A GRADE – PENOLA 44 d LUCINDALE 31
PENOLA’S A Grade netballers began their 2019 Kowree Naracoorte Tatiara season with the best possible outcome at McCorquindale Park on Saturday.
The Eagles claimed a comfortable 44-31 win over Lucindale, in a strong outing for the opening round.
Penola was off to a solid start, with the first break at the centre pass.
With many accurate passes and strong defence causing turnovers, the Eagles were on top in the opening quarter.
However, a revitalised Lucindale turned the tables in the second term, as they slowed the play down and as a result won the quarter by two goals.
After the main break another tight tussle ensued, with the home side on top, but only by a solitary goal.
Some disruption to the run of play saw Sally Skeer off with an illness, with Chelsea Bradley entering the game at wing attack, while Kaitlin Egan moved to centre.
The final stanza saw April Possingham enter the game at goal shooter, with Skeer back on the court at wing attack, which created space and height in the goal circle.
Emily Winter and Brooke Klemm caused plenty of havoc for the Lucindale goalies, which created opportunities for Penola at its attacking end of the court.
That saw the Eagles take the quarter 15-9 and run away winners by 13 goals.
Best players for Penola were Winter and Klemm, while Holly Hannaford and Mel Greg were given the votes for Lucindale.
A RESERVE – PENOLA 54 D LUCINDALE 36
THE A Reserve side followed its A Grade counterparts, with a comfortable 54-36 win.
Penola took a while to settle and found itself down by two points at quarter time.
However, the Eagles hit their straps in the second term and once they found the confidence to deliver the ball to the goalies, scoring began to flow.
The side continued to build its lead each quarter and the defensive pressure from Chelsea Bradley and Chloe Long made scoring difficult for Lucindale.
While there is still plenty of room for improvement, Penola had a solid start to the season with an 18-point victory.
Best players for the Eagles were Chelsea Bradley and Chloe Long, while for Lucindale Jess Bittner and Sally Logan were given the nod.
B GRADE – PENOLA 52 D LUCINDALE 33
WARM conditions saw the B Grade girls work hard, with a tight first quarter that saw the home side claim a slender two-goal margin.
That continued into the second stanza, with the Eagles’ drive through the centre by Amelia Redman keeping the Roos on their toes.
Penola settled in the third quarter and began to control play to finish the quarter with a handy lead.
Confidence in the Penola team then grew, with Mandy Gartner in charge in centre court.
With constant back up through the mid-court from Annabel Hayes and Amanda Wurst, the Eagles continued to build the advantage.
Hannah Klemm and Tayla McKeon combined well to gain a substantial lead, while Kerry Dent and Nicole Hayes worked hard to create turnovers.
In the end it was a comfortable victory, with Gartner and Klemm best for the winners, while Jessica Legoe and Heidi Ware were best for Lucindale.
C GRADE – PENOLA 38 d LUCINDALE 24
A NEW look Penola C Grade attack took some time to settle and gel, which resulted in a few errant passes which were capitalised on by Lucindale in the opening term.
The second quarter saw Penola begin to use the ball better and create turnovers with strong defence to create a three-goal turnaround.
After the main break goalie Ruby Moore entered the contest and finished off well, with good support from McIntyre at goal shooter to continue to build on the lead.
Tammie Berkin worked hard at centre all game, while Millie Wilkinson provided good drive at wing attack in her first game for the Eagles.
Berkin and Wilkinson were voted best for Penola, while Hannah Copping and Jess Tregoweth were best for Lucindale.
17 AND UNDER – LUCINDALE 49 d PENOLA 29
THE 17 and Under girls struggled at the hands of Lucindale, going down by a fair margin.
Kate Skeer and Anna Marcus were voted best for the home side, while Jess Bittner and Stella Delaney were given the nod for the victors.
16 AND UNDER – LUCINDALE 26 d PENOLA 15
WHILE the 16 and Under girls went down to Lucindale, Penola started the game strong.
However, some first-game nerves let Lucindale back in through the second and third quarters.
The Eagles picked the pace back up in the final term to finish the game well, with an even last quarter.
Best players for Penola were Ella Hutchesson and Ellise Berkin, while Lucindale’s best were Taylor Ryan and Tessa Ingham.
13A – PENOLA 40 d LUCINDALE 18
THE young 13A girls gained the advantage over Lucindale in the first term, but only by a small margin.
Strong feeding into the goals from the centre, teamed with a consistent defence in the second quarter stretched the lead to eight goals.
Decisive passing through the mid-court and overall persistence from Tess Porter in defence saw the Eagles’ run continue and the score build.
The young Eagles gained confidence as the game continued, with accurate shooting from Heidi Berkin and Rosie Moorhouse building the lead further.
Lucindale fought back in the last quarter, but was unable to convert, with Penola running out comfortable victors.
Best players for Penola were Berkin and Porter, with Millie Thompson and Sophie Edmonds best for Lucindale.
13B
THE 13Bs started strong and had an excellent first game, with all players working hard across the court.
The defence of Zara Kellet, Charlize Baily and Lilly Allen remained tight, with hands to the ball often for many interceptions.
Lucy Lambert and Nellie Lear made good positioning on the wing, gaining many passes.
Macy O’Brien found a lot of space in centre and showed her speed, while Ivy Wurst held well in goal shooter and had a strong drive into the goal circle.
Best players for Penola were Charlize Bailey and Macey O’Brien.
13 MOD
THE 13 Mod side had a positive start to the season.
Jazz McIntyre, Matilda Marlow and Jeada Rowsell worked hard in defence, putting everything into the game they had practised in training.
Winnie Zadow, Ella Skeer and Lilly Hackwill ran the mid-court well, providing lots of drive and passing well into the forward line.
Grace McCarthy and Mia Gartner found good space in the goal circle and finished off well.
Best players for Penola were Jazz McIntyre and Matilda Marlow.
