Good signs for Gippy Stars NETBALL VNL BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT   THE Gippsland Stars were treated to its second matchday in the region, when hosting the Southern Saints in Round 3 of the Victorian Netball League at Warragul Leisure Centre at the weekend. This followed the Stars’ VNL season opener at Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium, Traralgon as the second instalment of the Netball Victoria Gippsland Showcase. The Championship squad made it a third straight close loss to begin the season, succumbing by two goals. After coming off consecutive one-goal losses, the Stars were hungry to reverse their fortunes, especially again playing in front of a home crowd. Unfortunately, a slow start ensued, with the Saints getting out to a quick four-goal lead before attacking pair Sam Silvester and assistant playing coach Stacie Gardiner began to score in bunches. The Stars weren’t able to tick back into a lead, getting within a tie, and had to make do with a three-goal deficit at quarter time. By the time the second quarter came around, Gardiner had exited the match due to an injury, thrusting young recruit Abby Williams into goal attack. After much work to get back into the game, the Stars eventually hit the front with five minutes to spare in the first half. Even more so, Silvester’s additional goals saw the score move ahead by two, before the Saints flicked the switch in an instant to leapfrog back ahead by halftime, thanks to a 4-1 run. As play returned, Silvester continued to keep the Stars in the game, scoring all 14 goals for her side in the third quarter. Facing a one-goal deficit with 15 minutes spare, the Stars looked down the barrel of yet another close affair. Contributor: Abby Williams stepped into goal attack for the Stars and was awarded player of the match during their two-goal loss to the Southern Saints. Defensive anchors Jordan Pyle and Sally Deller maintained a strong presence for the Stars, thwarting the early attacks of the Saints to begin the final term. Silvester and Williams then combined to thrust the Stars back into the lead, much to the delight of the home fans. The Saints responded quickly, with three straight goals, to almost immediately secure a two-goal edge, before eventually extending it to four. Williams worked hard to score consecutively for the Stars, and while she and Silvester scored late, by that point, the game had gone back-and-forth and the Saints held on to victory. Silvester added a match-high 41 goals on 91 per cent shooting efficiency, while Williams was awarded player of the match, stepping into goal attack and scoring 11 goals. While still not on the winner’s list, a result is bound to go the Stars’ way, opposing what has been seen in their first championship season when they routinely lost in bulk numbers. ALSO falling closely, the Stars 23-and-Under side lost by five goals to the Saints earlier in the evening. After some unfortunate results, the younger Stars were looking for a more consistent performance at Warragul. They provided that, but a third quarter blip, which saw the Saints separate themselves from the Stars by nearly double figures, gave the visitors some cushion. New Traralgon recruit and former Boolarra junior Lara Noblett added the first four goals of the final quarter for the Stars to move back within five goals. Gormandale netballer Grace Van Tilburg joined in on the party with Noblett, but the Stars couldn’t make up enough ground late. Noblett tallied a game-high 34 goals on 85 per cent shooting efficiency, followed by Van Tilburg with eight and Anna Mooney with seven. Noblett’s new teammate at Traralgon, former Mirboo North A Grader Marley Wallace, was acknowledged as player of the match. STARS supporters did see a win to begin the Warragul showcase, as Gippsland’s VNL Reserves added its third win through the first five games. The reserves squad set their victory up with a 13-8 first quarter, giving the Stars enough separation to hold on, as they currently sit fifth on the ladder. On a limited break, the Stars Championship and U23 sides play tonight (April 1) against Geelong Cougars at the State Netball Centre. Following up from their victory, the reserves team played on Tuesday (March 31) against Geelong at the same venue after the Express went to print.

LV Express: Good signs for Gippy Stars #Sport #AbbyWilliams #GeelongCougars

Stars align for Championship squad NETBALL VNL By BLAKE METCALF-HOLT   THE Champs side is on the winner’s board. Gippsland Stars secured their first victory in Victorian Netball League Championship play last Wednesday (March 19), defeating Geelong Cougars at the State Netball Centre. Coming down to the wire, the Stars skated past Geelong in a one-goal thriller, 43 to 42 in Round 3. The local Championship squad jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead off the back of Stacie Gardiner and Daisy Hill, before the Cougars charged with 10 of the next 12 goals. Geelong led 15-11 at quarter time. After perfect shooting from both sides to open the match (only four missed shots to begin), shots began to go awry heading into the second quarter – only increasing the intensity in and around the court. Going back-and-forth through a bulk of the quarter, the Stars flicked a switch with six of the last nine goals to trail by just two by halftime. That conviction to grab their first win carried over as they returned. Hill added four quick goals to push the Stars ahead for the first time since the beginning of the match. Gippsland continued forward to lead by four goals with one quarter spare. Geelong began to utilise their substitutions to begin the final term, putting some fresher legs into the game as they pushed to leap ahead again. The Cougars scored nine of the next 13 goals to tie the match back up 41-all with just two minutes remaining. Hill and Gardiner showed incredible poise in the face of danger to knock down the next three shots for the Stars, giving them enough space to hold onto the win. Assistant coach, Gardiner articulated how the emotions were tempered following their Round 1 draw against North East Blaze. “Everyone was pretty emotional even after our first draw in the first round… but after the win, it was just excitement and a bit of relief maybe as well,” Gardiner said. “We know we’ve been training hard and working really well at training, connecting well and that sort of thing, but you never really know if you’re up to that standard until you’re out there on the court.” Hill was a gunner for the Stars, playing every quarter of the match to score 27 goals on 87 per cent shooting efficiency. Gardiner also added 14. The Championship side has gathered six points in their first three games to sit seventh on the ladder. Geelong were no scrubs either, the Cougars narrowly missed finals last season in VNL with 12 wins and eight losses. “Geelong are a formidable club, they’ve always been really competitive for the last five years or so probably… to get a win against a really formidable club, it was just excitement and relief for sure,” Gardiner said.   SIMILAR fortune unfortunately couldn’t be seen in the 23 and under match for the Stars. The 23 and Under Gippsland side succumbed to Geelong, 59-36. The Stars kept things close to begin proceedings, trailing by just five goals (early stages by just one goal) at the end of the first quarter. The Stars then gave up 14 and 15 goals in the second and third quarters, not awful, but could only add five goals in each quarter themselves as their deficit ballooned to near 20 goals. Myah Healey again provided a great option for the Stars, finishing with 25 goals on 89 per cent shooting efficiency.   THE Gippsland Stars’ Championship side come up against Melbourne University Lightning tomorrow (Wednesday, April 2) at the State Netball Centre at 8.45pm. The 23 and under team play beforehand at 7pm. A Round 5 fixture is scheduled at Warragul Leisure Centre against Peninsula Waves – the club’s only games in Gippsland for the season.

LV Express: Stars align for Championship squad #Sport #DaisyHill #GeelongCougars