Netball Sacred Heart ends round unbeaten

Press, 2 July 1979, Page 20

Netball Sacred Heart ends round unbeaten

The first round of the senior netball competition ended on Saturday and the teams will now split into two sections for the final round of games.

Sacred Heart A will go into section one unbeaten and on its present form it should continue through the season without a loss. Sacred Heart B, Technical A Hagley and Burnside A are the other teams in section one. Teachers’ College, St Nicholas, Riccarton. Cashmere and Burnside B will form section two. Such are the fortunes of netball that last year’s runner-up in the senior competition. St Nicholas is only in the second section. Riccarton 33, Burnside 19 Riccarton began strongly with its shooter, Andrea Fleming, showing line form in positional play and shooting. The centre, Karen Erikson, directed forward play. Fleming got plenty of ball with which to shoot and Riccarton soon had a healthy lead. Burnside’s play was disappoint-! ing and it was not until a few minutes before half-time that it began to function as a unit. In the second half both teams attacked but with Burnside the more dominant. The centre Bergin combined effectively with Penny Russell on the wing and gave their forwards plenty of ball. Shepherd and Jan Pickering showed good rapport in the circle and worked tirelessly. Riccarton’s forwards made the most of the ball when it penetrated the circle and had a muchi higher, goal average than the Burnside pair. Fleming sank some particularly fine shots from the edge of the circle. Displaying confidence in her own ability, she rarelv risked a pass in the circle. Her; holding of the keeper, Hew’in-I son. and swift change in body! position to receive and sink the: shot was largely responsible for Riccarton gaining the upperhand.; Burnside A 27, Teachers' College 23

College opened the scoring with a quick goal from the throw off. Burnside responded and play see-sawed. Burnside’s Deidre Snow lost a couple of valuable opportunities to score when she chose to pass to the feeders and try to cut closer to th e post. College inched two ahead and at 14-11 the game came alive, * both teams playing well. Burnside fought, back and Kay Scott spearheaded strong attacking drives and fed the ball to the nimble Snow, who was cutting with ease to take the shots for Burnside. Sue Reeves tended to drop too soon back to cover Cecilia Burke which gave Snow event more room to manoeuvre. At half-time Burnside led 17-15. Ten missed goals at the start of the second half shook College’s confidence and a held ball by centre Lyn Menzies gave Burnside further breaks. It went three ahead, then four, then five. College had every chance to draw even and in the closing

stages was beginning to get its shots through the ring, but the missed shots early in the second half cost it the game. Sacred Heart A 50, Cashmere 19 The surprise of the dav was the return to the court of one of Canterbury’s most loved play, ers, Joan Harnett. Replacing Jennv Wills, who had the misfortune to break a linger, she was in her favourite position of goal attack.

Sacred Heart opened the scoring and with goals from Harnett and th e shooter. Wendy Heta, it was soon 3-0 ahead. Cashmere took time to settle, the ball scarcely reaching Cashmere's circle before Leigh Mills or Pauline Devine got the intercept and with a swift pass to centre Mary-Ann Burns, the ball was back to the red goal circle. Jenny Redman had Cashmere's shooter, Lynley Neutze, well covered and goals came painfully slowly fo r Cashmere. Without the centre, Jane Drew, the team lacked cohesion in mid court. Sacred Heart led by 18 goals at half-time.

The second half was a repetition of the first with Harnett and Heta flicking the ball around the goal circle as if they had a partnership understanding of many months. It was hard to believe that this was the first time they had taken the court together. Rebounding effectively Redmon and Mills gav e more possession and it was five minutes before Cashmere could add to its score. Sacred Heart went further ahead until a patch of good shooting from Neutze save Cashmere a few more goals. Technical 27, St Nicholas 20 Technical missed four goals in the opening stages against St Nicholas but quickly settled and once the shooter. Vicki Paterson, got her eye in. she rarely missed.

For St Nicholos. Judy. Puni also shot accurately but the

feeders threw too much ball away by risking the lob pass. Witn Maxine Blomquist and Lyn Cauley in outstanding form, the lob was ineffective. The half time score was 13-9 to Technical. Vicki Paterson shot accurately in the second-half using her step around shot to escape the long arm of Barbara Kreit. Technicals wing attack, Ann Van Jorgenson, piayed a steadv 'game and its forward trio of | Paterson, McMeechan and Van Jorgenson was too strong. Hagley Sacred Heart B 24 ' Sacred Heart played Joan Harnett in the goal attack position having to replace the wing al {tack. Daphne White This re isulted in Sue Costello the usual goal attack moving to the wing | This complete reshuffle of the forward line reduced the B] team's efficiency. Hagley quickly took control! and with Mary Ann Selby shoot-i ing accurately it was soon several goals upPhillippa Karetae was slow ini getting the centre pass away and; this helped Hagley tighten its] defence. The defence, Jan Henderson, and Diane Petrie were in good form and managed to hassle the opposing attacks. The score at half-time, was 20-10 and in the second-half. Hagley went straight on to the attack and with Selby cutting with relative ease into the circle its score mounted. Sacred Heart’s Viv Ritchie had a bad game, dragging her feet and obstructing her player. Harnett, after one hard game.! was kept well contained by the New Zealand representative. Jan ; ice Henderson, and the Sacred Heart goals came slowly. In the centre, Chris Pietzner. had another good game for Hagley, outjumping Phillipa Kare tai and taking command of midcourt play to ensure her forwards got plenty of ball.