NPL Match Report: U17, U19 & U21 v Surrey Storm

Last Saturday, ahead of the NSL teams going head to head, all 3 Academy squads faced each other in the latest rounds of the NPL.

First up the U17s

Pulse u17 vs Storm u17

Report by Brogan Bostock

For London Pulse’s U17 debut NPL match, they travelled to Surrey Sports Park to face Surrey Storm in what they knew was going to be a tough match. Pulse were excited for the challenge and to put their training into action on the court.

Starting Seven:

GS – Mia

GA – Ella C

WA – Ella-Rose BB

C – Brogan

WD – Jane

GD – Christine

GK – Zaneya

Storm had the first centre pass and managed to get the opening goal. Pulse managed to get their centre pass to goal, but a missed shot meant Storm gained possession from the rebound, Storm faced a relentless defence from Pulse leading to a turnover and Jane winning the ball back. Pulse drove the ball through the court and got the ball to Mia, who levelled the score at 1-1 with a confident shot. For the next few minutes, both teams took care of the ball and it was going goal for goal. A crucial rebound from Zaneya allowed the defence to bring the ball through to half way where Ella C and Ella B did strong drives through the court to give Pulse the lead. Christine and Zaneya continued the defensive pressure in the defensive third, creating a held ball however Pulse couldn’t convert it to goal. Pulse made some unforced errors allowing Storm to equalise the score. Around 9 minutes into the quarter, Ava entered the court at WD and Zaneya and Christine switched defensive positions. In the last few seconds of the quarter, Brogan’s precise pass found Mia near the circle edge who scored an excellent long-range goal, closing the quarter with Pulse leading 14-13.

There were no changes for the start of Q2.

Pulse took the first centre pass of the quarter and got the ball to Mia holding strong under the post with the help of Ella C who drove strongly into the circle opening up the court. Pulse managed to secure a 2-goal lead. As Storm took their first centre pass of the quarter, Zaneya tracked tightly disrupting their second phase play, forcing an error. Despite Pulse’s relentless defensive efforts, they couldn’t capitalise on every turnover. Lada came on and entered the court during quarter 2, promptly netting her first goal shortly after. A few minutes later, Zaneya moved back to GK allowing Jane to step in at GD. Pulse’s attacking strategy improved during the quarter as they maintained possession in attack, resulting in another tight quarter. Nonetheless, Pulse managed to extend their lead by 1 during the quarter leaving the overall score 26-24 to Pulse at half time.

For Q3, Ella C came back on at GA and Christine came on at GK and Zaneya moved back out to GD.

Storm gained an early advantage with the first centre, swiftly narrowing the gap to just one goal. Pulse made an error in the attacking third, allowing Storm to capitalise and level the game. Despite Pulse not having a very strong start to the quarter and Storm getting a lead, they remained determined, with Lada rejoining the action at GA and swiftly making an impact. The defensive work of Zaneya, Ava and Christine applied intense pressure, leading to turnovers that helped Pulse shorten the lead that Storm had. However, Pulse couldn’t gain momentum from unforced areas, enabling Storm to extend their advantage once more. Storm started to make some errors and Lada chased the ball gaining possession for Pulse. Ash then entered the court at GA doing a strong baseline drive and getting her first goal. With not long left of the quarter Brogan and Ella BB switched positions, with Ella BB moving to Centre and Brogan to WA. Brogan and Ash defended tightly on the third line causing Storm to go offside and allowing Pulse to regain possession and convert opportunities into goals. Despite their efforts, Pulse fell short this quarter, with Storm leading 37-32.

No changes for the start of Q4

Pulse understood the importance this quarter of converting more turnovers into goals. Storm secured the first centre pass and worked the ball into the attacking third but Pulse’s defence disrupted their flow, resulting in a crucial error and possession going to Pulse, with Ava securing the ball. On Pulse’s first centre pass, they managed to get it to a shot but Storm secured the rebound from the missed shot, they worked the ball through to their attacking third but again Pulse worked hard and got the ball back with it falling into Ella BB’s hands and Pulse managed to take it to goal. Despite Storm’s efforts to widen the gap, Pulse continued working hard causing Storm to get held balls but Pulse couldn’t transition the ball through the court. During the quarter Holly entered the court at C helping Pulse create pressure in the defending third straight away and causing Storm to make an error giving Pulse another chance to get a goal, in which they did. Despite Pulse’s determined efforts, Pulse fell short and the game finished with an overall score of 51-40 to Storm.

