VNSL 2022 - Saracens Mavericks v Team Bath

SAT 28th may | 16:00 | hertfordshire sports village

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coach’s comment

KATHRYN RATNAPALA

Head Coach & Director of Netball Our final game of 2022 and we’d all like to thank you so much for all the support you’ve shown us this season. Your support has been massive to us and we love playing at home in front our home fans at HsV.

We're looking forward to putting to putting on a final show for you today, we will be giving our all for every single one of you.

Fantastic to see ex Mavericks Layla Guscoth, Sophie DrakefordLewis and Tash Pavelin in Bath’s squad.

Team Bath are a tough opposition and the last time we played them, it was a close encounter so have no doubt it’ll be another competitive challenge today.

We have been focusing on the consistency, availability and relentless defence in our squad this week in training and the squad have really come together to make themselves and each other proud of their performance.

Enjoy every minute of todays game, it's all for you!

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match reporT SARACENS MAVERICKS 54 - 50 surrey storm Mavericks battled hard to overcome the Storm and ascend to joint fourth with Team Bath.

Although a must-win match for the Black and Reds, fifth v sixth was never going to be easy. In some ways this was a game of two halves with the Surrey team taking the lead in the opening quarters before Ratnapala’s side turned the tables in the second half.

Head Coach, Ratnapala, was brimming with praise for her squad:

“Today’s match against Storm was a full team effort. Every single player in our squad contributed to that win through training in the week and delivering on court tonight.

In all the adversity they really pulled together and showed their depth and strength. Huge thanks to our electric crowd. They were amazing and we felt their energy as they really got behind the squad.”

The opening quarter saw goals from Britney Clarke and Chloe Essam. With Razia Quashie out

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with an injury, Kadeen Corbin stepped up – or rather leapt up and worked tirelessly to frustrate the near perfect shooting record of 6’4” Proscovia Peace.

Storm’s Felisitus Kwangwa matched Kadeen’s work rate in the opposite circle. With goals and interceptions at both ends, the first quarter ended with a 1point advantage to the visitors.

In the second quarter the Guildford team extended their lead. Mavericks brought on recently recovered Venter and Storm rested their formidable Zimbabwean defender. The home side found another gear, making interceptions in every third to decrease the gap. Pressure from the Hertfordshire team even forced a wild pass from Storm that sailed beyond Peace’s expectant hands.

After the break Mikki Austin’s side sought to reenergise their offensive play with two substitutions. However, with more Quidditch-style interceptions to delight the crowd, and with Venter shooting from range, it was Mavericks’ turn to establish a lead.

saturday 14th may 2022

hertfordshire sports village Kadeen’s efforts were rewarded with two interceptions against the towering Peace. The nearfaultless Ugandan even missed a shot as she, too, succumbed to Mavericks’ pressure. Saracens finished the third with a four-goal lead.

The crowd in the Hertfordshire Sports Village were treated to a fierce final quarter. However, Mavericks refused to give up the three points that have brought them level with Team Bath.

VERSION2 Player of the Match

chloe essam

A well-deserved win for the Black and Reds, and a necessary confidence boost, as they travel to Manchester to face the team in pole position.

Morgan Harlow

@SaracensMavs

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TRAINING PARTNERS

Razia QUASHIE Sponsored by

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STAFF

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HEAD COACH

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TEAM MANAGER

ASSISSTANT COACH

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Kathryn RATNAPALA

Camilla BUCHANAN

Sam CASTLE

Aliyah ZARANYIKA Sponsored by

sachel grant @SaracensMavs

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match reporT manchester thunder 53 - 61 saracens mavericks Mavericks played tirelessly in their second game in two days but were denied a perfect weekend by the still unbeaten Thunder.

Victory over Storm the day before brought Mavericks level with Team Bath as both teams seek to join Thunder, Lightning and Pulse in the play offs. Denied an additional three points from their trip to Belle Vue, Mavericks will need wins from their remaining games. They’ll also be cheering on Dragons and Wasps as those teams face Bath in rounds 18 and 19 before facing the Blue and Golds themselves on May 28th.

Head Coach, Kat Ratnapala, reflected on the match:

“It’s a shame that we couldn’t connect our attack and defence end. But I couldn’t be prouder of the work rate that the guys put in.

Having Kadeen Corbin play at the back as well as she’s doing at the moment is amazing. Georgia Lees got my Player of the Match; her work rate was outstanding today.

All we can do is just focus on us to be honest. The season’s gone the way its gone and we needed to take our opportunities when we did. We didn’t take those

Morgan Harlow

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sunday 15th may 2022

belle vue

opportunities earlier on so, yeah, we are where we are now. So, we needed three points from today’s match but we’re also playing for our pride at the moment.”

Mavericks are one of only two teams to have come within three points of Karen Greig’s side this season so it was with fire in their bellies that the visitors attacked tonight’s match. With Quashie out for the remainder of the season, Kadeen took her place as Goal Keeper while Essam joined Venter at the other end of the court.

In the first quarter the game was end-to-end with the score level at six apiece. However, Thunder were pressing hard to shut down routes to goal for the visitors and went into the first break with a modest lead.

In the second quarter Lees stayed on for Sasha Corbin.

Zaranyika made an immediate impact when she came on to bolster Mavericks’ defence. The northern side also made some substitutions and, although Saracens won the quarter, it was advantage Thunder when the half time whistle blew.

Mavericks came out fighting in the third, with their characteristic defensive power at one end matched by incisive balls into the circle at the other. However, too many times offensive balls were unconverted and Thunder settled down into the driving seat.

Although the sides won two quarters each, Mavericks couldn’t reclaim the ground lost to the current VNSL leaders in quarters 1 and 3.

Thunder’s Laura Malcolm was awarded Gilbert Player of the Match and had this to say about their opposition: “We needed a game that was gonna test us and that really did.”

Mavericks can be proud that their defensive endeavours kept Thunder a long way from the 80+ goals they’ve netted in three of their last four matches.

Version2 Player of the Match

Georgia Lees

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match reporT leeds rhinos 62 - 58 saracens mavericks

SATurday 21st may 2022

allam sports centre

Team Bath’s recent results meant Mavericks’ game against Rhinos wasn’t just a must-win but a mustwin-BIG. And yet it wasn’t to be.

Heartbreak for the visiting side as a top 4 finish once again slips through their fingers.

Head Coach, Kat Ratnapala, contemplated the performance:

“I think that game pretty much summed up our season to be honest…we didn’t take the opportunities. So yeah, really disappointed and the girls feel disappointed with that result as well…the consistency has let us down.”

Mavericks began the match in Hull with the same starting seven they’d selected against Thunder last weekend. Kadeen filled injured Quashie’s shoes and her passionate performance merited the praise Ratnapala bounced her way: “Kadeen has been outstanding for us at the back.”

The home team claimed the first quarter with a display of pace, laser feeds and the 100% shoot

rate of 6’2” Sigi Burger.

Version2 Player of the Match

Aliyah zaranyika 10

Mark Pritchard

The Black and Reds, on the other hand, couldn’t find the statistics to match.

The away bench didn’t have time

to get warm in the second and third quarters as Ratnapala rotated players in an attempt to disrupt Rhinos’ charge. Zaranyika, Lees and Clarke made positive impacts, but the “sloppy errors” identified by Captain Corbin let Mavericks down.

The Hertfordshire side worked hard to close the gap to just two goals in the second half, but Rhinos wanted a win for both their supporters and their departing Head Coach, Tracey Robinson. Although Mavericks won quarters 3 and 4, Jade Clark’s team held them off to deny the southerners the points they needed.