Results / Match Reports
Round 17 vs Peninsula Waves - 14/07/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 49 defeated Peninsula Waves 44
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Match Report: Game 18 – the last game of the season. Unfortunately results from earlier in the evening mean the Ariels girls will be bystanders at this year’s finals series having heard that fourth placed North East Blaze demolished 3rd place Southern Saints by 21 goals to secure their place in the finals series. Southern Saints beat Blaze by 20 goals in Round 9 – so this is a 41 goal turnaround!!!!! Can someone please call in the stewards as the capitulation by Southern Saints needs further investigation?
The team news – no changes after last week’s sensational victory over top of the table Monash in which this Courtside Reporter was remiss in last week’s report in not applauding the outstanding shooting of young Steph Puopolo who shot an amazing 51 goals from 56 attempts (91% conversion). Tonight Coach Christina will have her work cut out to motivate the team to play somewhere near their best to finish the season on a positive note. The starting line-up is Steph– GS, Sarah – GA, Kate - WA, Sally - C, Kim - WD, Tash – GD and Micaela - GK. Q1 The first quarter has that sense of disappointment with Ariels not playing at the same level of intensity as last week. But to the girl’s credit – they have more than enough pride to play at a tempo which put the Peninsula Waves under pressure. Steph continued her shooting spree by scoring 12 goals from 14 attempts and Micaela, Tash, Kim and Sally were all prominent in creating turnovers. The quarter time score - YVG Ariels 13 Peninsula Waves 11. There were no changes at quarter time. Q2 The second quarter was Ariels best for the game – with the Ariels players producing a strong and sometimes fluent brand of netball which was superior to the Waves. Ariels game plan was to set up the play to enable Steph to convert from under the post – this was successful with Steph shooting 10 goals from 11 attempts. All players were again doing their best to put the Waves under pressure – thereby creating many turnovers. Ariels were in control of the match at half time leading by 8 goals. The quarter score was Ariels 14 Peninsula Waves 8 with the score at half time YVG Ariels 27 Peninsula Waves 19. Coach Christina gave Prue and Andrea court time replacing Sally and Sarah. Q3 Early misses in the quarter and turnover of the ball enabled Peninsula to gain momentum and draw within 3 goals of Ariels. We now had a game on our hands. A prudent injury timeout enabled Coach Christina to bring Sarah and Sally back on court to curb the Peninsula momentum. This had the desired effect with Ariels regrouping to hold a 5 goal lead at ¾ time. The result of this game was still in the balance and the girls needed one last big effort to secure their final victory for the season. The quarter score was Ariels 10 Peninsula Waves 13. ¾ Time Ariels 37 Peninsula Waves 32 Q4 The last quarter saw Peninsula draw within 2 goals of Ariels as we continued to turn the ball over early in the quarter from bad passes. But through the on court leadership from Tash who made two vital turnovers and 12 goals from13 attempts by our shooters, Steph and Sarah enabled the girls to steady and come away with a hard fought 5 goal win. Final Quarter Ariels 12 Peninsula Waves 12 FINAL SCORE ARIELS 49 PENINSULA WAVES 44
Match Summary: In a game that was only being played for “pride” – it was pleasing to see the Ariels girls show they are a much better team than Peninsula Waves – to score a hard fought 5 goal victory to finish the season on a winning note. WELL DONE GIRLS!
Season Summary: The season started with great expectations – and some fantastic early wins particularly against Genesis and Saints. We had the momentum and belief to be a top 4 team. The fact that we missed on finals – will be due to the unexpected loss at Geelong and the draw against Ballarat – the six match points lost in those two games ultimately was the difference between making the finals. We should have also beaten Monash but lost by 1 goal. This Courtside Reporter thinks there are many positives from the season – the fantastic improvement from Steph at GS/GA; the introduction of young Sarah and Micaela to Championship netball – and their fantastic impact on the team and the improvement shown by Sally in the mid court. We saw Kate return to Ariels after a number of years to provide drive in the WA position and the continued on court leadership by Tash. Ariels has players with the ability to be a top 2 team – 2011 provides the opportunity to realise this potential and play at a high standard “week-in week-out” to ensure we are a serious contender for the Championship. Hope you enjoyed the weekly match reports. Until next year – Your Courtside Reporter!! (great work reporter - ed) |
Division One: YVG Ariels 49 defeated Peninsula Waves 32
Under 19: YVG Ariels 49 lost defeated Peninsula Waves 39
Round 17 vs Monash University Central - 7/07/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 60 defeated Monash University Central 57
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Match Report: Game 17 – this is Ariels “Grand Final” – playing against top of the table Monash. A loss tonight and the season is over – a win tonight still gives Ariels the opportunity to play finals netball. This will be a “David v Goliath” battle. The team news – Sarah is back this week and starting in the GA position.
The starting line-up is Steph– GS, Sarah – GA, Kate - WA, Sally - C, Kim - WD, Tash - GD and Micaela - GK. Q1 The first quarter was probably the highest standard of netball witnessed all season. Both teams were passing the ball with precision and pace – there were basically no turnovers – such was the high quality of netball. Ariels played fantastic netball, with Steph having an amazing quarter shooting 15 goals from16 attempts. Sally and Kate were finding plenty of space and delivering the ball perfectly to the shooters while our defenders were working tirelessly against the very talented Monash goalers. Coach Christina’s pre match address had the girls playing as though they wanted to play finals netball – the only question was can they continue to play at such a high standard for four quarters. The quarter time score - YVG Ariels 18 Monash University Central 15. There were no changes at quarter time but Coach Christina was imploring her charges to maintain the intensity and not drop away as in last week’s game against VU Lightning. Q2 The second quarter was a repeat of the first - another exceptionally high standard quarter of netball with minimal turnovers generated by both teams. Sally and Kate were controlling the mid-court while Step was again dominant shooting 15 goals from 18 attempts with Sarah providing fantastic support in keeping the taller Monash GD occupied, enabling Steph to shoot the goals. Our defenders – Tash, Micaela and Kim were able to force a number of turnovers which we were able to turn into goals. Ariels were continuing to play with great intensity and were able to take the lead out to 8 goals. At half time we still had a 6 goal lead and were looking at the biggest upset for the year. The quarter score was Ariels 16 Monash University Central 13 with the score at half time YVG Ariels 34 Monash University Central 28 Coach Christina continued to encourage the girls to play at the same level of intensity for the third quarter. Q3 This third quarter is the premiership quarter. We were witnessing a “shoot-out” between Steph and the Monash goaler. Steph shot at 100% - 12 from 12 and we shot 13 from 16 for the quarter while Monash goalers shot 16 from 16. This quarter saw a resurgent Monash – but Ariels were not going to lie down in this game!! Ariels continued to work hard all over the court in attempt to create turnovers. We started to see the first small chink in our armour with some passing turnovers and misses on goals. Would Ariels be able to withstand the Monash fight-back? The quarter score was Ariels 13 Monash University Central 16. ¾ Time Ariels 47 Monash University Central 44
Coach Christina laid down the challenge to the girls to finish the game strongly. Q4 The last quarter saw both teams play with desperation. The high quality of netball continued in the last quarter and Ariels determination to win this game was evident. All Ariels players were giving absolutely everything. Step was again fantastic shooting 9 from10 with Sarah chipping in with 4 goals from 6 attempts. The girls did not panic when challenged by Monash and were able to hold on for a thoroughly deserved win.
