USA gave it their all but were defeated 95 to 10 by New Zealand in Round Two at Bank Of America World Youth Netball Championships.
This is the first Championships where the USA have entered a youth team and although they never gave up trying, they were out played by a more experienced and higher ranked New Zealand squad.
The USA has worked hard to prepare for these Championships, which has been extremely difficult, given the geographic locations of the squad. With girls from Florida, New York, California and Connecticut playing, the commitment of the girls to a regular training schedule has been outstanding.
Of particular note are Ashlin and Zoe Humphreys, both of whom are US Citizens – born in Virginia, who currently go to boarding school at Roedean in the UK and have spent considerable time and money attending training camps in the US.
Californian sisters, Sara and Nerida Peever shared the Goal Shooting responsibility today with both girls playing half a game each. Nerida started the match and Sara finished. Neither girl was given much opportunity to score with only 3 goals out of a possible 4 scored between them. Local girl, Taneisha Morrison, who normally plays Goal Shooter, but started the game as Goal Attack scored 7 goals out of a possible 9 – which gave the US shooting accuracy of 77%. Most of the other substitutions involving the Florida girls were made in the 3rd Quarter.
Jessica Tuki (GS) and Grace Rasmussen (GA) were the leading scorers in the New Zealand squad with 33/37 and 21/25 respectively. New Zealand’s shooting accuracy was 83% overall with Marcia Tutaia and Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit being the other scorers. At the end of the game, the New Zealand and USA squads posed for a momentous photograph which summed up the friendly, yet competitive spirit in which the game was played.
“I couldn’t have asked much more of the girls” said Sharon Fluxman, USA U21 Coach “this match was one where the USA played hard, gave it all they had, missed some opportunities but most of all, hopefully learnt a lot – for the next youth or senior competition.”
