The weekend of the 13th & 14th February saw the team take part in their first tournament – the ASA Inter Regional Championships at Walsall.
The format of the tournament was two pools playing of the Saturday and playoff on the Sunday. The ASA East Region were grouped with two seeded teams and another non-seeded team for the pool round. Seedings were based on current National Team and Academy players. Our captain Amy Ennion is our only player at that level and the only one with National League experience. The challenge was immense!
Saturday saw the team play 3 pool games:-
Game 1: v London lost 4-6 (Lucy Granat 2 Billie Scholten 2)
The opening game was against London and was a close encounter throughout. We lead twice at 2-1 and 4-3 before succumbing to a generally faster swimming team and an incredibly long goalie throw. Our 6v6 defence was solid and many times London ran out of shot time. We hurried our attacks and too many passes went astray. We never once kept possession for the full 30 secs.
Game 2: v North East lost 3-10 (Billie Scholten 2 Emma White)
This was a much tougher game against some very physical players and a starting 7 of Academy players. Attacking was difficult though we kept the ball but we were easily countered off and at half time were five nil down. The team rallied in the second half and scored 3 to the North East’s 5. Emma scored after picking up a poor pass and driving hard at the goal and Billie scored our first man up goal.
Game 3: v North West lost 0-17
There were no weak links in the North West A team and the result was inevitable. As in the previous game the team used 6 for 6 changes to keep the players fresh and give everyone water time. This worked well in this game in that the East would attack and then attempt to stop the counter so that our excellent half bath pressure would limit the scoring opportunities. There were very few 1v0 goals.
A goal a minute in the game reflects that they scored on every attacking opportunity and we didn’t. However, we did get two penalties and Holly did get the ball past the best keeper on show though she was deemed to have hesitated.
Sunday playoff games:-
Game 4 v Ireland lost 2-13 (Katie Stupple, Maddie Brooks)
Ireland was a seeded team in the other group who lost their opening game to the South West. By the second day they were into their stride. Their work rate was incredible and they were always dropping and our attackers had two defenders to contend with most of the time. We had become goal shy and our hesitation in front of goal and our accuracy at hitting the keeper or the woodwork led to many counterattacking situations for the Irish.
The games were now 4 quarters and it was not until the last period that we got on the score sheet, Katie scoring from long range when nothing else was on and Maddie from close in. We needed those scores before the final game.
Game 5 v London lost 3-4 (Billie Scholten, Lucy Granat, Laura White)
From the previous day’s results we assumed we would be playing Scotland but they had beaten a very tired looking London in the first game of the second day. So we knew we could win and we started that way. Very quickly we got two exclusions but failed to set up or convert and London came back and scored from their first extra man play. Laura then equalised.
The game then went much the way of the first with our defence dominating and our attack faltering too often though we did pull two goals in front with good goals from Billie and Lucy. London did look a beaten side and we were desperate to get another goal to kill them off. However, with less than a minute left in the third period they scored from a good counter attack.
London rallied and we defended well but were running out of threats in attack. We got an exclusion and I called a time out. We set it up and they dropped in defence and we forgot to pass the ball around. The shot was blocked. At the other end Annabel was playing her best in goal and we survived two man downs. With 1.49 on the clock London called a time out we didn’t pick up their players quickly enough they scored from long range. We attacked but their defence matched us and with 28 secs left their best player finally got away from the clutches of Amy and scored their winner. In the last seconds we pressed their goal but they held firm.
Overview
What a weekend! The end of it filled with a tinge of disappointment and a truckload of tiredness. Try as we may, and did we try, we were unable to snatch a victory.
The girls’ efforts were magnificent and they improved as a team over the weekend. The half bath pressure defence was good throughout. Shot clocks and time outs were science fiction to most players at the start and our naivety showed in these aspects of the game. The tactical side of the game such as man up man down structures and awareness of those situations were new as well and we were learning in the most hostile of environments, a national championship!
We were the side with the least experience of club, county and national league levels though we showed we knew how to play the game and we had the character to become good players and a good team.
All the water polo cognoscenti at Walsall were pleased to see that the region had girls playing the game and were complimentary of their efforts. National table official Sharon Worthington, who refereed them at the East Region junior championships last October, said “What a transformation! I’m impressed how much they have developed since then. They will be a force to be reckoned with in years to come.”
Our thanks go to so many who helped put this together including Tim Whitwham who superbly coached the girls throughout, Sue White who did all the administration, taxied players and assisted with the coaching; Chris Stephens for his enormous support and his work at board level and finally the East President Mrs. Sheila Mackenzie who has been present at all the games (both boys and girls) and been most enthusiastic and encouraging.
The Team
Amy Ennion (Ipswich) Captain
Annabel Sadler (Bedford Modern School) Goalkeeper
Billie Scholten (Bedford Modern School)
Ellie Pettitt (Deben)
Holly Rooney (Bedford Modern School)
Lucy Granat (Ipswich)
Laura White (Deben)
Ros Latham (Bedford Modern School)
Katie Stupple (Bedford Modern School)
Becca Ennion (Ipswich)
Emma White (Deben)
Maddie Brooks (Watford)
Megan Shine (Enfield)
Final Results
1st North-West (A)
2nd North-West (B)
3rd North-East
4th South-West
5th Ireland
6th Scotland
7th London
8th East