Match Summary: What a great result for the Ariels, once again confirming that this group of players has the potential to be one of the best teams in the Championship. This was the highest quality game of the season. It was fast and relentless for four quarters, the shooters from both teams were extremely accurate and the result of the game was in the balance up to the final minute. Full credit to Coach Christina and all players for an outstanding win. Next week we need results from other matches to go in our favour and we must win our match to sneak into fourth spot.
Until Round 18 – Your Courtside Reporter!! |
Division One: YVG Ariels 43 lost to Monash University Central 62
Under 19: YVG Ariels 28 lost to Monash University Central 42
Round 16 vs VU Western Lightning - 30/06/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 39 lost to VU Western Lightning 42
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Match Report: Game 16 – another “mini” final about to be played. The question on everyone’s lips is can Ariels rediscover their form for four quarters to score a win over sixth placed VU Lightning? A win tonight ensures that Ariels is still in control of their destiny to play in the finals – a loss tonight will mean Ariels will have to rely on other results to make the finals. The team news – Sarah is still on school camp, but Micaela is back after playing a full game with the Vixens last week and Peri Stewart has been called up from the Division 1 team as another goaling option.
Q1 The game started with Ariels “fast out of the blocks” and taking control of the match. This is a team that wants to put the record straight after last week’s loss. The ball transition from one end of the court to the other is excellent with Tash, Micaela and Kim putting pressure on at the defensive end of the court. Sally and Kate were providing plenty of opportunities to the shooters with Steph having an outstanding quarter shooting at 100% - 13 goals from 13 attempts. Ariels dominance was such that they held a 10 goal advantage with only a few minutes to play in the quarter. Unnecessary turnovers enabled Lightning to gain some momentum late in the quarter – and instead of Ariels holding a commanding 10 goal lead at quarter time – the lead was whittled away to just 6 goals. The quarter time score - YVG Ariels 16 V U Lightning 10. There were no changes at quarter time. Q2 The second quarter started with a change of umpire and this new umpire clearly wanted to make an impression on the game – and probably exhausted himself with constant blowing of the whistle – making it frustrating for the Ariels mid court and defenders. This quarter was the opposite of the first quarter – Lighting played with greater intensity – and Ariels lost fluency across the court. Our conversion at goal was down – below 50% conversion. Ariels were able to generate turnovers but these were not converted into goals. The quarter score was Ariels 6 V U Lightning 11 with the score at half time YVG Ariels 22 V U Lightning 21 Coach Christina made one change at half time – Steph and Andy swapped positions. Q3 This third quarter is the premiership quarter – Ariels had not capitalised on its early dominance and this gave Lightning the chance to get back into the game during the second quarter and take this momentum into the third quarter. Ariels were rattled and under pressure – the Lightning shooters were playing with confidence scoring 14 goals from 15 attempts while Ariels only scored 6 goals for the quarter. A timeout during the quarter provided the opportunity for Coach Christina Coach to make changes – Peri came on at GS for Andrea while Pia came on for Micaela at GK. The changes were starting to have an effect at the end of the quarter but the damage was already done. The quarter score was Ariels 6 V U Lightning 14. ¾ Time Ariels 28 V U Lightning 35. Q4 The last quarter saw Ariels play with desperation, placing pressure on the Lightning team. Peri and Steph were combining well, with Peri being a tall option. Ariels reduced their unforced errors and created turnovers which reduced the margin. Unfortunately it was “too little too late” with VU recording a 3 goal win – to give them a chance of playing in the finals.
Match Summary: A must win game saw the Ariels play only two high quality quarters of netball – but this was not enough to win the game. Now Ariels need results from other matches to go in their favour AND still win the remaining two games of the season.
Until Round 17 – Your Courtside Reporter!! |
Division One: YVG Ariels 38 lost to VU Western Lightning 51
Under 19: YVG Ariels 33 lost to VU Western Lightning 62
Round 15 vs North East Blaze - 23/06/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 46 lost to North East Blaze 50
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Match Report: Folks – here we are at Game 15 – with a “mini” final about to be played. A win tonight for Ariels would make it nearly impossible for the Blaze to make the finals and more importantly give the Ariels a buffer between fourth and fifth positions on the ladder. The team news is excellent – we see Pia “kitted-up” ready to play – Welcome back Pia. Maddie White has come up from Division 1 to cover Sarah.
The starting line-up is Andy– GS, Steph – GA, Kate - WA, Prue - C, Sally - WD, Tash - GD and Kim - GK. Q1 The game started with a dominant North East Blaze taking control of the match. Their fast transition of the ball from one end of the court to the other made the Ariels players look slow and flat footed. Their GS was outstanding shooting 13 goals from 14 attempts with our goalers shooting at below 70%. Ariels were on the ropes, but it was really the exciting play from Blaze that resulted in a justified 7 goal lead at quarter time. The quarter time score - YVG Ariels 11 North East Blaze 18. Q2 The second quarter started the same way as the first quarter with Blaze playing determined, aggressive netball. The introduction of Pia at GK was having an impact, shutting down the effectiveness of the Blaze GS. As the quarter progressed, Ariels started to get more of a foothold on the game but were playing “catch-up” netball. The game could easily have blown out in this quarter but the pride of the Ariels players was a stake – and they were able to stay within reach of Blaze at half time. The quarter score was Ariels 9 North East Blaze 9 with the score at half time YVG Ariels 20 North East Blaze 27 Coach Christina made two changes at half time – Sally came on at WA replacing Kate and Steph and Andy swapped positions. Q3 This third quarter initially saw another Blaze onslaught with the margin moving out to 12 goals but slowly the Ariels started to get their game together and by ¾ time the difference was back to 8 goals. Andy and Steph were converting at a high rate and Ariels created more turnovers this quarter but couldn’t turn them into goals. The quarter score was Ariels 13 North East Blaze 14. Coach Christina made two changes – Andy swapped with Steph and Kate came on at centre for Prue. Q4 The last quarter started with Ariels going further behind to be 12 goals down to Blaze. The game then started to turn in Ariels favour with a rejuvenated Ariels starting to run and pass the ball with conviction. Blaze were tiring – our mid-court came to life with Kate and Sally taking control and giving plenty of scoring opportunities to Andy and Steph. The defence led by Tash and Pia were beating their opponents – Ariels went on a scoring spree. The team now had confidence and belief they could win. With the clock running down Ariels were able to get within 2 goals of Blaze - but Blaze were able to hold on to win by four goals. Final Quarter Ariels 13 North East Blaze 9 FINAL SCORE ARIELS 46 NORTH EAST BLAZE 50
Match Summary: Blaze were deserved winners – controlling the game for most of the four quarters. They shocked the Ariels girls with a blistering first quarter and held a commanding lead for most of the game. To the credit of Ariels, the girls never gave and made a great comeback in the last quarter to nearly snatch a memorable victory. But clearly the focus now moves to the next game with a cut throat match against V U Lightning. This is the most important game of the season.
