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It was a game the Melbourne Vixens were destined to win and Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic destined to drop. Sounds simple?
Well, in terms the results of the Vixens’ first home game for the 2012 ANZ Championship season, the statement is indicative of the result. That said, this game had more plot twists than a Dan Brown novel.
With a three-game winning streak on the road, the Melbourne Vixens were confident of knocking off the out-of-form New Zealand side, that has yet to win a match this season. Perhaps it was this arrogance that led to a lacklustre performance, lending the Magic a goal lead at quarter time.
The Vixens key goal attack Tegan Caldwell (who became the unlikely hero in the end) missed her first set shot of the game, and her counter partner in goal shooter Kate Beveridge was ruffled by Silver Fern Casey Williams.
The goaling duo, who have proven to be a damaging attack line-up over the past three weeks, seemed completely out of sorts against the strong one-on-one defence the Magic were putting up.
The intensity lifted in the second quarter, with the Magic demanding respect and the Vixens’ best game. Magic captain Laura Langman was relentless in her attack on the ball, running Vixens centre Chelsey Tregear off her feet.
Along with Elias Shadrock who did a fantastic job in shutting down the dangerous Madison Browne, and Irene Van Dyk who proved to be the best goaler on the court, Langman deserved best on ground.
Geva Mentor was outstanding for the Vixens defence. Teaming up with Julie Corletto and Captain Bianca Chatfield, Mentor played a fierce game against the strong Van Dyk. Her constant pressure and fantastic rebounding kept the Vixens alive.
Adding to the reigniting of the Vixens was the injection of Karyn Howarth, who stepped up when Caldwell was taken off due to her errant stepping. Howarth was important in gaining confidence in the goal ring. She contributed well with great goaling and good service to Beveridge.
All credit to the Magic who were hard at the ball from the get go. The girls from New Zealand weren’t to be written off this early into the season. They came out fighting, with great tenacity and hunger. Turnovers let them down in the end. While Magic were strong, they lacked the elite composure that the top teams have.
If you were at the first home game for the Vixens you got your money’s worth in the last two minutes. It was nail-biting, heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat netball. In what was a game full of mistakes, the Vixens capitalised on them to stage a famous comeback.
When the Vixens levelled the score after being at one stage five goals down, the home crowd found its voice.
With less than a minute on the clock Tegan Caldwell snatched the game from the jaws of victory, leaving the Magic players stunned.
The game wasn’t pretty. It was a scrappy, high pressure affair. While the Vixens are an impressive outfit and are now 4-0, they need to improve.
Next week Vixens face the reigning premiers, Queensland Firebirds, who are eager to level the score after losing the first game of the round against the Vixens.