Storm makes it two from two

GIPPSLAND Storm’s Division Two side completed a fantastic few weeks for the club, joining its Division One counterparts in their respective grand finals this coming Wednesday at the State Netball Centre.
Coming up against secondplaced Geelong in the preliminary final, Storm started the game on the back foot, allowing the occasion to dictate and not really getting into the game.
This allowed Geelong to gain a 10goal lead midway through the first quarter, before the Storm clawed the deficit back to eight at the first break.
During the second quarter, Storm squandered opportunities to reduce the margin, and was lucky that Geelong also threw away passes at crucial stages of the quarter.
Geelong still led by six goals at halftime.
With its season on the line, Gippsland came out after halftime with renewed enthusiasm, catching Geelong off guard and reducing the deficit to only three goals.
Suddenly it looked like the trend of the game would sway in favour of Gippsland.
Despite not taking the lead during the third quarter, the Storm did set the tone for the ensuing final quarter, trailing by only two at the final break.
With nothing to lose, Gippsland again lifted the intensity in defence and slowed the pace of the game to suit its own, which seemed to frustrate the opposition, and turnovers became more frequent.
Although Geelong appeared to be keeping Gippsland at arm’s length, the game was always in the balance and Storm eventually took the lead midway through the final quarter with five unanswered goals.
It was never again headed by a dispirited Geelong, which knew it had let a golden opportunity pass by.
This is the team’s first year in the Division Two, and on Wednesday it has an opportunity to create history by becoming the first State League side to win a premiership in its first season of competition.
The side faces favourites Ariels, while Storm’s Division 1 team plays fourthplaced Ballarat.
Both games are at 7pm at the State Netball Centre.