Until Round 16 – Your Courtside Reporter!! |
Division One: YVG Ariels 53 defeated North East Blaze 42
Under 19: YVG Ariels 43 defeated North East Blaze 35
Round 14 vs Ballarat Pride - 16/06/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 65 defeated Ballarat Pride 34
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Match Report: Folks – here we are at Game 14 – with another capacity crowd at the State Netball and Hockey Centre to witness the clash between lowly placed Ballarat Pride and our very own Yarra Valley Grammar Ariels. Tonight is the opportunity for Ariels to have a big win against a team which we drew against earlier in the season. The team news is disappointing – rumour has it that young Sarah is going on a school trip to central Australia – and will miss the next two matches. Whatever ever happened to the school day trips to Sovereign Hill!! The good news - Andy is back playing – so it will be important for Andy to get some court time tonight in advance of the next two matches.
The starting line-up is Andy– GS, Steph – GA, Kate - WA, Sally - C, Prue - WD, Tash - GD and Micaela - GK. Q1 The game started with Ariels playing at a very high intensity – and clearly showing they were determined to put on a high quality performance. With the “stingy” Ariels defence playing tight netball, led by Tash with excellent support from Micaela and Prue – Ariels restricted the Pride to 9 goals for the quarter. Our mid court transition of the ball was excellent with Sally and Kate driving strongly onto the circle to give plenty of opportunities to Andy and Steph. Our shooters put up 18 attempts for 12 goals – a higher conversion rate would have resulted in the bigger quarter time margin - and reflected the commanding first quarter performance from the YVG Ariels. The quarter time score - YVG Ariels 12 Ballarat Pride 9. Coach Christina – looked at peace with the world!! One change at quarter time – Kim came onto WD with Prue moving to the centre. Coach Christina clearly wanting to give all mid-court players maximum court time. Q2 The second quarter was highlighted by the continued dominance of the Ariels defence with Tash outstanding at GD with many intercepts. With Ballarat not placing pressure on Ariels - enabled slick transition of the ball through the mid court. The other highlights were Andy shooting 7 from 7 and Ariels finishing the quarter with an 8 goal to 1 goal run. The quarter score was Ariels 16 Ballarat Pride 7 with the score at half time YVG Ariels 28 Ballarat Pride 16. Q3 This third quarter was also another dominant performance by Ariels with all players contributing. The result of the game was not in doubt – and this was now all about building percentage!! Sarah made a great impression for the quarter – shooting 11 goals from 13 attempts. The quarter score was Ariels 16 Ballarat Pride 9. ¾ Time Ariels 44 Ballarat Pride 25. Q4 The last quarter start was probably Ariels most dominant for the season – with Pride conceding victory – Ariels were able to score 21 goals to Pride’s 9 goals. Although there was some sloppy play mid way through the quarter – Ariels finished strongly scoring 10 of the last 12 goals to record a commanding victory.
Match Summary: This was a great win by Ariels and our percentage moved from 107% to 112% - this could become critical at the end of the year. With other results in Round 14 going in Ariels favour – we are now a game clear in 4th spot and only ½ a game away from 3rd spot on the ladder.
Next week sees Ariels play North East Blaze – probably the most important game to date – as Blaze sit in 5th spot on the ladder – a game behind us. A win next week will put a two game buffer between us – this will be a “mini final”. The game will be played on Wednesday 23 June on Court 5 at 8.20pm. Until Round 15 – Your Courtside Reporter!! |
Division One: YVG Ariels 38 lost to Ballarat Pride 46
Under 19: YVG Ariels 47 defeated Ballarat Pride 37
Round 13 vs Geelong Cougars - 9/06/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 53 defeated Geelong Cougars 45
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Match Report: To the many readers of these match day reports (???) – You’ve gotta love these cold winters’ nights – and joy of reporting on a 9.40pm game!!! Ariels v Geelong – another potential danger game – Geelong having beaten Ariels earlier in the season by one goal – so tonight’s game will be no pushover.
Q1 When Ariels played Geelong earlier in the season – the Geelong small but fast mid courters and a lethal goaler worried the team – would tonight be any different? The game starts at a frenetic pace but misses on goal and poor passing give Geelong an early 6-2 lead. This game is already having a similar pattern to the game played earlier in the year!! The good news is that late in the quarter Ariels steady and score the last six goals to lead by 2 at quarter time. Highlights for the quarter were intercepts by Tash at GD and the intensity displayed by both sides and fast transition of the ball through the mid-court. The quarter time score - YVG Ariels 14 Geelong Cougars 12. No team changes at quarter time. Q2 The second quarter was again an “up tempo” quarter with Ariels reducing their turnovers but creating and converting many Geelong turnovers. During the quarter Ariels pushed the lead out to 8 goals and put themselves in a position to take a commanding lead at half time – but late turnovers enabled Geelong to scramble back into the game to be only 5 goals down at half time. Steph and Sarah were at their very best converting 15 goals from 16 shots. The quarter score was Ariels 15 Geelong Cougars 12 with the score at half time YVG Ariels 29 Geelong Cougars 24. Q3 This third quarter was also played at a cracking pace – with very fast transition of the ball from one end of the court to the other. All Ariels players were working hard to create turnovers and during the quarter Ariels extended the lead to 12 goals – but guess what happened!! poor passing/decision making once again allowed Geelong back into the game with the margin reduced back to 8 goals at ¾ time. Q4 The last quarter starts and Geelong score the first four goals – could we be witnessing another melt-down in the quarter?? (a melt-down on this cold night is not likely!!). Ariels steady and with solid defence against a tiring Geelong team Ariels are able to move out to an eight goal lead at the final siren. Final Quarter Ariels 13 Geelong Cougars 13 FINAL SCORE ARIELS 53 GEELONG COUGARS 45
Match Summary: This was a solid win by Ariels against a very determined Geelong team. The players had their opportunities to turn this into a 20 goal win, but full credit to Geelong, who never gave up trying. The win puts Ariels back in the four on percentage – but there is a long way to go in this season.
Next week sees Ariels – they play Ballarat which gives the opportunity to improve on the drawn game earlier in the season. The game will be played on Wednesday 16 June on Court 2 at 9.40pm. Until Round 14 – Your Very Cold Courtside Reporter!! |
Division One: YVG Ariels 43 lost to Geelong Cougars 45
Under 19: YVG Ariels 42 defeated Geelong Cougars 36
Round 12 vs Boroondara Genesis - 2/06/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 47 defeated Boroondara Genesis 30
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Match Report: Folks – It is a cold winter’s night – and you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but watching Victoria’s finest netballers in action at the wonderfully warm State Netball & Hockey Centre!! Ariels v Genesis – a danger game – but we already know that Vixens and Genesis sharpshooter Kathleen Knott will not play tonight courtesy of playing more than half a game of netball with the Vixens in New Zealand last Sunday. Thus Ariels should be able to beat an under strength Genesis team. The team news – we welcome the return of Andy and Pia – good to hear they have started playing again. This will place pressure on all players to earn a place in the starting seven – competition can only increase player/team performance.
