After a positive team chat and training session on Wednesday, we were ready to hit that reset button and start the second half of the season with a new mindset! The warm up was full of energy and the team chat led by Nic G, Nicole, Jess and Jackie set us up well for a great first quarter!
Starting 7, GK Chantelle, GD Nicole, WD Jess, C Phoebe, WA Sam, GA Macy, GS Chloe. Bridgford had the first centre pass…
Storm defence applied the pressure immediately, keeping up the high energy from the warm up. Unit defence was applied and Phoebe and Jess did an excellent job on the circle edge, snatching that ball from the small passes between feeder and GA. It took a while for Storm to settle into transitions through court and saw a few missed opportunities to score from a turnover. Bridgford got ahead early with a 3-0 start but we didn’t let this go on for long! The next 3 goals were scored by Storm and it was back level. The rest of the quarter followed this pattern with each team scoring from each other's centres. Halfway through the quarter, each team started to settle with a last run for Storm which brought us back to within 1. Quarter 1 ending at 12-11 to Bridgeford.
In the break, Nic G decided to keep the line up the same and reward the great effort from the players.

Quarter 2, Bridgford managed to pull away with a run of 5 goals and 4 goals throughout the quarter. Storm managed to hold on with team effort of turnovers and keep Bridgeford’s score to 12. Storm attack did well to be patient and use defence to reset. That was an aim of ours for the game and it definitely showed that we kept composed, giving little ball away with bad passing. The defensive pressure from Bridgeford challenged our shooters but they stayed strong! Chloe did well to keep that front hold and only ended up on the floor once! Some good defensive pressure from Bridgeford however saw Storm with the lowest quarter score of the game, with the score 24-19.

Quarter 3: The team grouped together at half time, knowing 5 goals was still in our reach and that we just needed to keep going. There were a few tired bodies after the first half, still getting used to the intensity of Div 1, we saw many changes to the line up, to bring on some fresh legs and mix up the shooting circle.
GK Chantelle, GD Nicole, WD Abbie, C Jackie, WA Lucy, GA Sam, GS Chloe.
It took a little time to settle with the new combinations, with Bridgeford taking advantage with a few more runs but Storm soon settled and started to get the goals in! Sam entering at GA brought a new dynamic to the shooting circle, something else for the Bridgford defence to think about. Lucy and Jackie worked together, bringing it to circle edge, using the reset to give and go, offering the safest option to get it to the circle.
Abbie had a task to do, stop that WA getting that deep pocket ball and did just that, conceding an early intercept in the pocket. Even with the changes and turnovers, Bridgeford managed to pull away a bit more, increasing the difference to 11 goals. Quarter ending at 41-30.

We may have felt a little deflated but Nic G made us realise that the win was still in our reach. Thank you Nic for keeping us all motivated and being positive.
Quarter 4 saw some rested players back on court and changes in all areas of the court. Final 7, GK Abbie, GD Nicole, WD Jess, C Phoebe, WA Sam, GA Macy, GS Chantelle. Superstar Chantelle moved from GK to GS seamlessly, only missing a few and offering solid rebound positions. This gave Macy the confidence to shoot long. The movement in the circle was good, using the ever reliable triangle play. This patient approach and looking in early to Chantelle allowed Storm to go on 2 runs of 4 goals! Defence ramped up the pressure, providing a total of 11 turnovers! Jess as always going out on the fly, putting so much doubt in feeders bringing it down court.
Jackie added: Nicole applied pressure as GD and continued to apply on their playmaker in that last quarter … pushing them to the very end with their ball placement and the movement in the circle.
Perhaps thought that the game intensity took it out of Storm towards the end, with Bridgford going on a last run of 5, ending the game at 50-39.

We must be proud of ourselves Div 1, we really applied the pressure on the top team in the league!

Written by one of your captains Nicole