Lightning break Mavericks curse

By Charlie McKay

The Sunshine Coast Lightning emerged victorious in a tightly contested clash against the Melbourne Mavericks at John Cain Arena on Saturday night. The victory marks the Lightning's first ever win against the dynamic Melbourne team.

The second match of Round 1 threw together two teams desperate to prove their mettle.

Despite injury woes, the Mavericks had a solid inaugural season in 2024, racking up six wins and narrowly missing out on the top four.

With some star power added to their line-up last season, the Lightning were tipped by many to win the premiership but underperformed with only six wins and a short-lived finals campaign.

The Sunshine Coast side were determined to flip the script in their opening match, particularly against a Mavericks outfit who edged them out twice by a single goal in 2024.

Droves of fans packed out John Cain Arena, and Delta Goodrem set the stage alight with a powerful opening performance. 

Adding to the sense of occasion was Liz Watson's milestone 150th national league appearance. The veteran is no stranger to John Cain Arena and delivered another strong performance on Melbourne soil, finishing with 25 goal assists from 44 feeds.

The opening half was a goal-for-goal contest, with both teams delivering clinical performances and battling for possession.  

Sasha Glasgow got the nod at Goal Attack for the Mavericks after a long stint away from the game with injury last season. She combined nicely with the ever reliable Shimona Jok, who finished the game with 37 goals.

Despite stepping into the unfamiliar Centre position, Maverick Amy Parmenter dominated the midcourt with two intercepts and one deflection in the opening half.

At the other end, Lightning head coach Belinda Reynolds opted for Cara Koenen in Goal Attack, leaving Steph Fretwell to read the game from the back in Goal Shooter. The switch was effective, and the Lightning's ball speed and movement in the circle gave them an offensive edge. 

But the Lightning defence struggled to find their rhythm early, and Reynolds relied on the depth of her bench to trial combinations between Courtney Bruce, Tara Hinchcliffe and Ash Ervin.

The game broke open in the third term as the Lightning stretched out an eight-goal lead. They used speed through the midcourt and deft feeds into the circle to elude the Mavericks' defence. 

Reynolds used all 10 of her athletes, balancing the court with timely changes that highlighted the versatility of the playing group.

The Mavericks attempted to claw back the margin with a handful of super shots in the third term, but they were promptly answered by Steph Fretwell at the other end.

A passionate Mavericks crowd spurred their team on to win ball early in the final 15, but the Lightning held their nerve throughout.

Ash Ervin led the Lightning's defensive efforts late in the game, finishing with six gains and two intercepts.

Mavericks head coach Tracey Neville injected Palavi in the dying minutes to create a two-pronged super shot threat in combination with Glasgow.

But it wasn’t enough to trump a humming Lightning outfit, who powered home to close out the game by 10.  

Reynolds was pleased with Lightning's performance.

"The girls rode the ebbs and flows of that game, and it was a really solid team performance," she said.

Reflecting on her milestone match, Watson said the team's performance was a promising sign for the season to come.  

"We want to be thriving at the back end of the season and tonight was great to show that we can do that and we have that belief."