Q1 Ariels had an excellent start to the game - with great intensity shown by all players across the court. Sally and Tash were having a great start to the game with many intercepts. The team was moving the ball quickly down the court which was a feature for most of the game. The very creative Kate was providing excellent passing to our shooters Steph and Sarah. The only downside for the quarter was the turnover count – without these unforced turnovers the scoreline would have reflected the dominant team performance. The quarter time score - YVG Ariels 12 Boroondara Genesis 8. No team changes at quarter time.
Q2 The second quarter was again an excellent Ariels performance – with all players showing great intensity. There were very few unforced errors this quarter - and there were many turnovers generated by Ariels pressure. The quarter score was Ariels 12 Boroondara Genesis 5 with the score at half time YVG Ariels 24 Boroondara Genesis 13. Q3 This third quarter saw Ariels dominate on the scoreboard – winning the quarter 11 goals to 6 goals. Our shooters were in fine form scoring the 11 goals from 13 shots. With Tash and Micaela strong in the defensive circle, and Prue, Kim and Kate controlling the mid court – Ariels had moved to a 16 goal lead at ¾ time. While it was a dominant quarter – the number of bad passes was too high and with a little more composure would have seen an even better quarter. ¾ Time Ariels 35 Boroondara Genesis 19 Coach Christina made one change a ¾ time – Sally came on to replace Prue in the Centre – part of the mid court rotations. Q4 The last quarter should have been “one way traffic” but to the credit of the Genesis players – they never gave up trying and our girls marginally reduced their intensity with the result - Ariels won the quarter by one goal. Coach Christina was disappointed the girls did not win the game by a bigger margin – but after two losses in the last two weeks – it was good to get back to winning form.
Match Summary: A convincing win by a dominant Ariels team – with the only downside being the winning margin could have been a lot more had a “killer instinct” been evident for all four quarters. Percentage could yet play a part in determining positions in the top 4 at the end of the season.
Next week sees Ariels – they play Geelong which gives the opportunity to reverse the defeat earlier in the season. The game will be played on Wednesday 9 June on Court 4 at 9.40pm.
Until Round 13 – Your Courtside Reporter |
Division One: YVG Ariels 33 lost to Boroondara Genesis 57
Under 19: YVG Ariels 44 lost to Boroondara Genesis 46
Round 11 vs Southern Saints - 26/05/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 43 lost to Southern Saints 46
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Match Report: Folks – tonight’s game is pivotal - a win tonight will ensure Ariels has a buffer against teams lower on the ladder, a loss will put Ariels in a dogfight for 4th spot on the ladder. In Round 2 Ariels achieved a famous victory coming from 12 goals down to win by 4 goals – can we repeat that performance tonight?
Q1 Ariels were quick out of the blocks – and with 5 minutes to go in a hotly contested quarter – were leading by 6 goals. Turnovers created by Kim and Sally were converted by Steph and Sarah – to set up a good lead. Steph and Sarah were shooting at a very high conversion rate – scoring 15 goals from 17 shots with Steph shooting 9 from 9. Once again Ariels could not sustain this margin through to the end of the quarter – and despite a great quarter by the team – the margin was only 3 goals at quarter time. The quarter time score - YVG Ariels 15 Southern Saints 12. Coach Christina made no change at quarter time – and asked her players to play with the same level of intensity in the second quarter.
Q2 The second quarter was very even – which shows that both teams are well matched. Our shooters were again converting at a very high rate – this quarter Sarah shot 8 from 8 and Steph shot 4 from5. The quarter was even at 12 goals each with the score at half time YVG Ariels 27 Southern Saints 24 Coach Christina made two changes at half time – Steph and Sarah swapped positions and Kim and Tash swapped positions. Q3 This third quarter is the premiership quarter – and Ariels would need to play at their best. Unfortunately many of the hard thought turnovers won during the quarter were given back to the Saints, mainly through poor passing. There were also early misses on goal which proved decisive as the opportunity was lost to extend the lead. Micaela and Kim were combining well in the defensive ring and Tash was working hard to curtail the classy Saints WA. Ariels lost the third quarter scoring 7 goals to Southern Saints 10 goals. ¾ Time Ariels 34 Southern Saints 34 There was no changes at ¾ time. Q4 The last quarter was thrilling – both sides were converting their opportunities – and it would be a question of which team would be the first to make the decisive break. With 5 minutes to play the score was still level and unfortunately it was Ariels that turned the ball over on two occasions with missed passes that resulted in Saints taking the initiative and ultimately winning the game by 3 goals. Final Quarter Ariels 9 Southern Saints 12 FINAL SCORE ARIELS 43 SOUTHERN SAINTS 46
Match Summary: In a very tight and physical encounter it was Southern Saints that emerged the winner which has put a 6 point gap between Ariels (22 pts) and Saints (28pts). There are many areas the players will need to work on during the week – but it was very pleasing to see the intensity and endeavour shown by all players’ right to the final whistle. Next week sees another test for Ariels – they play Boroondara Genesis who has Vixen and Fury players in their team. Another hotly contested game is in store for the Ariels players – who will need to play at their absolute best to win the game.
The game will be played on Wednesday 2 June on Court 2 at 8.20pm. Until Round 12 – Your Courtside Reporter |
Division One: YVG Ariels 34 drew with Southern Saints 34
Under 19: YVG Ariels 41 lost to Southern Saints 42
Round 10 vs Hume City Falcons - 19/05/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 36 lost to Hume City Falcons 51
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Match Report: Folks – welcome to the second half of the season. We have previously stated that Ariels had a very good first half of the season and find themselves in third place on the ladder. Now to build on that performance requires an even better second half of the season. So in Round 10 we face top of table side – Hume. There is one major item of team news – Natasha Chokljat, the Melbourne Vixens gun centre court player, who is returning from injury, will play the first half of the game tonight.
Q1 For Ariels to put Hume under pressure requires all turnovers created early in the game to be converted into goals. The game started with Hume playing a very physical game and their experienced players making very few errors. Ariels were being placed under a lot of pressure with our goalers in particular coming in for a lot of physical attention. The Hume pressure was having an impact with the team making a number of turnovers – most were converted by Hume. The quarter time score - YVG Ariels 8 Hume 14. Coach Christina made two changes at quarter time – Sally on at WA and Steph and Sarah swapping positions.
