Cavaliers proved too good for Kingston in first final of State League netball
FOCUSED: Cavaliers opens coach Dan Roden pulled the right reins on Saturday over Kingston Blues to take a further towards a State League grand final berth. Picture: Paul Scambler
Cavaliers predictably have booked their spot in the State League preliminary final at the Silverdome next week.
To no surprise the team that started unbeaten for 11 rounds, leading their rivals for 19 of the 21 rounds before sliding down to third scored a 56-43 victory over Kingston.
Club coach Dannie Carstens was pleased Cavaliers wrenched back the ascendancy on Saturday after her 19-and-unders started the ball rolling with a 20-goal win against Cripps Waratah to advance to the grand final.
"It was worth it in the end when we have the hard haul out to Kingborough because both teams did a really good job," she said. "The opens were far more connected this week than they have been."
Both Northern Hawks and AYC-Friends Arrows caught up late in the season to both tie Cavs with a 15-3 finish.
"We have fought tooth and nail all season with those five one-goal wins, but we do like doing things the hard way," Carstens said. "Dan [Roden] has done a good job in prepping them over the last two weeks for this match."
Roden's side cast aside playing the guaranteed extra final by controlling the game from the outset, clinching the victory by winning the first three quarters.
Cavaliers trio Lucy Dennis, Shelby Miller and Dana Lester dominated the midcourt with precision passing on the back of relentless defence through the court.
Roden's sharp rotations worked the trick as his fresh lineup built on a seven-goal opening lead to stretch the margin to 11 goals at the half and 15 by the last change.