Netball: How the Mystics undid the Pulse
Photo:
Marty Melville / Photosport
The Pulse were on a roll and the Mystics were missing two key personnel, but in stepped an apprentice training partner and a solid game plan.
The Mystics brought speed and composure to dominate the Pulse for a 64-51 win in Wellington on Sunday.
It pushed the defending champions up to second spot on the ANZ Premiership ladder at the halfway point of the regular season, ahead of the Pulse, and just behind the Tactix.
Mystics assistant coach Rob Wright said they knew that footing it with the vastly experienced Pulse midcourt would be key.
"We knew coming here that the midcourt was probably our only really experienced area so if they held up we thought 'it gives ourselves a little bit of a shot' and I thought they did a terrific job. So did the ends but I thought that the midcourt really did a great job," Wright said.
Peta Toeava, Tayla Earle, and Katie Te Ao were able to negate Pulse midcourters Whitney Souness, Maddy Gordon, and Fa'amu Ioane.
Wright said Souness and Gordon in particular form the Pulse engine room and slowing them down would in turn make life difficult for their shooters.
"They're pretty scary because they just keep going and they can just keep reworking it and they've got speed to burn so it's about trying to slow them down and then try and build some pressure and I thought we did that pretty well."
The Mystics experienced their first loss of the season when they were beaten by 11 goals to the Tactix in the previous round and Wright said there was a lot of determination to bounce back from that.
"The Tactix did a terrific job last week but I thought we let ourselves down and I thought we probably learnt a lot from last week and put it into this week."
Mystics Peta Toeava (L) with Pulse's Fa'amu Ioane.
Photo:
Marty Melville / Photosport
The Mystics were without import shooter Donnell Wallam for the game against the Tactix, with the Australian Diamond injuring her wrist near the end of their round three game.
There were doubts about how the Mystics would fair without their strike shooter again. They were also without defender Holly Rae on Sunday, due to illness.
"Sometimes you've got nothing to lose right, I'm not sure if people would have expected us to even win this game so sometimes you play with a bit more freedom."
The Mystics led 15-11 after the first quarter and were able to block out the noise generated by the Pulse home crowd.
Wright said the Pulse have done a lot of damage to teams in the first quarter and they wanted to make sure that didn't happen.
"They've ripped people apart early and we knew that if we could hang with them you at least give yourself a shot and I thought we did a nice job in the first quarter."
After getting 17 minutes against the Tactix in her first ANZ Premiership game, rookie Sophia Lafaiali'i started the game against the Pulse and put up an incredible 45 shots at 98 percent accuracy.
Lafaiali'i is one of the Mystics apprentice training partners, who generally come to training once a week.
"It's just straight out amazing isn't it, she did a great job and sometimes I think you've got no fear, you come out and you just play ... because we weren't sure how it was going to go and she did a terrific job and hence why we left her out there," Wright said.
At over 6 foot, Lafaiali'i was a great target and never wavered from her holding game, despite coming up against Silver Ferns goal keep Kelly Jackson.
Donnell Wallam
Photo:
Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Mystics Goal keep Catherine Hall put plenty of pressure on Amelia Walmsley, who shot 38 goals at 100 percent.
The Mystics were so solid across the entire court that no substitutions were made at all, which is quite a rare thing now.
The Mystics won the second quarter by a whopping 21-13, thanks in part to Filda Vui nailing three super shots. The experienced goal attack proved a handful for the Pulse and has fast become one of the most dangerous two-point shooters in the competition.
Lafaiali'i then put the icing on the cake with a Super Shot on the buzzer and the Mystics led 36-24 at half-time.
The Pulse would chip back a few goals in the second half but the Mystics always responded with a run of their own.
The Mystics now have a four-game winning streak over the Pulse, including of course last year's grand final when they pipped them by one goal.
Wright said Wallam was likely to be a couple of weeks off a return.
"She's back doing some modified training so probably at least another couple of weeks I would suggest."
The Mystics are hoping Rae will be back next week.
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