Q2 The second quarter was probably Ariels best for the game. The new combination took a few minutes to settle into the game but for most of the quarter Ariels had Hume under pressure. Sally was giving plenty of drive at WA and Steph and Sarah were converting most of their chances. Strong defence from Micaela, Tash and Kim saw Ariels move to within two goals of Hume with 2 minutes of the quarter remaining. Then a couple of turnovers and a loss of concentration saw Hume finish the quarter strongly to be 8 goals up at half time. The lesson from the last two minutes of the quarter is to play the quarter out to the end. This courtside reporter is sure that the players would have approached the third quarter with the sniff of a major upset being only two goals down rather than 8 goals down. Ariels lost the quarter 11-13 with the score at half time YVG Ariels 19 Hume 27 Coach Christina made two changes at half time – Prue came on for Natasha and Steph and Sarah swapped positions. Q3 This quarter was another tight quarter with neither team creating many turnovers. Ariels put up the same number of scoring shots as Hume but misses early in the quarter meant that there was no scoreboard pressure being placed on Hume. To all the players’ credit – they continued to work hard for each other and only lost the quarter by 3 goals. Ariels lost the third quarter scoring 8 goals to Hume 11 goals. ¾ Time Ariels 27 Hume 38 There was one change at ¾ time – with Kate returning to WA and Sally moving into the centre. Q4 For most of the last quarter - Ariels never gave up but in the last few minutes of the game when the result was not in doubt – there was a drop in momentum. This was another physical quarter – with Hume keeping the pressure on the Ariels players. Final Quarter Ariels 9 Hume 13 FINAL SCORE ARIELS 36 HUME 51
Match Summary: Hume has a very experienced group of players who make very few mistakes. Ariels should learn from this experience and have a better understanding of what it takes to be the top side in the competition. The Ariels playing group are young and relatively inexperienced when compared to the Hume team – but in any one game the Ariels players have the talent and enthusiasm to cause an upset against teams like Hume and Monash. Next week sees Ariels play third placed Southern Saints – we are expecting the players to rebound from this week’s loss and give the Saints are very competitive game.
Until Round 11 – Your Courtside Reporter |
Division One: YVG Ariels 30 lost to Hume City Falcons 39
Under 19: YVG Ariels 20 lost to Hume City Falcons 49
Round 9 vs Peninsula Waves - 12/05/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 52 defeated Peninsula Waves 31
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Match Report: Folks – here we are at the last game for the first half of the season, playing Peninsula Waves who have always been a worthy opponent in prior meetings. A win tonight would put Ariels in a very strong position to challenge for a top four position at the end of the season. The team news is unchanged– with Andy and Pia still out injured. We hope to see both players on court in the second half of the season which will increase competition for positions on court.
The game started with a line-up of Sarah - GS, Steph - GA, Kate - WA, Sally - C, Kim - WD, Tash - GD and Micaela - GK. Q1 The game started at a very high tempo with both teams moving the ball quickly from one end of the court to the other. The Ariels defence was standing firm with Micaela, Tash and Kim obtaining plenty of intercepts. Ariels were combining well with a low number of poor passes for the quarter. Our shooters started the game well scoring 14 from 18 shots with Steph shooting 9 from 9. The quarter time score - YVG Ariels 14 Peninsula Waves 7. Ariels had set the pattern for the rest of the game. Coach Christina was happy with her players and no changes were made at ¼ time.
Q2 The second quarter saw another high quality performance from Ariels with the team combining well. Although Ariels won the quarter by only 2 goals, the game was always in our control. Ariels won the quarter 11-9 with the score at half time YVG Ariels 25 Peninsula Waves 16 Q3 This quarter was another decisive one for Ariels – dominating in all aspects of the game. Micaela and Tash were having excellent games with Steph and Sarah shooting 14 goals from 17 attempts. Ariels won the third quarter scoring 14 goals to Peninsula Waves 8 goals. ¾ Time Ariels 39 Peninsula Waves 24 There were no changes at ¾ time – did we see Coach Christina smiling at ¾ time for the first time this season??? Q4 The last quarter saw Ariels placing plenty of pressure on their opponents to increase their lead. All players continued to play high intensity netball to the end of the game to record a very convincing 21 goal victory. Our shooters capitalised on the excellent work of the defenders and mid court. Final Quarter Ariels 13 Peninsula Waves 7 FINAL SCORE ARIELS 52 PENINSULA WAVES 31
Match Summary: Ariels played to their potential to score a convincing victory and cement 3rd spot at the halfway mark of the season with 5 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses. Clearly this team has the potential be in the final four at the end of the season – but it will be up to the players to work together to achieve maximum results. So next week sees Ariels play top team Hume – this will be a great opportunity for the team to demonstrate that they improved since Round 1. The game will be played on Wednesday 19 May on Court 1 at 7.00pm.
Until Round 10 – Your Courtside Reporter |
Division One: YVG Ariels 34 lost to Peninsula Waves 46
Under 19: YVG Ariels 52 defeated Peninsula Waves 30
Round 8 vs North East Blaze - 2/05/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 59 defeated North East Blaze 48
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Match Report: One of the major events on the Yarra Valley Grammar Ariels calendar is the Home Match Game. This year YVG Ariels are playing North East Blaze – who currently sit third on the Championship ladder and are four premiership points ahead of Ariels. A win today would move Ariels above Blaze on percentage and potentially into third spot. There is a good crowd in attendance for the Championship game with both the Division 1 and U/19 teams already securing solid victories over their North East Blaze opponents.
The team news is unchanged from last week – with Andy and Pia still out injured however Sarah is now close to full fitness. The game started with a line-up of Sarah – GS, Steph - GA, Kate - WA, Sally - C, Kim - WD, Tash - GD and Micaela - GK. Q1 was a tense tussle early with neither team gaining a decisive advantage on the scoreboard. The quarter for Ariels was highlighted by the dominant performance of Kim at WD who continually created turnover after turnover. It was a fantastic effort and provided inspiration for the whole team. The only downside for the quarter was the number of bad passes by the team which negated the many turnovers that Kim created. Our shooters were again on target with Steph and Sarah shooting 15 goals from 17 shots. The quarter time score was level - YVG Ariels 15 North East Blaze 15 Coach Christina was happy with her players and no changes were made at ¼ time.
Q2 The second quarter saw a hotly contested contest with neither side shirking a challenge. Ariels were playing more composed netball this quarter with a reduction in the number of bad passes. Our defenders were tightly marking the Blaze forwards with Kim again leading the charge at Wing Defence, well supported by Tash and Micaela. Ariels were moving the ball fluently through the mid court with the creative play of Kate and Sally giving plenty of scoring opportunities to Steph and Sarah. Both teams were playing creative netball. The high number of turnovers created by Ariels resulted in the team gaining a four goal advantage at half time. Ariels won the quarter 16-12 with the score at half time YVG Ariels 31 North East Blaze 27. Q3 This quarter was another very hotly contested quarter with the Ariels players meeting every challenge that the Blaze put in front of them. Micaela was the standout player in defence creating plenty of turnovers while Steph was the standout player in attack scoring 12 of the 13 goals. There was still a number of bad passes in the quarter but the girls were playing with confidence and were determined not to let Blaze back into the game. Ariels won the third quarter scoring 13 goals to Blaze 11 goals. ¾ Time Ariels 44 North East Blaze 38 Q4 The last quarter saw Ariels place plenty of pressure on their opponents to move out to a commanding lead. Our shooters were again on target with 15 goals from 17 attempts. Kim, Prue and Kate were playing well together and Micaela and Tash had excellent last quarters. Ariels moved to 15 goal lead before Blaze called a timeout – which caused many of the fans to head for the exits. Ariels dropped their intensity after the time-out but still recorded an excellent victory.
Final Quarter Ariels 15 North East Blaze 10 FINAL SCORE ARIELS 59 NORTH EAST BLAZE 48
Match Summary: This was a very physical game with neither side taking a backward step. The higher quality play from Ariels plus outstanding shooting from Steph and Sarah and an inspirational first half performance by Kim at Wing Defence resulted in a very solid victory for the Ariels.
