Kyabram came as close as it could have hoped to registering a third successive win for the first time this season when it drew with Rochester in Goulburn Valley netball’s A-grade Indigenous Round game at Kyabram on Saturday.
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In the fortnight preceding the match, the Bombers had risen to 10th on the ladder with successive wins against the two teams below it on the ladder — Mansfield and Benalla.
Against the seventh ranked Tigerettes, who are now just two wins outside the top six, the Bombers were quick out of the blocks and ended with a 32-all draw.
Kyabram has five of the top six teams in the final six weeks of the season, facing the top two ranked teams in Mooroopna and Euroa before the end of the home-and-away season.
A downpour just before the start of Saturday’s match played into the defensive hands of Rochester stars Linda Rasmussen and Bridgette Holt against a physical Kyabram outfit.
Kyabram managed just four first quarter goals and faced a five goal deficit, but when Rochester star Teal Hocking was forced off the court under the blood rule the Bombers struck.
They shot 14 goals to four in the second term when star teenager Natasha Dodos came onto the court and shot 10 of those in tandem with Alyssa Trebilcock.
Hocking returned and 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 gave her team a three goal lead at the final break.
Dodos shot seven of her team’s nine goals (21 in three quarters) 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.
Kyabram’s defensive trio of Steph Higgins, Jasmin Reid and Jemma Hall kept Rochester to four goals in the second term in an outstanding display.
• Kyabram B-grade sits eighth on the ladder and has a tough draw to finish the season with matches against four of the top five sides in the final six home-and-away rounds.
A 53-34 victory loss to Rochester on Saturday has the team three wins outside the top six and a match-up with top of the ladder Echuca this weekend.
The Bombers came out swinging on Saturday on their 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.
The match featured three Roulstons from Rochester in the team, Kristy, Ella and Charlee and Kyabram remained in the hunt for the first half.
Micaela Herbert shot all 10 of her team’s opening quarter goals as it led by two, then another seven in the second term as the Rochester team reclaimed the lead.
In the second half Rochester scored 33 goals to the Bombers 16, and despite Herbert finishing with 31 goals, they lost by 19 goals.
Georgia Poole played the entire match in centre, while Laura Papalia provided support and Courtney Mason restricted the opportunities of the Tigers goalers.
• 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. They eventually won the match by two, 33-31.
Kyabram remains fifth, but has top of the ladder Echuca this weekend — unbeaten so far this season.
By the final change of Saturday’s match Molly Carver had scored 18 of her team’s 24 goals, gaining support from Eliza Linehan. Tess Laidlaw worked through the mid-court as nine players were used by the Bombers.
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.
Courtney Mason and Charli Westerveld spent the entire match in the defensive goaling circle, while Jorja Wilson and Jocelyn Gawne shared the wing.
• 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 teams faced up against a Bombers team it beat convincingly in the opening round of the season.
Rochester trailed by just three goals at quarter-time, but the next three quarters saw Kyabram score 40 goals to the Tigerettes 26 and win 54-37.
Dodos worked in tandem with Isla Carver for the entire game, while Abby Waasdorp and Tahni Davies offered a passing supply into the goaling circle.
Taytem Messenger and Grace Burnett shared the defensive wing post, while Charli Westerveld and Jemae Miller were the keys to restricting Rochester’s goalers.
• Kyabram’s under-15 team remains in fifth position despite suffering a start to finish four-goal defeat at the hand of a seventh ranked Rochester.
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.
Kyabram has second ranked Echuca this weekend and the ladder leading Shepparton the following week in a difficult draw which will challenge its top five ranking.
Rochester remains two wins outside the top six, but in the final six weeks faces four teams below it on the ladder.
Ava Pell started in centre, but shifted into goals and finished the match with 12 goals.
Mia Stockdale spent three quarters in the centre, while Grace Kilpatrick played all three defensive positions as 10 players were used by the Bombers.
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