Suzuki Pulse and Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel played the first extra time periods in the ANZ Championship in a see-saw match that tested the hearts of players and supporters alike.  

Both teams were hungry for points after first round losses last week, and both coaches put young players in their starting line-ups: Hayley Crofts (19) and Amber Bellringer (17) for Pulse; and Julianna Naoupu (18) for Steel.

Goal attack Naoupu started best of the trio, making 90% of her first quarter shots at goal, while Crofts worked hard against irrepressible Steel centre Jenny-May Coffin before being replaced by Neesha Wieser at half-time.

Bellringer’s more hesitant start in the circle partly accounted for Steel’s 12-7 first-quarter lead, but she stepped up in the second quarter to match her fine goal attack Jamilah Gupwell. Together they began to make headway against the initimdating defence of Megan Hutton and Erika Burgess, who nevertheless remained dangerous in the air and grabbed plenty of rebound possession.

In a highly defensive game, Cushla Lichtwark starred for Pulse in the difficult position of wing defence where her constant harrying began to wear down Liana Barrett-Chase in the second quarter. Lichtwark`s relentless work was well-supported by Kahu Waititi and captain Frances Solia, and allowed Pulse to hold Steel to 21-19 at half-time.

The home side continued to apply pressure after the break and levelled the score at 23-all in the fifth minute of the third quarter.  They took the lead two minutes later but struggled to hold it against a resurgent Steel attack, led by shooter Daneka Wipiiti, who worked first with Naoupu, then with Megan Dehn. Despite Waititi’s close marking, Wipiiti presented an easier target for her mid-courters and Coffin, in particular, found her with some nicely placed lobs. 
 

After starting slowly, Pulse goal defence Sonia Mkoloma played more prominently in the second half and it was her intercept that led to a late third quarter goal which kept Pulse within range of Steel, who led 31-29 going into the final period.

Pulse started that last quarter of regular play with three quick goals, and then pushed on to lead 40-38 with less than three minutes to run on the clock. At that point Gupwell, who had worked splendidly with Bellringer, missed a shot and Steel scored once, then again to level at 40-all and send the game into extra time (two periods of seven minutes each, with no interval between periods).

Yet again, Pulse began quickly, scoring twice before Steel replied. With Lichtwark unflinching on defence, and Solia dynamic through the mid-court, Pulse managed to keep their heads in front 46-44 after the first seven minutes.

Wipiiti and Dehn then demonstrated the value of their experience,  making all of their seven attempts at goal in the last period to post the Steel’s first ANZ Championship victory.