New Kids Aces showed they are all set for the forthcoming finals series with a comfortable 64-41 win over Shooting Stars in the Wagga netball competition on Saturday.
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The result was obvious from the start when the Aces’ shooters, Lisa Frow and Flynn Hogg piled on 17 opening quarter goals, while restricting the Stars’ shooting pair of Jemima Norbury and Katie Caller to just nine.
While the Stars improved in the second quarter, with 13 nets, the Aces did even better and added another 21 goals in the period.
At half-time, both teams changed their centre court structure with the Aces replacing youngster Abbey Corbett at centre with the wily Rachael Addison.
The Stars put Norbury to centre, Brodie Jaques to wing attack and Bridgett Dill to wing defence while the goal attack role went to Erin Brown.
Stars’ coach Amanda McLachlan thought that these positional changed worked for them and it wasr shown on the scoreboard.
The Stars managed to net 11 goals and limited the Aces to 13.
The final quarter was similar to the third, but the Aces had done enough in the first half to cruise to a 26-goal win.
The Stars will play Uranquinty in the mid-week round, while the Aces’ meet CSU Reddies off the bye.
In the other match, top team Uranquinty had a tougher workout than expected with a 53-47 win over Turvey Park.
Despite being without three members of last Saturday’s winning team, Turvey Park was keen to carry on the momentum for that win over Shooting Stars.
Turvey sprung a surprise by putting award-winning defender, Jaimee Smith, into the attacking circle, with her usual goal keeper’s role taken by Della Winnell.
With centres, Sherrene Thompson and Amanda Gooden absent, promoted Jondie-Lee Wilks played at centre in her first A grade game for four years.
Uranquinty was without Grace Cornell, Abbey Morton and Matilda Vearing while Ella Finemore was again used sparingly.
As is so often the case, the Greens scored a goal a minute in the opening term, but Turvey Park’s Morgan Watts, at goal attack, with help from Smith managed to net 12 in the first quarter.
Watts was a continual focal point in the second quarter with she and Smith outscoring Uranquinty’s Abbey Lowe and Lana Duffy which enabled Turvey Park to be a goal ahead at the long interval.
The defences of both teams were on top in the third quarter, with both restricted to their lowest returns of the game.
Sara Schneider and Della Winnell made some fine intercepts for Turvey, while Uranquinty’s Brooke Tilyard and Hannah Finemore kept Turvey to just nine goals.
Two goals separated the teams at the last change of ends and, as the teams traded goals in the final stanza, it looked as though that would be the margin at the end.
However in the final moments, Uranquinty shot four unanswered goals to win a well-contested match 53-47.
Uranquinty will play Shooting Stars next round, while Turvey have a bye.