GEELONG Cougars upset North East Blaze on Wednesday last week to book a spot in the Grand Final of the Victorian Netball League under-23 competition.<\/p>\n
The dream finals run continues for the Cougars after a thrilling match that went down to the last minute, eventually triumphing by one goal at the State Netball Centre.<\/p>\n
After finishing fifth and beating the fourth-placed Bendigo Strikers in an Elimination Final, Geelong’s incredible momentum continued with taking the scalp of the Blaze, who finished atop the ladder and only lost one regular season match.<\/p>\n
The Cougars got out to a 10-point lead at half time, but the Blaze clawed back the margin to just three at the final change.<\/p>\n
It was looking like heartbreak as the Blaze took the lead in the 59th minute, but young gun Indi O’Connor was the eventual hero, scoring two goals in a matter of moments to secure the 53-52 victory at the 11th hour.<\/p>\n
Goal shooter Eliza Dunell again led the way for the Cougars, scoring 39 goals, while O’Connor, 16, scored 14 goals.<\/p>\n
Geelong will now have a week off, with the win making them the first team to secure a berth in the big dance.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Blaze have a second chance after the loss and faced Melbourne University Lightning on Wednesday this week, with the winner progressing through to take on the Cougars.<\/p>\n
The Grand Final will be held at the State Netball Centre on Wednesday, August 13, at 6.50pm<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
GEELONG Cougars upset North East Blaze on Wednesday last week to book a spot in the Grand Final of the Victorian Netball League under-23 competition. The dream finals run continues for the Cougars after a thrilling match that went down to the last minute, eventually triumphing by one goal at the State Netball Centre. After […]<\/p>\n