Lightning get their title defence off to flying start
DEFENDING champions Loughborough Lightning secured a resounding 61-50 win over London Pulse on Saturday in the opening round of the 2022 Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL).
Kick-starting the season opener event, held at Resorts World Arena Birmingham, Lightning got off to a slow start going goal for goal with their opponents for much of the opening quarter. However, soon shaking off their nerves, Lightning shifted into another gear and pulled 14-1 ahead at the close of the quarter. The second quarter saw a determined Lightning return to court and with confident feeds from Panagarry and Joseph into the 2021 leading goalscorer Mary Cholhok, Lightning soon began to extend their lead to 31-20 at half time.
In her first outing as Head Coach, Vic Burgess changed up her side for the second half with Suzie Liverseidge providing a new option in the circle at goal attack and young England U21 defender Ella Bowen making her first ever appearance in the VNSL at goal defence.
Needing little adjustment, Lightning continued to dominate through court with captain Nat Panagarry leading by example from the front as they ended the third quarter 46-35 ahead.
Despite Pulse’s increasing physicality, Lightning kept their cool heading into the final quarter, eager to close out the game and secure the win. With a lead of 10 and five minutes left on the clock, Burgess rotated the bench once again, with Thacker and Vimbela also gaining their first cap in purple, much to the crowd’s delight as Lightning secured an emphatic 61-50 victory.
Head coach Burgess said she was pleased to win the opening match.
“We could’ve started better, been a bit more consistent in our attacking availability but I think in the second quarter we really put our foot down and pushed on. I think we need to now go and work on that consistency quarter to quarter and make sure when we do get a lead that we look after it.
“There was a lot of nerves, we’ve got some new athletes in the environment that haven’t taken the court before so there was always going to be a few nerves, but the side were mainly excited and used what nerves they had and channelled them into the game.”
Burgess also noted the need to get her entire team on court at every possible opportunity.
“Everyone is competing against each other in training to take the court so it’s really good to get those new girls out there in different combinations and get that experience on a VNSL court, not just in training.”
Lightning’s scheduled second game of the weekend against Leeds was postponed because of Covid and injuries in the Leeds camp, so Lightning’s next match will be back in Loughborough for the first time since 2020 when they entertain Celtic Dragons at the Sir David Wallace Arena on February 12.