The Standard |
A 46-29 victory over Russells Creek at the Mack Oval courts on Saturday has placed Deakin University’s destiny in its own hands.
The Sharks have inched their way up from seventh to sixth on the ladder, with their finals dreams very much alive.
Regardless of other results, they will move into the top five if they can defeat fourth- placed Merrivale next weekend.
Star Deakin University goal shooter Melissa Burt said the Sharks players were aware of the equation.
“We knew coming into this game we had to win to stay in the race for the finals,” Burt said.
“We didn’t play that well today but still won and we think if we are at our best we are a pretty good team.
“Merrivale will be a good challenge for us. The last time we played them they beat us in a close game, so we know it will be tough again.”
While Russells Creek went into the game with just five wins for the season, it was never going to make it easy for the Sharks.
The first half was a hard- fought encounter, with the Kangaroos sneaking out to an 11-7 lead at quarter-time.
The slow start stung the Sharks into action and by half-time they had raced to a 21-17 lead.
The momentum kept rolling for the Sharks into the third quarter and in a match-winning burst they produced a 15-4 term to open a 15-goal lead.
Russells Creek coach Rhiannon Cuomo said it was an inconsistent effort from her team.
“We played really well in the first half but the last couple of minutes of the second quarter there were signs we were starting to struggle,” Cuomo said.
“The Sharks played really well in the second half and we had a lot of skill errors. We missed shots and we threw the ball away a lot.
“A problem we are working on is getting the girls back playing well when their confidence is down. The girls tend to have trouble getting back into the game if they are down.”
The attacking end of the court was where all the action was for the Sharks, with centre Nicole Richie putting in a best-on-court performance.
She fed a functional pairing in goals, with Burt and Jacinta Wareham shooting 23 goals each.
For the Kangaroos, it was Cuomo who led from from her post in defence, while fellow defenders in Stacey Dunkley and Ashlee Sullivan were also prominent players.
