Lightning Lift Performance

29th March 2010
Result 44 - 39

Third match in 7 days; another sell out crowd at the University of Hertfordshire Sports Village the youth had given the crowd a great warm up match and had emerged as winners against Leeds NTL Squad.

Loughborough had had some effective performances recently and Hertfordshire Mavericks were looking forward to a close encounter.

Finding the shooters was a difficult proposition and on constant occasions the Mavericks turned the ball and gave the attack another attempt. Atkinson and Morgan-Smith swung the ball to avoid the long arms of Loughborough’s GK and the first quarter finished 2 goals adrift . Jackson made an immediate change with Wood switching with Joseph and from the whistle the change in style made the difference; once they settled 4 unanswered goals gave Hertfordshire Mavericks went into the lead.

Defensively the home side challenged the visitors but they were patient and Harten and James towards the end of the second quarter came back into the match so the half time score was neatly balanced at 21-20 in Mavericks favour. Borck came onto for the home side and Loughborough altered their shooting partnership and changed their WD. Another close quarter with errors that Hertfordshire Mavericks are trying hard to eliminate however there were signs of fast release play through the court that will be reinforced and repeated.

Hertfordshire Mavericks stayed ahead for the second half and Sophia Candappa the youth player who is now registered in the senior squad and showed elements of her amazing vision with some quick balls fed into the shooting circle.

A win and another 2 points; credit to Loughborough for making such an improvement over the season but also well done to Hertfordshire Mavericks for making it into the play offs for the 5th consecutive year. Using the whole squad has paid dividends throughout the squad as we have been playing without 2 England players.

We all send best wishes to Louisa Brownfield for a rapid recovery from her surgery and to Naida Hutchinson who is now waiting for reconstruction surgery on an ACL that she incurred last Friday in the Wild Cats game and will be out of match play for at least 7-9 months. Naida is busy trying to reduce the swelling and will be back rehabbing under the close eye of the England and Hertfordshire Mavericks physiotherapist and the Strength and Conditioning Coach collaboratively working together.