Tigerettes tie lndigenous Round match at Kyabram

A 32-all draw between Rochester and Kyabram on Saturday has the Tigers facing successive games against teams directly above it on the ladder — firstly the Bears and then the fifth-ranked Tatura team.

With a winnable round 15 match against Benalla following immediately after these two matches the Tigers need to string together their best run of the season prior to confronting top-of-the-ladder Euroa and fourth-ranked Echuca.

Nine wins will probably be needed for the Tigers to cement a place in the finals, meaning the next three weeks and the final round against ninth-ranked Shepparton United are essential to the hope of being involved in September action.

A downpour just before the start of Saturday’s match played into the defensive hands of Linda Rasmussen and Bridgette Holt against a physical Kyabram outfit.

Teal Hocking was forced off the court under the blood rule, along with Ellie Cuttriss, which meant Jaime Dingwall came onto the court and Charlee Roulston replaced Cuttriss — who moved into centre.

Hocking finished the match strongly, shooting 19 second half goals after Kyabram took control of the game in the second term.

Rochester led by five at quarter-time, but a 14-4 second term by Kyabram saw the Tigerettes facing a five-goal half-time deficit.

Hocking’s 11-goal third term was supported by Morgan Dingwall and Rochester wrested back the the lead to be three up at the final break.

Kyabram teenager Natasha Dodos shot seven of her team’s nine goals in the final term, while Hocking shot all six of Rochester’s goals at the opposite end. It meant a tied game at the final siren.

• Rochester B-grade sits sixth on the ladder and is involved in a tense three-way battle for the last two spots in the finals — six weeks away.

A 53-34 victory against Kyabram on Saturday was the team’s sixth of the season and a match-up with fourth-ranked Shepparton this weekend will go a long way to deciding the team’s final finishing position.

Rochester, Euroa (which the Tigerettes play again later this season) and Shepparton Swans are all on seven wins.

Kyabram came out swinging on Saturday on its home court, trailing the Tigerettes by just two goals at quarter-time. The next three quarters were dominated by Rochester, enabling it a 19-goal win.

All three Roulstons played in the team, Kristy, Ella and Charlee — a windy first term followed by a brilliant third term when Poppy and Jaime created many scoring opportunities for Charlotte Gould and Leila Palmer.

Their accuracy in goals saw Rochester score 33 goals to Kyabram’s 16 in the second half, with a string of feeds from Rachel Whipp.

Goul shot 20 goals in the second half, having contributed 11 in the first half. Palmer finished with 22 goals for the match

Poppy Palmer received the player of the match award from the umpires, spending the entire match at goal keeper.

• Fifth-placed Kyabram faced sixth-ranked Rochester in B-reserve and the match proceeding accordingly — close from start to finish.

Rochester led by two goals at quarter-time on the back of nine goals from Zali Hocking (of the team’s 10-goal total), then Kyabram responded to lead by one goal at half-time.

The lead changed again at three-quarter-time, Rochester up by one goal.

In the final term a more defensive tone took over and only 15 goals were scored for the quarter, Rochester having the better of its opponent to end the match a 33-31 winner.

The win has Rochester sitting equal sixth on the ladder, inside the final six thanks to percentage, ahead of its opponent this week — Shepparton.

A victory will give the team some breathing space before it has winnable match-ups with Tatura (bottom) and Benalla (second bottom).

Hannah Egglestone started in goals with Hocking (21 goals for the match), before Ella McPhee shot nine goals in the second half to help the Tigers salute.

Kristy Roulston, Krystal Conder and Maddy Pearse all spent time in centre, but the defensive duo of Annalese Oliver and Grace Wachter did not change throughout.

• Third-ranked Kyabram, led by 45 goals from tall goaler Natasha Dodos, scored a 17-goal win against Rochester — in spite of a strong start by the under-17 Tigerettes.

Dressed in new Indigenous Round uniforms designed by Alkina Edwards, the team faced up against the team which beat them convincingly in the opening round of the season.

Rochester trailed by just three goals at quarter-time, thanks to Payton Tiller and Kaitlyn Joyce’s 11 goals. The next three quarters, however, saw Kyabram score 40 goals to the Tigerettes 26 and win 54-37.

Maddy Pearse moved from centre into defence in the second term to work with Grace Ingram and further changes in the third saw Monica Ingram arrive at wing attack and supply her goalers.

Joyce finished with 18 goals and Tiller 19 in the defeat where nine Rochester players were used for the match.

Rochester is now two wins outside the top six of the competition, but has matches against the three teams below it on the ladder in coming weeks.

• Rochester’s under-15 team had one of its best win of the season when it led from start to finish in scoring a brilliant four-goal win against fifth-ranked Kyabram.

The Tigerettes led by five goals at quarter-time and by eight at the half, scoring 16 goals to 10 in the second half for a 28-24 win.

The team sits seventh on the ladder after the win against fifth-ranked Kyabram, but has a tough draw this week against unbeaten ladder leader Shepparton.

Rochester remains two wins outside the top six, but in the final six weeks faces four teams below it on the ladder.

A strong start against Kyabram featured eight goals from Marli Cottam, who spent a half in goals with Lexi McKenzie before she and Leah Toohill swapped positions at centre.

Cottam finished the game with 19 of her team’s goals, while Chance Powles’s defensive work earned her the best-on-court award from the umpiring panel.

Inogen Kath spent a half at wing defence and continued to impress as all nine players saw court time for the team.