Cool Jacks make early statement
First game in three weeks. Points finally up for grabs. What could go wrong?
After strolling through the first two rounds of premier grade netball without a loss to their name, Thursday’s return from a short layoff would have been the perfect time for a team to strike defending champions Prices. And Jacks did just that, holding their nerve in a thrilling final minute.
Their 42-40 win at Saxton Stadium makes them the first team to beat Prices in 2017, and what a time to do it too.
With a competition format that sees points start from scratch at the end of rounds one and two, round three is when teams need to be hitting their stride.
After an even first quarter saw the score locked at 9-9, Jacks pushed out to a six-goal lead at halftime before Prices clawed it back to just four at the end of the third.
Prices goal shoot Shar Lowe (23/30) brought the score level at 35-35 with 10 mins to go but penalties inside the shooting circle cost them two chances to do so again late in the game.
Jess Drummond was instrumental for Jacks, the centre picking up intercepts and making her fair share of goal assists too.
Meanwhile, Stoke were in control from the first whistle as they ran out 58-33 winners against Richmond.
After racing out to an early five-goal advantage in the opening few minutes, the slick Stoke side would only build on that lead, heading into the final quarter in front by 17.
Charlotte Etheridge (21/30) regularly found the target from long-range, working well in tandem with Megan Thomson (37/46), with Stoke scoring many of their goals from the edge of the circle.
It was a tough outing for Richmond, who missed accurate shooter Kalyssa Rasmussen and even threw goal defence Kat Jones into the GA bib as they searched for some stability in attack.
With many of their players away at the New Zealand under-17 championship, the match between Nelson College for Girls and Waimea College has been deferred to a later date.