So next week sees Ariels play Peninsula Waves in the last game of the first half of the season. The game will be played on Wednesday 12 May on Court 3 at 9.40pm. This is a chance for Ariels to finish the first half of the season with 5 wins, 1 draw and 3 losses – which will provide a sound platform to have a successful second half of the season. Until Round 9 – Your Courtside Reporter |
Division One: YVG Ariels 46 defeated North East Blaze 36
Under 19: YVG Ariels 43 defeated North East Blaze 30
Round 7 vs VU Western Lightning - 21/04/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 49 defeated VU Western Lightning 48
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Match Report: Folks – the team is nearly at the cross roads!! A win tonight against VU Lightning would put the YVG Ariels back in the hunt for a top 4 position; a loss tonight would make it extremely difficult to gain a top four spot. The team news is again disappointing – with Andy out for 4-6 weeks with a knee injury. We hope to see Andy back ASAP to bolster our shooting stocks. Sarah is back for her first full game – good luck tonight Sarah, and Pia is still many weeks away from a comeback. The match report will follow below, but this Courtside Reporter is starting to wonder if the Yarra Valley Grammar Ariels can win the close matches. A one goal loss to second bottom team Geelong, a draw against bottom team Ballarat and a one goal loss to second placed Monash.
The game started with a line-up of Steph - GS, Sarah - GA, Kate - WA, Sally - C, Kim - WD, Tash - GD and Micaela - GK. Q1 saw Ariels again start with a flourish going to a quick 3-0 lead only cough up the lead through unforced errors (this is a recurring comment from week to week!) giving the advantage back to Lightning. The Ariels shooters were at their very best in this quarter shooting 12 from 12 – well done Sarah and Steph. Ariels intensity was good and the defence of Kim, Tash and Micaela were putting pressure on the VU attackers and obtaining turnovers which were converted by our goalers. The quarter time score was YVG Ariels 14 VU Lightning 11 Coach Christina was happy with her charges and no changes were made at ¼ time. Q2 The second quarter which has traditionally been the best quarter for Ariels – was again probably the poorest for this game. Unforced errors and misses on goal enabled VU to score the first four goals to take the lead and as the quarter progressed Ariels intensity dropped – thus falling further behind Lightning. Only a prudent injury timeout call from Sarah enabled Coach Christina to make changes. Steph & Sarah swapped, Sally moved to WA and Prue joined the fray to provide some pace through the mid-court; Micaela and Tash swapped. So would this new line-up change the run of play?? The answer is Yes …the team lifted in intensity and finished the quarter strongly to have a 24 all draw at half time. Ariels lost the quarter 10-13 with scores level at 24 all. Coach Christina urged her players to take the momentum into the third quarter. Q3 This quarter was very even with Ariels making few unforced errors and Lightning playing determined netball – this game was going to see another close finish. VU Lightning was unlucky to lose key players through injury near the end of the quarter – would this make a difference at the end of the game?? The pressure by the Ariels girls was good forcing a number of timely turnovers and giving the Ariels a slight ascendency at ¾ quarter time. Ariels won the third quarter scoring 14 goals to VU Lightning 12 goals. ¾ Time Ariels 38 VU Lightning 36 Q4 The last quarter started with another Ariels turnover enabling VU to regain take the lead. The game was getting very physical with neither team getting any favours from the umpires. As game the reached an exciting climax Coach Christina must have been wondering if this was going to be another nail biting defeat. Another timely injury timeout, this time called by Steph, enabled Coach Christina to rejuggle positions. Steph moved to GS and Sarah to GA while Tash moved to GK and Micaela to GD. Ariels were able to regroup and with timely intercepts from Tash and Sally and goal conversion by Steph, Ariels were able to be in front at the final whistle by one goal. Now - How long will it take for this courtside reporter’s heart rate to come back to normal?? Final Quarter Ariels 11 VU Lightning 12 FINAL SCORE ARIELS 49 VU LIGHTNING 48
Match Summary: So again we have witnessed a thrilling game but this time Ariels came out on the right side of the ledger. This win puts the Yarra Valley Grammar Ariels in contention for a top 4 spot – with other upset results in the Championship Division showing what a tough and highly contested competition the YVG Ariels play in. So the win was not pretty and clearly there are many areas of the YVG Ariels game that need to be worked on. Coach Christina will need to work with the players to make sure they are ready to play and win against the highly credentialed Blaze. The game was highlighted by both teams’ shooters converting at a very high percentage – well done Sarah and Steph.
So next week sees Ariels playing their only Home Game of the year against North East Blaze. The game will be played on Sunday 2 May at the Waverley Netball Centre in Jells Park. We look forward to seeing a capacity crowd watch the Yarra Valley Grammar Ariels in action. Until Round 8 – Your Courtside Reporter |
Division One: YVG Ariels 45 defeated VU Western Lightning 27
Under 19: YVG Ariels 48 defeated VU Western Lightning 22
Round 6 vs Monash Uni Central - 14/04/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 43 lost to Monash Uni 44
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Match Report: The Holden Cruze Cup competition returns after a one week break while the U/17 and U/19 National Championships were held. This week sees YVG Ariels play Monash University Central who currently sit second on the ladder. Ariels welcome’s back Tash and Sarah. This weeks question is “Can Ariels regroup and play four quality quarters of netball to upset the highly fancied Monash”? The answer is YES and NO? YES – the Ariels players can match it with the best in the competition. NO – the Ariels lost the match by one goal to Monash. Over the four quarters, Ariels were clearly the better team. So why did the Ariels lose the game??? Well, the continuing high unforced error count and the slightly lower shooting percentage as compared to previous matches resulted in a heart breaking result. But the very positive message from the game is that the girls are top four material but need to win the next 4-6 games to put themselves into a top 4 position.
The game started with a line-up of Steph at GS, Andy – GA, Kate – WA, Sally – C, Kim – WD, Tash – GD and Micaela – GK. Q1 saw a rejuvenated Ariels team start with a flourish that forced the Monash team into many turnovers. Ariels should have been 6-0 up in the first few minutes of the game however poor passing and early misses at goal negated the clear advantage the Ariels players had. The defence of Tash and Micaela were putting a lot of pressure on the Monash shooters and with Kim, Sally and Kate transitioning the ball quickly down the court – we were seeing a completely different team from the Ariels team that played Ballarat and Geelong. The quarter time score was YVG Ariels 11 Monash 14 – not a true reflection of the quarter! The only positional change at quarter time was to put Tash to GK and Micaela to GD.
Coach Christina – moved Sally to WA and Prue came into Centre.
Match Summary: This week we saw Ariels play great netball. The girls played with confidence and a real desire to win against highly fancied opponents. While the scoreboard does not show it – Ariels were the better team and proved to themselves they are a top 4 team. So now the next 4 weeks are must win games – and the girls clearly have the ability to put wins on the board.
Next week sees Ariels playing VU Western Lightning at 7pm on Court 4. Until Round 7 – Your Courtside Reporter |
Division One: YVG Ariels 35 lost to Monash Uni Central 49
Under 19: YVG Ariels 27 lost to Monash Uni Central 37
Round 5 vs Ballarat Pride - 31/03/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 50 drew with Ballarat Pride 50
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Match Report: Week 5 sees YVG Ariels play another county team – Ballarat Pride. This provides the opportunity for the Championship players to play as a team and get back to winning ways. The shock loss against Geelong Cougars should be more than enough motivation for the girls to get back to their best netball. Ariels is still missing Tash and Sarah. It is unfortunate that Sarah’s glandular fever has resulted in her missing representing Victoria at the national championships – we look forward to seeing Sarah back on court soon.
