The Australian women’s water polo team, the Aussie Stingers, have continued their strong start to 2012 defeating Great Britain 14-3 to clean sweep their five match test series.
The Stingers got off to a slow start leading by just one at the first break, before dominating the middle two quarters scoring 11 of their 14 goals.
WAIS-AIS athlete Glencora Ralph and Ashleigh Southern were dynamic during that period each chalking up their hat tricks, while Rowie Webster and Nicola Zagame both pitched in with two.
Ralph, who said it was always great to get on the scorers sheet for her country, believed the near perfect execution of the team’s defensive structure was the most promising aspect of the night’s win.
“Our focus was on the team’s defence, and being able to keep it strong all game,” Ralph said.
“To restrict Great Britain to the lowest score of the series was a massive thing and it showed that we are on target for the next few months.”
Fellow WAIS-AIS athletes Gemma Beadsworth and Zoe Arancini also played for the Stingers.
The Stingers now have just one loss from their 14 games in the new year, and have sent out a formidable warning sign to their London Olympic rivals.
Their next task is the London Olympic test event in May where they will take on the USA, Great Britain and Hungary and Ralph believes the five matches against Great Britain has been a great preparation for that.
“This series has given us a lot of insight about how we have to play at the London test event and we are excited about maintaining our form for then,” she said.
After the Olympic test event, Australia will then head onto the FINA World League Final in China in June. The final Olympic squad of 13 will be selected at the conclusion of that tournament.
On the domestic front:
Gemma Beadsworth this weekend will become the third player in the history of the women’s National Water Polo League competition to chalk up 200 games.
Two weeks ago Beadsworth’s Aussie Stingers teammate Jane Moran brought up the 200 mark, and the 24-year-old Marlins star will do the same when Fremantle take on the Sydney University Lions.
Beadsworth is already the all-time highest goal scorer in the NWPL and is a four time premiership winner with the Fremantle side.
–Australian Water Polo