The opposition’s player of the match went to Zaneya for her continuous hard work throughout the game getting strong rebounds and creating immense defensive pressure. The coach’s player of the match went to Ava for constantly tracking tightly causing Storm to make errors and helping bring the ball through court.

Pulse were disappointed with the loss, but took the positives of many players getting their Pulse U17 debuts and winning two of the four quarters. The U17’s will work hard in training working on their feedback ready for the next round against Mavericks.

Thank you to Storm for a well contested match and to the umpires and officials. Also, a big thank you to everyone who came to support London Pulse.

U19s

U19 Match Report by Hannah Gibson

After four wins out of four, the London Pulse U19 squad were ready and raring to continue their winning streak against a great Surrey Storm side. The team travelled to Surrey Sports Park, where they were determined to push on from their last performance against Saracens Mavericks, and come out with the win.

Starting Seven:

GS – Coco Williams

GA – Hannah Gibson

WA – Daisy Beer

C – Summer Chapman

WD – Beth Long

GD – Ellie Sadler

GK – Tami Fapohunda

Substitutions: Brogan Bostock, Zaneya Cunningham, Jane Sigobohla, Temi Dawodu, Lois Levy

Quarter 1:

A slow but steady start saw Pulse take an early lead, with excellent shooting from Williams to put the team infront, and clinical play from the team through court. Some changes saw Long move to WA, with Sigobohdla coming on in the WD position – both making great impact. However, by the end of the quarter, Storm closed the gap to just to two after some great defensive play, causing problems for the Pulse attack. Quarter score: 14-12 to Pulse

Quarter 2:

With the same seven that ended quarter 1 starting this quarter, Pulse began to settle and showed a stronger display of their talents. With pivotal turnovers from both Sadler and Fapohunda in defence, and pin-point feeds from Chapman and Long into the attacking circle. Due to the outstanding number of turnovers, the Pulse shooters   scored an amazing 17 goals in quarter 2 – extending the gap between them and the opposition. Half-time score: 31-23

Quarter 3:

This quarter was where Pulse slightly dipped – with mistakes and fatigue creeping in. Some tactical changes saw GK Fapohunda switching to GD, and Sadler back to GK, as well as Levi entering the court as WD and Beer replacing Long at WA. With still great defensive effort, a lack of energy got the best of Pulse, and slick play from Storm caused them to shorten the gap back down to just two. Pulse needed to step up as it was all still to play for in the final quarter. End of quarter 3 score: 39-37

Quarter 4:

The last quarter saw Pulse take control and get back in the flow of the game. With clinical play from Chapman and Beer in attack, as well as Gibson shooting at a total of 90% throughout the game. With Sadler and Fapohunda returning back to their original positions, causing problems for the Storm attack and extreme pressure in the circle. A change saw Dawodu also enter the court at WD – adding to Pulse’s defensive pressure and turning over ball. With Williams at GS sinking long-bombs from all over the circle –  Pulse ended the game with an outstanding performance. Final score: 54-43

OPOM was Coco Williams who shot at 81% displaying her long-range shooting ability, and Coaches’s POM was Beth Long who secured pin-point and accurate feeds into the circle, as well as slick play and defensive pressure all over the court. 

U21

Report by Princess Alagbala

London Pulse U21s clashed with Surrey Storm U21s in an electrifying netball showdown, showcasing top-tier talent and fierce competition.

The first quarter saw a tightly contested battle, as Pulse struggled to find their rhythm, resulting in a deadlock at 9-9. However, the tide swiftly turned in the second quarter as Pulse surged ahead, capitalizing on interceptions from their formidable defensive end. A huge shoutout to players such as  Darcie , Rudee , izzi for their tenacious work . A pivotal change in the shooting circle injected fresh momentum into Pulse’s attack, propelling them to dominate the second quarter and secure a commanding lead. With exceptional teamwork and strategic play, Pulse emerged victorious in the quarter with a decisive scoreline of 17-27.

Standout performances from Princess and Elsie shone brightly on the court, earning them recognition as the coaches’ players of the match. Princess, in particular, dazzled with her relentless pressure and impeccable turnovers, earning accolades from the opposing team as she earned Player of the Match.

Pulse’s triumph was a testament to their resilience, skill, and unwavering determination to conquer the competition. The final score was an excellent 52- 31 to London pulse. An amazing team effort from the U21 pulse side !

As the NPL matches drew to a close, the NSL team then made it a hattrick of wins and 3 out of 4 matches won on the day.