Q1 saw an evenly contested game with high scoring from all goalers. A series of unforced Ariels turnovers enabled Ballarat to score seven straight goals before a timeout was called. Coach Christina swapped Prue and Sally and Andy and Steph. After the timeout, Ariels played at a more controlled tempo and were able to finish the quarter strongly. The quarter time score was YVG Ariels 12 Ballarat 14. There were no positional changes at quarter time.
This was a similar score line to the Geelong game – would the result be any different?? Q3 The start of this quarter was a considerable improvement from the Geelong game, although the unforced errors were higher than expected – reflecting a lack of composure and concentration. The third quarter was fairly even with Ariels scoring 13 goals to Pride 14 goals. ¾ Time Ariels 41 Ballarat 36 Q4 Did Ariels take the court after three quarter time??? (This is FINAL QUARTER ARIELS 9 BALLARAT 14 FINAL SCORE ARIELS 50 BALLARAT 50
Match Summary: Another very disappointing result, to surrender a lead to the bottom side is not the form displayed by Ariels earlier in the season. So instead of playing 5 games and winning 4 - and being top of the ladder Ariels have a record of 2 wins, 2 losses and a draw to be on 10 points.
Next week there is a well needed break for the Ariels girls to regroup while the U/17 and U/19 Australian Championships are held in Round 6 will see Yarra Valley Grammar Ariels play top of the table Monash at 8.20pm on Court 5 in what is always a hotly contested game. Until Round 6 – Your Courtside Reporter |
Division One: YVG Ariels 44 drew with Ballarat Pride 44
Under 19: YVG Ariels 45 defeated Ballarat Pride 29
Round 4 vs Geelong Cougars - 28/03/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 47 lost to Geelong Cougars 48
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Match Report: Week 4 gives the YVG Ariels a chance to consolidate their position as one the top flight teams in the VNL Competition. This week we are against Geelong Cougars on their home court in Geelong. Ariels is missing Tash and Sarah but this should not make a difference – the YVG Ariels is a quality team which should cover these absences. For the first time this season Coach Christina started with a different starting seven with Sally to the Centre, Prue to WD, Kim to GK and Micaela to GD.
Q1 saw Geelong play aggressive netball with quick movement of the ball from one end of the court to the other. The Cougars aggressive style should not have come as a surprise to Ariels. For most of the quarter the Ariels played with no rhythm and found it difficult to transition the ball. There were many unforced errors yet the Ariels girls placed plenty of pressure on Geelong to create turnovers. Steph and Andy were shooting at a high percentage but overall the Ariels were not playing to their potential. The quarter time score was YVG Ariels 12 Geelong 14. At quarter time Coach Christina moved Steph to GA and Andrea to GS, Kim to GD with Micaela to GK. Q2 The first half of the second quarter was goal for goal and then the Ariels produced their best play for the match. With all court pressure creating many turnovers, and with Andy and Steph continuing to shoot at a high percentage, the Ariels went from two goals down to finish the quarter 6 goals ahead. The girls played with the belief in each other, were transitioning the ball effectively and were converting the many turnovers to go in at half time with a well deserved lead. Ariels won the quarter 15-7 to lead at half time 27-21. Coach Christina made the following changes – Amy came on at GD for her first run of the season with Kim going to WD. Q3 Did Ariels take the court after half time??? Geelong played with passion and a never give up attitude to score 7 of the first 8 goals to draw level. They continued to run the Ariels girls ragged and showed the absolute will to win which Ariels had shown in previous weeks. An injury timeout provided the opportunity for Ariels to regroup. Coach Christina moved Kate into the centre and Sally to WA. The remainder of the quarter was goal for goal – however the damage was done and Geelong had the smell of a major upset at hand. The highlights for the quarter were Amy’s intercepts and Micaela’s rebounding, but overall Ariels lost intensity and allowed Geelong to dictate play. As said last week, the third quarter is known as the premiership quarter and this time Geelong took up the challenge, winning the quarter 12-7. ¾ time - Ariels 34 Geelong 33 The last quarter saw a number of changes to try and take the initiative back from Geelong. Kate moved to WA, Sally to Centre, Prue to WD, Kim to GK and Michaela to GD. Q4 For most of the quarter, Ariels were under pressure. The only highlight was the great shooting from Andy and Steph to keep Ariels in the game. As the game was coming to an end, Geelong continued to exert considerable pressure on Ariels which led to turnovers which were converted into goals. Ariels were unable to place intense pressure on Geelong and were not able to generate turnovers. FINAL QUARTER ARIELS 13 GEELONG 15 FINAL SCORE ARIELS 47 GEELONG 48
Match Summary: This was a very disappointing result, to surrender a 6 goal lead at half time. Geelong showed the qualities of never giving up, running themselves into the ground and placing pressure on the Ariels – these were the qualities that Ariels had shown in the previous two weeks. Except for half of the second quarter, Ariels did not play with composure and had too many forced and unforced turnovers.
Wednesday we play against Ballarat. It is up to each and every player to show that Ariels is a major force in this year’s competition by bouncing back with a win.
Until next week – Your Courtside Reporter |
Division One: YVG Ariels 38 lost to Geelong Cougars 58
Under 19: YVG Ariels 42 lost to Geelong Cougars 45
Round 3 vs Boroondara Genesis - 17/03/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 48 defeated Boroondara Genesis 34
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Match Report: Here we are at week 3, with YVG Ariels playing Boroondara Genesis. The question for this week is can the YVG Ariels play at the same level of intensity against Genesis as they did against Southern Saints to record their second win of the season?
Coach Christina maintained the same starting seven that took to the court against Hume and Southern Saints. Q1 was goal for goal with Micaela, Tash and Sally generating plenty of turnovers, many of these converted into goals by Steph and Andy while the pressure from Genesis also caused many YVG Ariels turnovers. The quarter time score was YVG Ariels 9 Genesis 8. At quarter time Coach Christina made the following moves – Sally to the centre, Tash to WD and Kim came on as GD. Would these changes succeed this week?? Early in the quarter Ariels scored the first four goals only for Genesis to score the next five goals to level the game. The remainder of the quarter went goal for goal with Ariels finally winning the quarter 12-11 to lead at Half Time 21-19. Late in the quarter Coach Christina moved Kim from GD to WD, Tash from WD to GK and Micaela from GK to GD to have better match ups against their opponents. We were again seeing a keenly contested game with the all court pressure from Ariels creating many turnovers with Kate feeding the ball creatively to Steph and Andy who shot a total of 12 goals from 14 attempts but this was offset by pressure from Genesis creating many Ariels turnovers. There was one change at half time with Steph moving to GA and Andy to GS. The third quarter is known as the premiership quarter and the Ariels rose to the challenge winning the quarter 14-7. The hallmark of the team is the all court pressure which forced many turnovers while in this quarter the Ariels played with more composure to cut down their turnovers. Highlight of the quarter was Andy shooting 9 from 12. At ¾ time Ariels 35 Genesis 26 The last quarter saw no changes in the Ariels line-up. Ariels continued to play strong, aggressive netball with Steph having a great quarter shooting 10 from 12, Sally, Kim and Kate controlling the mid court and Micaela and Tash dominant in the defensive ring. FINAL QUARTER ARIELS 13 GENESIS 7 FINAL SCORE ARIELS 48 GENESIS 34
Match Summary: Once again, from half way through the second quarter the YVG Ariels played with passion, intensity and belief in each other to produce a solid victory. The second half was highlighted by all court pressure on our opponents with only a handful of turnovers from the Ariels players. It was a good win for the girls to back up after the Southern Saints victory. Next week we play against Geelong at Geelong. Given this is a Geelong Home Game we can expect a very intense, competitive game.
