NETBALL
VNL
By BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
THE Champs side is on the winner’s board.
Gippsland Stars secured their first victory in Victorian Netball League Championship play last Wednesday (March 19), defeating Geelong Cougars at the State Netball Centre.
Coming down to the wire, the Stars skated past Geelong in a one-goal thriller, 43 to 42 in Round 3.
The local Championship squad jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead off the back of Stacie Gardiner and Daisy Hill, before the Cougars charged with 10 of the next 12 goals.
Geelong led 15-11 at quarter time.
After perfect shooting from both sides to open the match (only four missed shots to begin), shots began to go awry heading into the second quarter – only increasing the intensity in and around the court.
Going back-and-forth through a bulk of the quarter, the Stars flicked a switch with six of the last nine goals to trail by just two by halftime.
That conviction to grab their first win carried over as they returned. Hill added four quick goals to push the Stars ahead for the first time since the beginning of the match.
Gippsland continued forward to lead by four goals with one quarter spare.
Geelong began to utilise their substitutions to begin the final term, putting some fresher legs into the game as they pushed to leap ahead again.
The Cougars scored nine of the next 13 goals to tie the match back up 41-all with just two minutes remaining.
Hill and Gardiner showed incredible poise in the face of danger to knock down the next three shots for the Stars, giving them enough space to hold onto the win.
Assistant coach, Gardiner articulated how the emotions were tempered following their Round 1 draw against North East Blaze.
“Everyone was pretty emotional even after our first draw in the first round… but after the win, it was just excitement and a bit of relief maybe as well,” Gardiner said.
“We know we’ve been training hard and working really well at training, connecting well and that sort of thing, but you never really know if you’re up to that standard until you’re out there on the court.”
Hill was a gunner for the Stars, playing every quarter of the match to score 27 goals on 87 per cent shooting efficiency. Gardiner also added 14.
The Championship side has gathered six points in their first three games to sit seventh on the ladder.
Geelong were no scrubs either, the Cougars narrowly missed finals last season in VNL with 12 wins and eight losses.
“Geelong are a formidable club, they’ve always been really competitive for the last five years or so probably… to get a win against a really formidable club, it was just excitement and relief for sure,” Gardiner said.
SIMILAR fortune unfortunately couldn’t be seen in the 23 and under match for the Stars.
The 23 and Under Gippsland side succumbed to Geelong, 59-36.
The Stars kept things close to begin proceedings, trailing by just five goals (early stages by just one goal) at the end of the first quarter.
The Stars then gave up 14 and 15 goals in the second and third quarters, not awful, but could only add five goals in each quarter themselves as their deficit ballooned to near 20 goals.
Myah Healey again provided a great option for the Stars, finishing with 25 goals on 89 per cent shooting efficiency.
THE Gippsland Stars’ Championship side come up against Melbourne University Lightning tomorrow (Wednesday, April 2) at the State Netball Centre at 8.45pm.
The 23 and under team play beforehand at 7pm.
A Round 5 fixture is scheduled at Warragul Leisure Centre against Peninsula Waves – the club’s only games in Gippsland for the season.
