Fever and Sting Set Sights on Back-to-Back Wins
The West Coast Fever and Western Sting will take to the court this weekend in Perth with their sights set on the win having both come away victorious in their Round Five fixtures.
The Fever will return for their second match at HBF Stadium, taking on new franchise the Sunshine Coast Lightning.
A team having lost only once so far this season, it features two 2016 Fever players in Erena Mikaere and Western Australian born Caitlin Bassett.
Despite the Lightning’s track record in the competition to date, Fever Head Coach Stacey Marinkovich is confident that her side have what is required to bring home a win this Friday night.
“Sunshine Coast do turn over some ball, so we have to make sure we capitalize on that opportunity,” said Marinkovich.
“We also have to make sure we play a really slick game that maintains possession for a long period of time.”
The Fever’s round five win against the Swifts was no doubt a real confidence booster for the side as they added their first win for the season to their name.
The side outplayed their New South Wales competition finishing the game five goals up, 50 to 45.
Marinkovich said “to maintain that level of intensity and conversion across a full four quarter performance reinforces to this group that they can match any team in this competition.”
“It is only one victory and we certainly won’t get ahead of ourselves, but the manner in which we played tonight was more impressive than the result itself and I’m extremely proud of the belief the players showed, both in each other and our brand of netball.”
Following the Fever’s upcoming clash with the Sunshine Coast side, the Western Sting will take on the Territory Storm in a double header on Saturday and Sunday.
Having taken two wins against the NSW Warratahs last weekend in Perth, the side will enter Round Six with high levels of confidence.
Game one against the NSW Warratahs saw the Sting apply the pressure right from the first whistle eventually coming away with a 21-goal win.
On day two the Warratahs came out with a news sense of competition, the Sting taking the win by the much smaller margin of nine.
The Sting will be looking to develop on these performances moving in to Round Six.
Turning to the coming weekend, the Territory Storm are yet to register a win on the board however have displayed their competitiveness challenging the Tasmanian Magpies and the Canberra Giants right to the final whistle.
In the penultimate round of the Australian Netball League the Western Australian’s will be looking to come away with two wins in order to keep their finals hopes alive.
Western Sting and WAIS goal shooter, Sophie Garbin will also be looking to set a new Australian Netball League record in the coming games.
Having scored 425 goals to date and with four games still to play Garbin is quickly closing in on the record for most goals scored, a title currently held by Kristina Brice who scored 468 goals in the 2014 Australian Netball League season.
The West Coast Fever’s match against the Sunshine Coast Lightning will be played at 6:40pm on Friday night at HBF Stadium whilst the Western Sting will take on the Territory Storm at the State Netball Centre on Saturday and Sunday.