Until next week – Your Courtside Reporter |
Division One: YVG Ariels 40 lost to Boroondara Genesis 47
Under 19: YVG Ariels 52 defeated Boroondara Genesis 23
Round 2 vs Southern Saints - 10/03/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 40 defeated Southern Saints 36
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Match Report: Here we are at week 2, with YVG Ariels playing the much improved Southern Saints. Southern Saints defeated YVG Ariels in the pre-season grand final 41 – 34 and defeated the highly rated Genesis in Round 1.
We start the match report with our closing comment from last week’s game. “So it is important for the players to build on the positives from the game and play four high intensity quarters against Southern Saints next week to produce the first win of the season.” Coach Christina kept faith with the starting seven that took to the court against Hume. In Q1 we started the game slowly and turned the ball over on a number of occasions. Our intensity was good and we obtained many offensive and defensive rebounds with Steph and Andy and Michaela and Tash working hard at both ends of the court. The quarter time score was Saints 15 YVG Ariels 9 but we were unlucky not to be a goal closer with Andy shooting a goal when the buzzer sounded. At quarter time Coach Christina made the following moves – Andy from GS to GA, Steph from GA to GS, Sally to the centre, Tash to WD and Kim came on as GD. Now to many experts, these moves were queried – Are you mad to put Tash onto the very fast Saints WA?? Can Kim shut down the Saints GA?? And can Sally use her height to advantage against the Saints Centre? So the first 5 minutes of the second quarter were disastrous with the Saints converting 3 of their 4 centre passes and Ariels converting 0 out of 4 centre passes. Ariels were not playing with any confidence. The scoreboard moved from 15-9 to 23-10 and this courtside reporter was quoted as saying the game is over and the result is going to be very one-sided. Thank goodness the players didn’t have the same opinion. The new combination started to find their feet and play with belief. They exerted considerable pressure on the Saints players and generated many turnovers and converted this into scoreboard pressure. Ariels scored the next seven goals straight and had an 11 goals to 2 goals run - to go in at half time trailing by just 4 goals. Half Time Saints 25 Ariels 21. Ariels won the second quarter 12 to 10. There was one change at half time with young Sarah getting her first court time in the official competition at GA (well done Sarah). Coach Christina was encouraging her charges to build on the fantastic finish to the second quarter. The girls started the third quarter as they finished the second quarter – with great intensity, encouragement for one another and a sense that they could topple the Saints. Kim was doing a great job in shutting down the dangerous Saints GA, Sally was using her height to advantage in the centre and Tash was giving the Saints WA a very physical contest (so it proves this courtside reporter will never be a netball coach!!). With Steph shooting at 90% and Sarah generating plenty of pace in the forward half of the court and Kate providing great passes to our shooters – we won the third quarter 11-8 to be only one goal down at ¾ time. ¾ Time Saints 33 Ariels 32. The Saints coach, realising the momentum of the game had changed made a number of positional changes. The last quarter saw no changes in the Ariels line-up. The challenge for the players was to run out the last quarter and play with the passion and enthusiasm which had been exhibited for the last quarter and ½. The final quarter was very low scoring and a real dog fight. Ariels players continued to exert all court pressure to create many turnovers with Michaela doing a fantastic job getting tips, rebounds and intercepts to turn defence into attack. All players did their bit in this quarter and eventually the YVG Ariels took the lead and held on for a meritorious victory. FINAL SCORE ARIELS 40 SAINTS 36 FINAL QUARTER ARIELS 8 SAINTS 3
With a bit more steadiness and composure, together with a better conversion rate in the last quarter the Yarra Valley Grammar Ariels could have won by a larger margin; nevertheless this was a wonderful victory. WELL DONE GIRLS Match Summary: From half way through the second quarter the YVG Ariels played with passion, intensity and belief in each other to produce a remarkable victory against the highly fancied Saints. The girls need to build on this victory and realise that it takes each player working together, playing for each other and having the belief that with a concentrated four quarter effort you can achieve outstanding results. This week we play against last years Runners-Up – Genesis and with the same level of commitment and belief that we are a very strong team – another shock result is there for the taking.
Until next week – Your Courtside Reporter |
Division One: YVG Ariels 58 defeated Southern Saints 39
Under 19: YVG Ariels 34 lost to Southern Saints 39
Round 1 vs Hume City Falcons - 3/03/2010
Championship: YVG Ariels 32 lost to Hume City Falcons 44
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Match Report: Welcome to the first week of VNL Championship match reports from your courtside reporter.
The first round of VNL is always full of excitement with all teams looking to get early wins on the board to kick start the season. For YVG Ariels, we faced the formidable challenge of playing against last year’s premiers – Hume. This was a challenge the girls were looking forward to, having shown promising pre-season form. In Q1 we started strongly, putting plenty of pressure on the Hume players and creating and converting many turnovers. With Prue driving the mid court, Michaela and Tash generating plenty of rebounds and Andy and Steph converting up forward, the girls held a well deserved 1 goal lead at quarter time. Quarter time Ariels 12 Hume 11. In Q2 the girls continued to put the Hume players under pressure and with Sally holding firm at wing defence and the elusive Kate in wing attack the Ariels girls were putting up a strong fight. Ariels continued to transition the ball quickly down the court and again created many turnovers but unfortunately failed to convert most of these into goals. Half time Ariels 22 Hume 24. Q3 saw Kim come into the WD position and Sally move into the Centre. Hume lifted their intensity in this quarter which slowed our transition of the ball all over the court and also produced a number of forced and unforced errors. We were still able to generate turnovers but couldn’t convert them into scoreboard pressure. Hume won the quarter 13-5 and led 37-27 at ¾ time. The last quarter saw Prue move into the centre. The Ariels players appeared not as desperate and hungry for the ball as in the first half and Hume comfortably won the quarter 12-5 and the match 49-32. Match Summary : For 2 ½ quarters the YVG Ariels exerted considerable pressure on the reigning premiers and a shock result was there to be taken. So it is important for the players to build on the positives from the game and play four high intensity quarters against Southern Saints next week to produce the first win of the season. Until next week – Your Courtside Reporter |
Division One: YVG Ariels 44 lost to Hume City Falcons 31
Under 19: YVG Ariels 34 lost to Hume City Falcons 35
Page Updated: 16/07/2010
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