Wednesday, 20 August 2025

St Mary’s beat Pioneer in close final match

    By Gerrit Doppenberg
    1. Southland
    2. The Ensign

    St Mary’s A players celebrate winning the MLT premier league netball title after a hard-fought...
    St Mary’s A players celebrate winning the MLT premier league netball title after a hard-fought victory against Pioneer Red in the final on Saturday afternoon. PHOTOS: GERRIT DOPPENBERG
    The championship game of the MLT premier league netball in Gore was a fierce contest, with a hard-fought battle until the final buzzer.

    The eventual winner, St Mary’s A, was up against Pioneer Red, with both teams showing up to play from the jump.

    Although Pioneer crept to an early lead in the first, St Mary’s managed to break away in the second period outscoring their opposition by 11 points.

    St Mary’s A goal defence Leiana Hayward (left) and Pioneer Red goal attack Ash Smith take a...
    St Mary’s A goal defence Leiana Hayward (left) and Pioneer Red goal attack Ash Smith take a breath while battling it out.
    From there, although the game was still tightly contested through the third and final period, St Mary’s managed to retain the lead and win 34-26.

    St Mary’s senior player Maggie Harvey said individual skill mixing with good teamwork helped achieve the win.

    "Our team is all about having a good time, playing good ball and having each other’s back. I think it shines through.

    "They’re all talented netballers. Our team has a huge amount of experience and I think we clicked in the season, those connections came, and we won the trophy," she said.

    Pioneer Red goal defence Rubi Edwards contests a shot by goal shoot Paige Blom.
    Pioneer Red goal defence Rubi Edwards contests a shot by goal shoot Paige Blom.
    Harvey said the defensive end worked as a strong unit, forcing turnovers through good teamwork, which led to a lot of points on the other end.

    The shooters too had a good night on the court, with a seamless transition between defence and offence helping them pull ahead.

    Harvey said their captain Rebecca Will, who was away on holiday at the time, was missed, but had an outstanding season both on and off the court with organising.

    gerrit.doppenberg@alliedmedia.co.nz