Rainbow Rink going forward.

Location: Rainbow Roller Rink 101 Oliver St., North Tonawanda.

Time: Saturday, June 28. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Juniors game begins at 5:45 p.m. Furies game begins at 7:45 p.m.

Tickets: $20 for front row access, $15 general admission, and $10 for children ages 12 and under. Advanced tickets can be purchased through http://www.qcrg.net/.

This game is included for 2014 season ticket holders.

Founded in 2006, the Queen City Roller Girls are Western New York's premier women's flat track roller derby league. The skater-owned and operated league consists of four home teams and a travel team representing the Buffalo area in the WFTDA. Since its inception, the mission of Queen City Roller Girls has always been to provide opportunities for athleticism, camaraderie and self-expression.

Visit www.qcrg.net to find out more about your local derby girls.