Youth's Storming Match

26th February 2010
Won

The fixture against Surrey Storm was a very close game and very competitive throughout. With one hundred extra seats needing to be placed into the stadium, the atmosphere was a tense one from the start. Mavericks, returning from “the back of a rare defeat” as quoted from Sam Bird, Mavericks Youth Head Coach, needed this win to ensure they remained in the competition for the top spot of the League Table.

The starting seven for the first quarter was Shaunagh Craig – GS, Alice Ewer – GA, Danielle McFarlane – WA, Sophia Candappa – C, Jade Cornhill – WD, Loran Wyatt – GD and Josie Huckle – GK. The first quarter was definitely a tough one to start with. Mavericks initially found it very difficult to feed the ball into the circle, with Shaunagh and Alice having to work harder than usual to turn opportunities into goals. At the other end of the court, Surrey’s attackers were putting up a good fight against Maverick’s defenders, who were also fighting back and coming up with some crucial interceptions. At the end of the first quarter, despite Mavericks’ hard work and effort, the team was only one goal up from Surrey Storm.

In the second quarter, with the squad remaining the same, the players were able to use the experience they had gained from their opponents in the first quarter, to provide an even more effective attempt at increasing their lead on Surrey Storm. Indeed, both teams had learnt well from the first 15 minutes, and the closeness in score remained, showing just how tight and energetic the game was. Josie and Loran in the circle were coming up with great interceptions, forcing the Storm shooters to remain on their toes and change tact in order to bypass what was a tough defence. Shaunagh and Alice were finding it easier to work their way around the circle, and having settled down into rhythm, their shots were more on target and creating extra points on the score board.

The start of the second half saw some small changes in the formation of the squad. Rovinj Allen came on at GD in partnership with Josie who remained at GK. Michaela Austin came on at C whilst Sophia changed to WA. This half of the game saw a number of stops, with players calling time for some injuries. Jade Cornhill at WD was definitely in pain from a foot injury, but continued to work well with Michaela in the mid-court, making it much more difficult for Surrey’s players to hit the circle edge. Rovinj at GD picked up some extra interceptions, which the mid-court was able to bring down the court and feed to the shooters in the circle. In the final courter, the team was Shaunagh Craig – GS, Alice Ewer – GA, Danielle McFarlane – WA, Michaela Austin – C, Jade Cornhill – WD, Rovinj Allen – GD and Josie Huckle – GK. Play continued to be tight and when there was another call for injury, Sophia returned to C for the final part of the game, having rested and iced her leg for a short while. The final quarter saw Mavericks increase their lead, and at one point were 5 goals up from their opponents. In the last minutes of the game however, Surrey Storm were able to pull some points back, and when the final whistle blew, the score was 29 – 26 to Mavericks Youth.

Sam Bird, Tracey Pennell and Maggie Tetsola were all happy with the win. Though it was a tough game, Mavericks had come out on top and were proving that they had the ability to recover and produce another win. The supporters on both sides created an unforgettable atmosphere, one that not only added to the excitement of the game, but that we also hope will be repeated at fixtures in the future. The team still plan on working together to make sure that they continue to perform even better each game. Training will focus on areas for improvement whilst also maintaining the strengths of the team, in time for the game against Team Northumbria next Friday.

Marina Mensah-Afoakwah